Video Encoder for Vehicle Imaging Systems

Solution Overview

Problem

The processing load and power consumption in vehicle-mounted imaging systems are high due to the need to extract characteristic points of objects moving from the center to the peripheral part of the image, which is inefficient for recording video images of multiple subjects.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor integrated circuit with a video encoder that divides the video signal into central and peripheral parts of the image, using a pixel processing unit to coordinate-transform and enlarge objects on a pixel-by-pixel basis, reducing processing load and power consumption by calculating movement and enlargement factors based on vehicle speed information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If characteristic point extraction is performed on all objects moving from center to peripheral part of the image, then image compression can be achieved, but processing load and power consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage compression efficiencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating processing based on object location in the image. Objects in the central region undergo full characteristic point extraction and motion compensation, while objects in the peripheral region use simplified processing with predetermined motion vectors. This selective approach reduces overall computational load and power consumption while maintaining compression effectiveness for the most important central subjects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The image is segmented into central and peripheral regions, with different processing strategies applied to each segment. The central region receives intensive processing with characteristic point extraction, while the peripheral region uses simplified motion compensation with predetermined vectors. This segmentation allows the system to optimize the balance between compression quality and processing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If characteristic point extraction is performed on all objects moving from center to peripheral part of the image, then image compression can be achieved, but processing load increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage compression efficiencyVSAvoidprocessing load

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating processing based on object location in the image. Objects in the central region undergo full characteristic point extraction and motion compensation, while objects in the peripheral region use simplified processing with predetermined motion vectors. This selective approach reduces overall computational load and power consumption while maintaining compression effectiveness for the most important central subjects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The image is segmented into central and peripheral regions, with different processing strategies applied to each segment. The central region receives intensive processing with characteristic point extraction, while the peripheral region uses simplified motion compensation with predetermined vectors. This segmentation allows the system to optimize the balance between compression quality and processing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9501879B2Semiconductor integrated circuit mountable on recording device and method of operating the same

Publication Date: 2016.11.22 RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP

AI summary

A semiconductor integrated circuit has a video encoder including a motion prediction unit, a motion compensation unit, a subtraction unit, a discrete cosine transform unit, a quantization unit, an inverse quantization unit, an inverse discrete cosine transform unit, and an addition unit. The encoder divides the video signal from the camera into a plurality of partial images including the central part of the image and the peripheral part of the image according to the distance from the center of the image, and processes the partial images. A pixel processing unit coordinate-transforms coordinates of a pixel included in the central part of the image into coordinates of the peripheral part of the image, and performs a process of enlarging an object of a subject included in the central part of the image on a pixel-by-pixel basis when performing the coordinate transform.