Image Frame Error Detection Using IRQ Timestamps in Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous driving systems face challenges in efficiently detecting and correcting errors in image frames, particularly in wireless communication environments, which can impact the reliability of visual content rendering and display processing.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a system-on-chip (SoC) global timer and a ping-pong scheme to tag frames with timestamps and capture interrupt requests (IRQs) for error detection, allowing for the identification and correction of faulty frames.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If interrupt requests are used to detect frame errors in autonomous driving systems, then error detection capability is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional hardware and software components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The interrupt controller is designed to handle multiple types of interrupts (frame errors, timestamp overflows, display interrupts) through a unified mechanism. The same interrupt infrastructure serves both error detection and timing synchronization functions, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware components and lowering overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If frame processing speed is increased to improve productivity, then output rate is improved, but error detection accuracy may deteriorate due to reduced processing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveframe processing speedVSAvoiderror detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Timestamps are generated and attached to frames in advance during the capture phase, before the frames undergo complex processing. This preliminary timing information is stored in dedicated timestamp registers, allowing error detection and synchronization to occur rapidly without requiring time-consuming analysis during later processing stages, thus maintaining both speed and accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional software-based error detection and timing mechanisms with hardware-level interrupt controllers and timestamp registers. This hardware substitution enables parallel processing of multiple frames simultaneously, as the interrupt mechanism can handle multiple interrupts concurrently without the sequential overhead of software polling, thereby increasing processing speed while preserving detection accuracy through dedicated hardware logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12563157B1Identifying image frames containing errors in automotive systems

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Aspects presented herein relate to methods and devices for communication including an apparatus, e.g., a vehicle. The apparatus may obtain a first interrupt request (IRQ) for a first frame in a set of frames associated with the frame processing. The apparatus may also store an indication of a first identifier (ID) for the first IRQ for the first frame. The apparatus may also determine an existence of a second IRQ for a second frame in the set of frames associated with the frame processing, where the second frame is subsequent to the first frame in the set of frames. The apparatus may also set, based on the determination, a first bit based on the existence of the second IRQ for the second frame or a second bit based on a nonexistence of the second IRQ for the second frame.