Camera Module Phase Synchronization for Vehicle Surveillance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing systems for vehicle surveillance face delays in synthesizing images from multiple camera modules, leading to potential missed detection of obstacles due to asynchronous imaging and phase differences, which complicates real-time accident prevention.
Innovation Solution
An image processing system that includes phase controllers for each camera module to synchronize vertical synchronization signals, with a phase monitoring unit and relative phase control unit to ensure synchronized imaging operations, allowing for real-time generation and display of synthesized images without extensive modification of existing camera modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If images from multiple camera modules are temporarily stored in a buffer to synchronize phases, then image synthesis can be performed, but real-time performance is degraded due to delay
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization by controlling the phase of vertical synchronization signals before image acquisition. The phase control unit adjusts the phase of Vsync signals for each camera module in advance, ensuring that images are captured at synchronized timing without requiring post-acquisition buffering. This eliminates the delay caused by temporary storage while maintaining synthesis accuracy.
2Productivity
If camera modules operate asynchronously at fixed cycles, then imaging can be performed continuously, but gaps in obstacle detection occur during phase delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a phase detection unit that continuously monitors the phase of vertical synchronization signals from each camera module. Based on this feedback, the phase control unit dynamically adjusts the phase of Vsync signals to maintain synchronization. This closed-loop control ensures that all camera modules capture images at the same timing, eliminating detection gaps while preserving continuous imaging capability.
3Device complexity
If existing camera modules are used without modification, then system complexity is reduced, but phase synchronization cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an image processing device as an intermediary between existing camera modules and the synthesis process. This device includes a phase control unit that generates and adjusts vertical synchronization signals, and a synthesis unit that combines images. The intermediary handles all synchronization complexity, allowing existing camera modules to be used without modification while achieving reliable phase synchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing system includes camera modules each including an imager configured to acquire an image at the timing of a vertical synchronization signal, and a phase controller configured to control the phase of the vertical synchronization signal, and each configured to output the vertical synchronization signal together with a corresponding one of image signals of images of different imaging fields; a phase monitoring unit configured to compare the phases of the vertical synchronization signals from the camera modules; a relative phase control unit configured to output a relative phase control signal to the phase controller of each camera module at a predetermined cycle such that the vertical synchronization signals monitored by the phase monitoring unit are synchronized with each other; and an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the images at the timing of the synchronized and controlled vertical synchronization signal to generate a single synthesized image.