Signal Processing Device Abnormality Detection via Frame Memory Copying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solid-state imaging devices, particularly in vehicles, require a mechanism to detect abnormalities in signal processing to ensure functional safety and fail-safe operations, as existing methods are inadequate for single-phase signal processing circuits and may increase circuit scale and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing device that generates frame data by associating first test data, second test data, and valid data from pixel signals across frames, allowing for the diagnosis of abnormality in signal processing without requiring a multi-phase configuration, by comparing test data generated under similar signal processing settings across different frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-phase signal processing configuration is used to detect abnormalities, then the reliability of failure detection is improved, but the device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual multi-phase system by copying and storing signal processing results from different frames in a frame memory. Instead of requiring physical multi-phase circuits, the system captures pixel signals across multiple frames, stores them with their processing results, and performs comparative analysis to detect abnormalities. This virtual copying approach achieves the reliability of multi-phase detection without the hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a spatial multi-phase configuration to a temporal dimension approach. By utilizing the time dimension through multiple frames and storing processing results in frame memory, the system achieves abnormality detection capability equivalent to multi-phase systems without requiring parallel circuit structures. This dimensional transformation resolves the contradiction between detection reliability and circuit complexity.
2Reliability
If a multi-phase signal processing configuration is used to detect abnormalities, then the reliability of failure detection is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system copies signal processing results from different frames into a frame memory rather than maintaining parallel multi-phase processing circuits. This copying mechanism allows the system to perform abnormality detection by comparing stored results with current processing results, achieving the same reliability as multi-phase systems while consuming significantly less power since only one processing chain operates at any given time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic frame-based processing where pixel signals are captured, processed, and stored in sequence across multiple frames. By using this periodic temporal approach instead of continuous parallel processing, the system achieves cumulative detection capability while maintaining lower instantaneous power consumption, as the processing resources are reused across frames rather than duplicated.
3Measurement precision
If complex calculations are performed to diagnose abnormality in signal processing, then the measurement precision of abnormality detection is improved, but the device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores pixel signals and their processing results from previous frames in a frame memory, creating a historical record that can be compared with current frame data. This copying of past states enables precise abnormality detection through simple comparison operations rather than complex calculations, as the system can directly identify deviations between current and historical processing results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where processing results from previous frames are stored and used as reference for diagnosing abnormalities in current frames. By feeding back historical data through the frame memory and comparing it with current processing results, the system achieves high measurement precision using straightforward comparison logic rather than complex analytical calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
To enable detection of occurrence of abnormality in a more preferable manner when the abnormality occurs in signal processing applied to pixel signals. A signal processing device including: a signal processing unit that performs signal processing on pixel signals; and a data generation unit that associates first test data based on first processing, second test data based on second processing, and valid data obtained by performing the second processing on the pixel signals corresponding to a second frame after a first frame to generate frame data corresponding to the second frame, in which, the first processing is the signal processing for generating the valid data in the first frame; the second processing is the signal processing for generating the valid data in the second frame; and presence or absence of abnormality in the signal processing is diagnosed on the basis of the first test data associated with the frame data corresponding to the first frame, and the first test data associated with the frame data corresponding to the second frame.