Autonomous Navigation Imaging System With GMSL Camera Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous navigation systems face challenges in efficiently processing and integrating sensory data from multiple cameras and sensors, leading to inefficiencies in data transfer and computational load, particularly over longer distances.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a centralized imaging system with a plurality of cameras connected via Gigabit Multimedia Serial Links (GMSL) and MIPI aggregators, using deserializers and serializers to aggregate and synchronize data, and incorporating additional sensors like IMUs for precise navigation, while minimizing power consumption and optimizing cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If parallel communication is used to transmit sensory data from multiple cameras, then data transfer speed is significantly faster, but system complexity and cost increase due to requiring multiple parallel channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple parallel communication channels into a single serial communication channel by using a camera expansion board that aggregates data from multiple cameras through a shared serial interface. This reduces system complexity while maintaining efficient data transfer through the MIPI bus and GMSL protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera expansion board acts as an intermediary device between the multiple cameras and the central processor. It includes serializers that convert parallel data from cameras into serial format for transmission over a single channel, and deserializers that convert the serial data back to parallel format for processing, thereby enabling efficient communication with reduced complexity.
2Reliability
If serial communication is used to transmit sensory data over longer distances, then cost and reliability improve, but data transfer speed decreases compared to parallel communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the communication parameters by using Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) technology that operates at high data rates (up to 2.5 Gbps) over serial interfaces. This allows serial communication to achieve speeds comparable to parallel communication while maintaining the reliability and cost advantages of single-channel transmission over longer distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional parallel electrical connections with optical-based serial communication using GMSL and MIPI interfaces. This substitution enables longer transmission distances with better signal integrity and reduced electromagnetic interference, while maintaining high data transfer speeds through advanced encoding and modulation techniques.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras are connected to central processor individually, then each camera can be independently controlled, but computational load and data processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the data processing functions by using a camera expansion board that aggregates data from multiple cameras before transmitting to the central processor. This consolidation reduces the number of separate communication channels and processing paths, thereby reducing overall computational load while maintaining the ability to independently control each camera through the expansion board's multiple camera interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the system into modular components: individual cameras connected to the camera expansion board, which processes and aggregates data before transmitting to the central processor. This segmentation allows independent camera control at the expansion board level while simplifying the overall system architecture by centralizing data aggregation and processing functions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for implementing sensory configurations in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes an imaging system that includes cameras, wherein each camera includes image sensor(s). The imaging system includes video links, wherein each of the video links is configured to: connect a particular camera to a central processor, and carry power, from the central processor to the particular camera. The imaging system includes a memory that stores instructions for processing image data obtained from the cameras. The central processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform a method. The method aggregates the image data for each camera of the plurality of cameras to produce aggregated image data, using at least one mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) aggregator. The method processes the aggregated image data to produce a set of at least one environmental image.