Depth Camera Assembly With Triggered RGB-D Time Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current RGB-D cameras face image distortion and poor user experience due to the inability to record image and depth information simultaneously, leading to suboptimal data fusion.
Innovation Solution
A depth camera assembly comprising a depth camera, an RGB camera, and a processor that synchronizes exposure operations using a trigger signal, allowing simultaneous recording of image and depth information with timestamp alignment, and a multi-sensor fusion system that includes a GPS module for updating local time to enhance data fusion accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the depth camera and RGB camera operate independently without synchronization, then each camera can function autonomously, but the image information and depth information cannot be recorded simultaneously, leading to data misalignment and image distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the triggering mechanisms of the depth camera and RGB camera into a unified synchronization system. The master camera generates a trigger signal that simultaneously initiates exposure in both the depth camera and RGB camera, ensuring that image information and depth information are captured at the exact same moment. This eliminates data misalignment and image distortion while maintaining manageable system complexity through a centralized control approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a trigger signal as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the master camera and the slave cameras (depth camera and RGB camera). This trigger signal acts as a synchronization carrier that transmits the exposure timing information across all camera modules, ensuring precise temporal alignment without requiring complex direct communication between each camera pair.
2Measurement precision
If the camera system uses local time for timestamp recording, then the system operates independently, but time drift occurs leading to misalignment with standard time and reduced data fusion accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the GPS module continuously provides standard time information to the processor. The processor compares the local time with the standard time from GPS and adjusts the timestamp recording accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that the camera system maintains accurate time synchronization with standard time, preventing time drift while using a relatively simple time correction approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary time synchronization by obtaining standard time from the GPS module before recording timestamps for image and depth data. By pre-synchronizing the time reference, the system ensures that all subsequent timestamp recordings are already aligned with standard time, eliminating the need for complex real-time time adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A depth camera assembly is provided. The depth camera assembly includes: a depth camera, configured to generate a trigger signal, in which the trigger signal is configured to instruct the depth camera to perform a first exposure operation to obtain first image information; a red-green-blue (RGB) camera, communicatively connected to the depth camera to receive the trigger signal, in which the trigger signal is configured to instruct the RGB camera to perform a second exposure operation to obtain second image information; and a processor, communicatively connected respectively to the depth camera and the RGB camera to receive the trigger signal, the first image information and the second image information, and configured to record a time stamp of the first image information and the second image information based on local time of receiving the trigger signal.