Bidirectional synchronizing camera, camera system including the same and method of operating the camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10367977-B2
Application number	US-201615271868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

In one example embodiment, a camera system includes a plurality of cameras, a camera controller configured to control the plurality of cameras, a control signal line configured to facilitate an exchange of at least one control signal between the camera controller and the plurality of cameras and a synchronization signal line commonly connected to the plurality of cameras, and configured to transmit at least one transmission synchronization signal for synchronizing at least two cameras among the plurality of cameras.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera system comprising:
a plurality of cameras;
a camera controller configured to control the plurality of cameras, the camera controller and the plurality of cameras are configured to exchange at least one control signal therebetween; and
a synchronization signal line commonly connected to the plurality of cameras,
wherein the plurality of cameras each including a transmitter, a receiver, and a timing controller,
the transmitter is configured to transmit a corresponding transmission synchronization signal over the synchronization signal line,
the receiver is configured to receive one or more transmission synchronization signals transmitted by one or more of the plurality of cameras over the synchronization signal line, and
the timing controller is configured to,
detect a timing difference between a transmission synchronization signal generated in a corresponding camera so as to derive the corresponding transmission synchronization signal and the received one or more transmission synchronization signals, and
control a timing of the transmission synchronization signal generated in the corresponding camera according to the timing difference.

2. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is further configured to,
detect a time period during which the corresponding transmission synchronization signal and the received one or more transmission synchronization signals have different levels, and
one of advance or delay a point of time by the time period in response to the corresponding transmission synchronization signal being enabled.

3. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is further configured to,
detect a timing difference between one edge of the corresponding transmission synchronization signal and one edge of at least one of the received one or more transmission synchronization signals, and
one of advance or delay a point of time by the timing difference in response to the corresponding transmission synchronization signal being enabled.

4. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of cameras includes a first camera and a second camera,
the first camera is configured to output a first transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the second camera is configured to output a second transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the second transmission synchronization signal is enabled later than the first transmission synchronization signal, and
the first camera is configured to,
detect a first timing difference between the second transmission synchronization signal received over the synchronization signal line and the first transmission synchronization signal, and
delay a point of time in response to the first transmission synchronization signal being enabled according to the first timing difference.

5. The camera system of claim 4 , wherein
the plurality of cameras further includes a third camera,
the third camera is configured to output a third transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the third transmission synchronization signal is enabled earlier than the first transmission synchronization signal, and
the third camera is configured to,
detect a second timing difference between at least one of the first and second transmission synchronization signals received from the synchronization signal line and the third transmission synchronization signal, and
delay a point of time in response to the third transmission synchronization signal being enabled according to the second timing difference.

6. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of cameras includes a first camera and a second camera,
the first camera is configured to output a first transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the second camera is configured to output a second transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the second transmission synchronization signal is enabled later than the first transmission synchronization signal, and
the second camera is configured to,
detect a first timing difference between the first transmission synchronization signal received from the synchronization signal line and the second transmission synchronization signal, and
advance a point of time in response to the second transmission synchronization signal being enabled according to the first timing difference.

7. The camera system of claim 6 , wherein
the plurality of cameras further includes a third camera,
the third camera is configured to output a third transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line,
the third transmission synchronization signal is enabled later than the second transmission synchronization signal, and
the third camera is configured to,
detect a second timing difference between at least one of the first and second transmission synchronization signals received from the synchronization signal line and the third transmission synchronization signal, and
advance a point of time in response to the third transmission synchronization signal being enabled according to the second timing difference.

8. A first camera connected to at least a second camera via a synchronization signal line, the first camera comprising:
a transmitter electrically connected to the synchronization signal line and configured to transmit a first transmission synchronization signal to the synchronization signal line;
a receiver electrically connected to the synchronization signal line and configured to receive at least a second transmission synchronization signal from the second camera via the synchronization signal line; and
a timing controller configured to,
receive the first transmission synchronization signal and the second transmission synchronization signal,
detect a timing difference between a transmission synchronization signal generated in the first camera so as to derive the first transmission synchronization signal and the second transmission synchronization signal, and
control a timing of the transmission synchronization signal generated in the first camera according to the timing difference.

9. The first camera of claim 8 , further comprising:
an image sensor configured to sense an image of an object captured by a lens and transmit image data of the sensed image to a camera controller according to the first transmission synchronization signal, under control of the camera controller.

10. The first camera of claim 8 , wherein the timing controller is configured to,
detect the timing difference between one edge of the first transmission synchronization signal and one edge of the second transmission synchronization signal, and
one of advance or delay a point of time according to the timing difference in response to the first transmission synchronization signal being enabled.

11. The first camera of claim 10 , wherein the first camera is commonly connected to the second camera and a third camera via the synchronization signal line, and is configured to,
detect which one of the second camera and the third camera is enabled at a later point of time than the other one of the second camera and the third camera based on the second transmission synchronization signal, and
delay the point of time to be synchronized with the later point of time in response to the first transmission synchronization signal being enabled.

12. The first camera of claim 10 , wherein the first camera is commonly connected to the second camera and a third camera via the synchronization signal line, and is configured to,
detect which one of the seco

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Il Joong
• Jo Jeong A

Classifications

• H04N23/00

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• H04N5/067 Primary

  Arrangements or circuits at the transmitter end · CPC title

• H04N13/296

  Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof · CPC title