Image processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198089-A1
Application number	US-201615072368-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 3, 2014
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing system includes camera modules each including an imager configured to acquire an image at the timing of a vertical synchronization signal, and a phase controller configured to control the phase of the vertical synchronization signal, and each configured to output the vertical synchronization signal together with a corresponding one of image signals of images of different imaging fields; a phase monitoring unit configured to compare the phases of the vertical synchronization signals from the camera modules; a relative phase control unit configured to output a relative phase control signal to the phase controller of each camera module at a predetermined cycle such that the vertical synchronization signals monitored by the phase monitoring unit are synchronized with each other; and an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the images at the timing of the synchronized and controlled vertical synchronization signal to generate a single synthesized image.

First claim

1 . An image processing system, comprising:
a plurality of camera modules
each including an imager configured to acquire an image at a timing of a vertical synchronization signal repeated at a fixed cycle, and a phase controller configured to control a phase of the vertical synchronization signal, and
each configured to output the vertical synchronization signal together with a corresponding one of image signals of images of different imaging fields;
an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize, based on the image signal and the vertical synchronization signal output from each of the plurality of camera modules, the images acquired by the plurality of camera modules to generate a single synthesized image; a video picture output unit configured to output, as a video picture, synthesized images continuously generated by the image synthesizing unit to a monitor; a phase monitoring unit configured to compare the phases of the vertical synchronization signals output from the plurality of camera modules; and a relative phase control unit configured to output a relative phase control signal to the phase controller of each camera module at a predetermined cycle such that the vertical synchronization signals of the camera modules monitored by the phase monitoring unit are synchronized with each other, wherein the image synthesizing unit synthesizes the images acquired by the camera modules at a timing of a synchronized and controlled vertical synchronization signal to generate a single synthesized image.

2 . The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein
each camera module is placed at a corresponding portion of a vehicle to image the different imaging fields at a periphery of the vehicle, and is, via a connection cable, connected to an image synthesizing device including the phase monitoring unit, the relative phase control unit, and the image synthesizing unit, the phase monitoring unit of the image synthesizing device compares the phases of the vertical synchronization signals output from the camera modules via the connection cables, and the phase controller of each camera module controls the phase of the vertical synchronization signal based on the relative phase control signal output from the relative phase control unit of the image synthesizing device via the connection cable.

3 . The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein
the phase monitoring unit compares the phases of the vertical synchronization signals output from the camera modules via the connection cables, and the relative phase control unit outputs a phase control signal for advancing or delaying the phase to each camera module such that the vertical synchronization signals of the camera modules are synchronized with each other.

4 . An image processing system, comprising:
a plurality of camera modules
each including an imager configured to acquire an image at a timing of a vertical synchronization signal repeated at a fixed cycle, and a phase controller configured to control a phase of the vertical synchronization signal, and
each configured to output the vertical synchronization signal together with a corresponding one of image signals of images of different imaging fields;
an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize, based on the image signal and the vertical synchronization signal output from each of the plurality of camera modules, the images acquired by the plurality of camera modules to generate a single synthesized image; and a video picture output unit configured to output, as a video picture, synthesized images continuously generated by the image synthesizing unit to a monitor, wherein the plurality of camera modules is daisy-chain-connected to the image synthesizing unit, the phase controller of one of the camera modules connected downstream of another one of the camera modules in a daisy chain controls the phase of the vertical synchronization signal to be synchronized with the phase of the vertical synchronization signal input from the another one of the camera modules, and the one of the camera modules outputs one or more image signals input from the another one of the camera modules, the vertical synchronization signal whose phase is controlled by the phase controller, and image signals of images acquired by the imager at a timing of the vertical synchronization signal whose phase is controlled by the phase controller.

5 . The image processing system according to claim 4 , wherein
each of the plurality of daisy-chain-connected camera modules is placed at a corresponding portion of a vehicle to image the different imaging fields at a periphery of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Smk Kk

Inventors

• Motohashi Kazutaka

Classifications

• H04N23/90

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

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N5/23238 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic