KR102264433B1 - Apparatus and method for tranmitting and receiving signal in vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A camera device according to an embodiment includes a camera module that generates an input image, and a transceiver circuit unit that encodes and modulates the input image to provide an electrical and/or magnetic first signal. Further, the apparatus includes an antenna attached to the metal body of the vehicle, forming an electromagnetic field in the metal body, and propagating the first signal received from the transmitting/receiving circuit unit in the electromagnetic field.

Description

In-vehicle communication device and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANMITTING AND RECEIVING SIGNAL IN VEHICLE}

It relates to communication devices and methods, and more particularly to devices for transmitting and receiving video signals from one side of a vehicle to another.

In a vehicle, various sensors and components are connected to each other by wire. A rear camera or a black box camera that monitors the rear is also connected by wire for power supply and video transmission.

However, such a wired connection makes it reluctant to install a rear surveillance black box camera or a rear camera distributed in the aftermarket. Because of the wired connection, camera installation is difficult and expensive. In addition, there may be some damage to the vehicle, such as drilling through the steel plate of the car, and if it is removed because it is not used, traces remain.

In order to replace such a wired connection, there has been conventionally proposed a method of wireless image transmission using a radio frequency (RF) method, and the following patent documents are some examples.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1334391 (announced on November 29, 2013) proposes a multi-channel vehicle black box that is equipped with a wireless communication module and transmits images wirelessly. US Patent Publication No. US 2011/0013020 (published on January 20, 2011) proposes a communication network for wirelessly transmitting a vehicle rear view camera image.

According to one side, a camera device installed and used in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes: a camera module for generating an input image; a transceiver circuit unit encoding and modulating the input image to provide a first signal; and an antenna attached to the metal body of the vehicle, forming an electromagnetic field in the metal body, and propagating the first signal received from the transmission/reception circuit unit in the electromagnetic field.

According to an embodiment the antenna comprises: a first layer made of a conductive material and including at least one opening facing the vehicle body; a second layer made of a conductive material and adjacent to the first layer; and a third layer made of a dielectric material and disposed between the first layer and the second layer to exchange electromagnetic waves with the vehicle body so as to apply the first signal to the electromagnetic field.

Illustratively, but not limitedly, the first layer may include nine openings having a 3 X 3 arrangement.

According to an embodiment, the antenna unit receives power from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the vehicle body and provides it to the transmission/reception circuit unit, and the transmission/reception circuit unit supplies power to the camera module through a converter.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a copper material. In addition, the third layer may include at least one of carbon fiber, acrylic, and polycarbonate.

According to another aspect, an image processing apparatus for receiving an image from a camera installed in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a camera-side antenna attached to a first position of a metal body of the vehicle, and a camera-side antenna attached to a second position of a metal body of the vehicle to form an electromagnetic field in the metal body and send a first signal corresponding to the image An antenna for receiving the first signal when propagating on the electromagnetic field; and a transmission/reception circuit unit that modulates and decodes the first signal and provides the image as the image.

According to an embodiment the antenna comprises: a first layer made of a conductive material and including at least one opening facing the vehicle body; a second layer made of a conductive material and adjacent to the first layer; and a third layer made of a dielectric material and disposed between the first layer and the second layer to receive the first signal by exchanging electromagnetic waves with the vehicle body.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a copper material. In addition, the third layer may include at least one of carbon fiber, acrylic, and polycarbonate.

According to an embodiment, when a supply voltage from a battery and/or a vehicle power source of the vehicle is converted and transmitted, the transmission/reception circuit unit transmits the power to the antenna, and the antenna forms an electromagnetic field in the metal body to form the The power is propagated to the camera-side antenna.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a principle of transmitting an image through a metal vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment.
2 illustrates an antenna unit and a transmission/reception circuit unit according to an embodiment.
3 is a plan view of an antenna unit according to an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a side view of an antenna unit according to an embodiment.
5 is an exemplary block diagram of an overall system configuration according to an embodiment.
6 illustrates a state in which a camera device is installed in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
7 is a side view illustrating a camera device installed in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
8 illustrates a state in which a camera device is installed in a large vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
9 illustrates a state in which a transmitted image is displayed according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the rights is not limited or limited by these embodiments. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

The terms used in the description below are selected as general and universal in the related technical field, but there may be other terms depending on the development and/or change of technology, customs, preferences of technicians, and the like. Therefore, the terms used in the description below should not be understood as limiting the technical idea, but should be understood as exemplary terms for describing the embodiments.

In addition, in specific cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the corresponding description. Therefore, the terms used in the description below should be understood based on the meaning of the term and the content throughout the specification, not the simple name of the term.

Communication system configuration

A communication system according to embodiments includes a camera device for transmitting an image, and an image processing device for receiving and processing the image. Conventionally, a process of transmitting image data from a camera device to an image processing device has been performed by wired communication or wireless communication using an RF method. However, according to embodiments, image data is transmitted from the camera device to the image processing device by metal body communication (or magnetic field communication) using the vehicle body as a communication medium. Furthermore, the image processing device may transmit power supplied by the vehicle to the camera device to transmit operating power of the camera device.

The camera device according to an embodiment may be a rear camera of a multi-channel vehicle black box. However, this is only one example application, and other types of products are possible. For example, it may be one of a front camera, a rear camera, and a left or right camera constituting an omni-view or omni-vision camera system that is recently provided as an option among automobile manufacturers. As described above, the camera device according to an exemplary embodiment transmits an image through an electromagnetic field induction method in the vehicle body itself, which is a metal, instead of using a separate wire as in the conventional method to transmit an image.

A camera device according to an embodiment includes a camera module for generating an input image, and a transceiver circuit unit for encoding and modulating the input image to provide a first signal (meaning an electrical and/or magnetic signal, hereinafter the same) include Further, the apparatus includes an antenna attached to the metal body of the vehicle, forming an electromagnetic field in the metal body, and propagating the first signal received from the transmitting/receiving circuit unit in the electromagnetic field. The configuration of the antenna unit will be described later in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4 .

According to an exemplary embodiment, the image processing apparatus receives and processes an image transmitted by the camera apparatus through a vehicle body through a metal body communication. The image processing apparatus includes an antenna attached to a first position of a metal body of the vehicle. When the antenna on the camera device side attached to the second position of the metal body of the vehicle forms an electromagnetic field in the metal body, the first signal corresponding to the image is loaded in the electromagnetic field and propagated. 1 Receive a signal. The image processing apparatus also includes a transmission/reception circuit unit that modulates and decodes the first signal and provides the image as the image.

Then, a principle by which an image can be transmitted through the metal body will be first described with reference to FIG. 1 . 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a principle of transmitting an image through a metal vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment. In the illustrated example, the metal medium 101 may be, for example, a steel plate or a frame structure of a vehicle body. A case in which the metal medium 101 is a magnetic material and a case in which a diamagnetic material is divided will be described.

metal medium In case of magnetic

The conductive layers of the first antenna 110 form an electromagnetic field in the dielectric layer. Then, an electromagnetic field in which the magnetic field is dominant in the metal medium 101, which is a propagation medium, is formed by this electromagnetic field. Among the generated electromagnetic fields, an electric field E1 propagates in a perpendicular direction to the metal medium 101 through the opening surface of the antenna 110 . The propagated electric field E1 forms an electromagnetic field B in which the magnetic field is dominant in the metallic medium 101 .

Then, according to the reversibility theory, the second antenna 120 of the receiving part receives energy from the electromagnetic field formed in the metal medium 101 with a similar structure and principle. In this process, a change in the electromagnetic field B in which the magnetic field is dominant is transmitted in the dielectric layer to the electromagnetic field E2 in which the electric field is dominant through the aperture of the antenna 120 .

In such metal communication, since the magnetic field is dominant, even if the shape and size of the metal medium 101 change, the change in impedance is small. In addition, since the metal medium 101 has a higher magnetic permeability than air, the radio wave transmission efficiency is superior to that of a communication system propagating in the air.

For example, steel has a magnetic permeability of about 2000 and pure iron about 4000-5000, which means that it is about 2000 times and about 4000-5000 times greater than the permeability of air, respectively. This means that the propagation of a magnetic field in a magnetic material can propagate very strongly than in the air, and it can propagate much further than a propagation in the air. Therefore, it means that the communication through the magnetic metal medium 101 can go farther than the magnetic field communication through the air. In order to form an electromagnetic field in which the magnetic field is dominant, the resonance part and the circuit part must be designed so that an electric field of a certain size is formed inside the metal body in the resonance part and the circuit part.

On the other hand, in the case of a metal medium with high magnetic permeability, the propagation efficiency increases and the transmission distance varies according to the wavelength of the operating frequency. Due to the electromagnetic field formed in the metal medium 101, energy transfer is possible even to a resonator that is a certain distance away from the metal medium. Since the electromagnetic field formed in the metal medium 101 is dominant in the magnetic field, the electric field is radiated from the metal medium 101. Therefore, when the antenna resonant at the operating frequency is within a certain distance from the metal medium 101, energy reception is possible.

The dielectric of the dielectric layer of the antenna 110 or 120 can reduce the thickness and size of the resonator, and forms an electromagnetic field B in which a magnetic field is dominant in the metal medium 101 so that sufficient energy is transmitted.

The metal medium is paramagnetic, In case of diamagnetic

The current fed to the conductive layer forms an electromagnetic field E1 in which the electric field is dominant in the metallic medium 101 . At this time, the electric field radiated from the opening surface does not form the electromagnetic field B in which the magnetic field is dominant in the metal medium 101 . This is because the permeability of paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials is similar to that of air. Therefore, in the metal medium 101 of a paramagnetic or diamagnetic material, the propagation of a magnetic field in the air is not stronger, as in the case of a ferromagnetic material, but propagates in a similar size. In other words, the propagation distance is similar whether in the air or inside a metal body.

In the case of ferromagnetic pure iron, the magnetic permeability is 4000 ~ 5000, but paramagnetic aluminum or diamagnetic silver has a magnetic permeability of about 1.0, so the strength of magnetic field propagation inside the metal body is different. Accordingly, in this case, a signal is propagated to the receiver by the current induced from the layer in contact with the metal medium 101 among the conductive layers of the antenna to the metal medium 101 . At this time, the electric field radiated from the opening surface is induced in the metal body, thereby transmitting a signal or power.

structure of the antenna part

2 illustrates an antenna unit 210 and a transmission/reception circuit unit 220 according to an embodiment. The antenna 210 includes an opening surface in the illustrated example and includes a first layer of a conductive material to face the metal medium, a second layer of conductive material disposed on the opposite surface of the first layer, and the first layer and the second layer. and a third layer of a dielectric material included between the two layers.

See also FIG. 3 together. 3 is a plan view of the antenna unit 300 according to an embodiment. Illustratively, but not limitedly, the first layer and/or the second layer may include nine openings 310 having a 3×3 arrangement. However, the number of apertures may be determined differently depending on applications and communication environments. Accordingly, the first layer and the second layer may have one or a plurality of opening surfaces, but may not have an opening surface in some cases. The shape of the opening surface may be circular or polygonal, and its size is determined so that sufficient energy is transmitted by forming an electromagnetic field in which a magnetic field is dominant in a metal medium.

The thickness of each layer is determined so that sufficient energy is transmitted by forming an electromagnetic field in which a magnetic field is dominant in a metal medium in consideration of wavelength and skin depth. Another layer(s) having different electrical characteristics may be added to the first layer or the second layer in the opposite direction to the third layer. For example, another dielectric layer can be added on top of the first layer to induce the formation of a strong electromagnetic field. In another example, an insulator can be added over the first layer to prevent electrical connection with the metallic medium.

The third layer, which is an intermediate layer between the first layer and the second layer, may be formed of a dielectric material or an insulator. Illustratively, but not limitedly, the third layer may include at least one of carbon fiber, acrylic, and polycarbonate. However, it may include other materials such as paint (paint), paper, and polymeric resin film. In addition, the third layer may include several layers having different characteristics, a plurality of dielectrics or insulators. An exemplary antenna configuration having two or more dielectric layers is shown in FIG. 4 . 4 is a side view of an antenna unit according to another exemplary embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, dielectric layers 420 and 440 were disposed between conductive layers 410 , 430 , 450 such as copper. In this way, the number and thickness of dielectric layers are subject to design change depending on application or communication environment, and specific specifications are determined so that sufficient energy is transmitted to form an electromagnetic field in which a magnetic field is dominant in a metal medium.

In the above description, an example of a waveguide antenna has been basically described, but other antenna types are possible by designing a resonator having a structure that forms an electromagnetic field in which a magnetic field is dominant in a metal body. For example, a patch antenna, a horn antenna, etc. may be used.

Examples of additional magnetic field induction

On the other hand, a strong magnetic field may be induced in the metal body by pre-attaching a ferromagnetic material to the metal medium 101 . For example, a dielectric or an insulator is attached on the first layer, and a ferromagnetic material is attached thereon. And put it on a metal medium.

Then, the attached ferromagnetic material forms a strong magnetic field, which induces a magnetic field in the metal medium, which creates a stronger magnetic field than inducing a magnetic field directly in the metal body. If the attached ferromagnetic material is refined iron or mu alloy with a magnetic permeability of 100,000 to 200,000, a much stronger magnetic field can be formed in the metal body. In another embodiment, a method of winding a coil around a ferromagnetic body and attaching it to a metal body while generating a magnetic field in the ferromagnetic body is also possible.

transmit/receive circuit

Reference is again made to FIG. 2 . The transmission/reception circuit unit 220 is a circuit device that converts a signal transmitted/received by the antenna 210, which is a resonance unit, into a meaningful signal. It is divided into a circuit for transmitting and a circuit for receiving. The transmitting circuit unit may include a power supply circuit for driving the circuit or supplying sufficient power to the resonance unit, and a battery for this may be included. The transmission circuit is similar to the structure of a general wireless communication transmission system, but there are cases where a circuit for emitting sufficient power to the resonator is additionally required. For example, a power amp., an automatic gain controller (AGC), etc. may be required. The receiver has a structure similar to that of a receiver of a general wireless communication system.

frequency used

The frequency used for communication is not particularly limited, but an optimal frequency may be selected according to characteristics of transmitted data, communication environment, and the like. The relationship of the antenna size (the length of one side of the antenna unit 300 in the example shown in FIG. 3 ) for several frequencies is presented in the table below.

action power

Although it is not video communication, we have tested the transmission/reception power in the 27MHz band for voice communication (walkie-talkie). The test environment is as follows.

Standby power: 1.794 W (regardless of antenna size)

transmit power

- Antenna size 150mm x 150 mm : 22.08 W

- Antenna size 100mm x 100 mm : 21.39 W

- Antenna size 60 mm x 60 mm : 10.35 W

receive power

- Antenna size 150mm x 150mm : 2.76 W

- Antenna size 100mm x 100 mm : 3.45 W

- Antenna size 60 mm x 60 mm : 6.21 W

In this test, the rated voltage measured by the tester through the radio circuit was 13.8V, and the distance between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna was about 1 meter.

The measured current in this case is as follows.

The measured current changed according to the audio signal level, and the measured current value is an average value.

transmission of power

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment, it is possible to transmit/receive power as well as data communication. Because it sends power similar to sending a signal, it is also called a transmitter or receiver. The power transmission circuit of the power transmitter converts DC from the power outlet into an analog or RF signal, and the changed power is transmitted through the power transmission resonator (same as antenna in signal transmission, hereinafter the same).

The power receiving circuit unit of the power receiver (same as antenna in signal reception, hereinafter the same) receives the analog or RF signal radiated through the power transmission resonance part of the power receiver through the power reception resonance part of the power receiver, and receives the received analog or RF signal. It supplies power to the required circuit by converting it to DC in the power receiving circuit. If necessary, it can be supplied by converting (DC-DC converter) to an additionally required voltage. In addition, if there is a battery in the receiver, it is possible to charge the battery, and it is also possible to charge the battery and supply power to the required circuit at the same time.

Example of a system for transmitting camera images for vehicles

5 is an exemplary block diagram of an overall system configuration according to an embodiment. Conventionally, the part 501 for transmitting image data and supplying power from the camera device to the image processing device relied on a wired connection. As described above, there are examples of recent attempts to transmit image data through RF-based wireless communication. However, in this case, it is difficult to supply power, so battery charging or a separate power outlet connection is required. According to an embodiment, the part 501 for data transmission and power supply is implemented by metal body communication and power transmission using a vehicle body as a medium.

In the embodiment shown in the block diagram, in the general configuration of the conventional rear black box (or rear camera), the camera device side part 510 near the part 501 for performing communication and power transmission, and the image processing device side Part 520 was further included.

The camera device side part 510 includes an antenna 511 and a transmission/reception circuit unit 512 , and the image processing device side part 520 includes an antenna 521 and a transmission/reception circuit unit 522 . Power supplied from the vehicle's battery (or power generated by the vehicle, etc.) 530 is transferred from the image processing device side part 520 to the camera device side part 510 after passing through the converter and the driving unit. A detailed power transfer process is the same as described above. Then, it is transmitted from the camera device side part 510 through the converter to the camera 540 through the camera side battery 531 .

The image captured by the camera is transmitted to the camera-side part 510 again through the encoder ENC 550 and the modem 560 through the image signal processing unit ISP. Then, image data is transferred from the camera-side part 510 to the image processing device-side part 520 , and the process is the same as described above. The signal transmitted to the part 520 on the side of the image processing device is provided from the display 541 through the modem 561 and the decoder DEC 551 .

Vehicle view after installation

6 and 7 show an exemplary state in which a camera device is installed in a vehicle 600 according to embodiments. The structure 610 including the camera includes a transmission/reception circuit unit, and exchanges signals and/or power in an electromagnetic field communication method through an antenna 620 installed in contact with a steel plate of a vehicle roof. The antenna 720 for metal communication may be attached to any position of the vehicle 700 as shown in FIG. 7 , and may be attached to the vicinity of the structure 710 including the camera. Although not shown, in another embodiment, the structure 710 and the antenna 720 may be implemented as one.

Furthermore, although the camera module and the antenna attached to the outside of the vehicle are illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 , they are not limited thereto and may be installed at any position inside the vehicle. In this case, the antenna is installed so as to be in contact with an arbitrary body metal medium such as a door or pillar of a vehicle. As described above, this type of camera device provides several advantages. In the case of installing and operating a black box or side/rear camera, which are not included in the vehicle at the time of shipment, in the aftermarket, there have been various difficulties in the past, such as drilling a vehicle or inserting a wire in a gap in the interior material. However, according to embodiments, the camera device does not need to be separately wired from the image processing device (usually installed near the driver's seat).

On the other hand, only image data transmission has been described as an example, but many types of sensors installed in recent vehicles, such as ultrasonic sensors, light intensity sensors, rain sensors, LiDAR, and LADAR, can transmit measurement values to the control unit of the vehicle in the same way. Ultimately, embodiments and variations thereof will greatly reduce wiring in automobiles. This is expected to provide additional benefits, such as reducing the manufacturing cost of the vehicle and increasing fuel efficiency due to weight reduction.

For large vehicles

Furthermore, the camera device according to the embodiment is also useful in large vehicles such as buses, trailers, and trucks. 8 illustrates a state in which a camera device is installed in a large vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Large vehicles such as trucks and buses are exposed to the risk of accidents caused by not properly monitoring the rear or blind spots. Therefore, there are many attempts to install and operate a rear/side camera in such a large vehicle, but in the case of a large vehicle, it is difficult to wire from the camera part to the vicinity of the driver's seat.

Therefore, when the camera device 810 for magnetic field communication using the vehicle body 820 as a communication medium is installed as in the above-described embodiment, communication is possible up to the driver's seat 830 without a separate wiring. The detailed structure is as described above, and as shown in FIG. 9 , the screen 910 may be provided to the driver.

Although the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited drawings, various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or the described components of the system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components Or substituted or substituted by equivalents may achieve an appropriate result. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (11)

In the camera device installed and used in a vehicle,
a camera module that generates an input image;
a transceiver circuit unit encoding and modulating the input image to provide a first signal; and
An antenna that is attached to the metal body of the vehicle, forms an electromagnetic field in the metal body, and propagates the first signal received from the transmission/reception circuit unit in the electromagnetic field
including,
The antenna is
a first layer made of a conductive material and including at least one opening facing the vehicle body;
a second layer made of a conductive material and adjacent to the first layer; and
A third layer made of a dielectric material and disposed between the first layer and the second layer to exchange electromagnetic waves with the vehicle body so as to apply the first signal to the electromagnetic field
A camera device comprising a.
delete According to claim 1,
wherein the first layer comprises nine openings having a 3 X 3 arrangement.
According to claim 1,
The antenna receives power from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the vehicle body and provides it to the transmission/reception circuit unit, and the transmission/reception circuit unit supplies power to the camera module through a converter.
According to claim 1,
At least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a copper material.
According to claim 1,
The third layer includes at least one of carbon fiber, acrylic, and polycarbonate.
In the image processing apparatus for receiving an image from a camera installed in a vehicle,
A camera-side antenna attached to a first position of the metal body of the vehicle and attached to a second position of the metal body of the vehicle forms an electromagnetic field in the metal body and transmits a first signal corresponding to the image to the electromagnetic field an antenna for receiving the first signal when propagating early; and
Transceiver circuit unit that modulates and decodes the first signal and provides the image as the image
including,
The antenna is
a first layer made of a conductive material and including at least one opening facing the vehicle body;
a second layer made of a conductive material and adjacent to the first layer; and
A third layer made of a dielectric material and disposed between the first layer and the second layer to receive the first signal by exchanging electromagnetic waves with the vehicle body
An image processing device comprising a.
delete 8. The method of claim 7,
At least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a copper material.
8. The method of claim 7,
and the third layer includes at least one of carbon fiber, acrylic, and polycarbonate.
8. The method of claim 7,
When the supply voltage from the vehicle's battery or vehicle's power supply is converted and transmitted, the transmitting/receiving circuit unit transmits power to the antenna, and the antenna forms an electromagnetic field in the metal body to transmit the power to the camera side antenna A propagating image processing device.

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