Daisy Chaining Dash Cams to Reduce Vehicle Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of multiple cameras in vehicles, such as buses and semi-trucks, is cumbersome due to the need for separate cabling and numerous input ports on controllers, limiting the number of cameras that can be used effectively.
Innovation Solution
A daisy chain configuration where each camera deserializes and reserializes video streams from other cameras, reducing the number of cables needed and allowing a consolidated video stream to be transmitted to a controller, along with the development of interactive graphical user interfaces for improved human-computer interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cabling is used for each camera to a controller, then each camera can be independently connected and controlled, but the installation becomes cumbersome and requires multiple holes in the vehicle to route cables
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate camera cables into a single consolidated cable that carries multiple video streams. Instead of routing separate cables from each camera to the controller, the system merges these connections through intermediate devices that combine multiple video feeds into one cable, reducing the number of holes needed in the vehicle and simplifying installation while maintaining reliable camera connections
2Adaptability or versatility
If controllers include separate input ports for each camera, then each camera can be connected independently, but the number of cameras is limited to the number of input ports on the controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling controller input ports to handle multiple camera feeds through a single connection. The system allows one controller port to receive and process video streams from multiple cameras via consolidation devices that aggregate feeds, making the controller more versatile without requiring additional input ports for each camera
3Area of stationary object
If multiple cameras are installed in larger vehicles such as buses and semi-trucks, then comprehensive video coverage is achieved, but the number of cables and controller ports increases proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by consolidating multiple camera cables into fewer cables that carry aggregated video streams. Intermediate consolidation devices combine video feeds from multiple cameras located throughout the vehicle, reducing the total cable quantity needed to achieve comprehensive coverage of large vehicle areas while maintaining all camera connections
Data Source
AI summary
Multiple cameras within a vehicle, such as placed at multiple locations inside and/or outside a bus or semi-truck and trailer, may be chained together to provide a consolidated video stream that may be recorded and/or transmitted wirelessly to a cloud storage device. Rather that each of the cameras independently recording and/or streaming video content, each camera may be configured to deserialize an input video to identify video streams from separate cameras (e.g., such as based on associate virtual channel identifiers) and reserialize its own video stream with the other video streams in the received input. The serialized video stream is then transmitted to a next camera in the daisy chain and/or a video storage device.