KR20100050759A - A vehicle block box apparatus using a plurality of camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A black box device for a vehicle is provided so that the reliability of images rises because a plurality of cameras take photographs around the vehicle and the taken images are changed to a moving picture. CONSTITUTION: A black box device for a vehicle comprises cameras, a controller(13), an image combining logic(12), an encoder(14) and a memory(18). The cameras comprise a first camera(10) and a second camera(11). The controller generates a control signal to select one of the first and second cameras. The image combining logic alternately selects the first and second cameras depending on the control signal. The image combining logic changes the image signal of the first camera and the image signal of the second camera to a moving picture signal comprising a number of frames. The encoder compresses the moving picture signal. The memory stores the compressed moving picture data.

Description

Vehicle black box device using multiple cameras {A VEHICLE BLOCK BOX APPARATUS USING A PLURALITY OF CAMERA}

This document relates to a vehicle black box device, and more particularly, to a vehicle black box device for increasing reliability of an image taken around a vehicle using multiple cameras.

Recently, a vehicle driving storage device (also called a DVR system or a black box for a vehicle) that continuously photographs and stores the front situation is applied to an automobile for analyzing the cause of an accident. This vehicle driving storage device necessarily requires a camera for photographing the vehicle front situation, the camera is preferably fixed to the top of the vehicle front window to secure a sufficient shooting angle. However, in such a vehicle black box device, a camera used for collecting image data generally uses an out of focus lens. In this case, an image photographed at night is very difficult to identify, based on the image later. When trying to determine the cause of an accident, it is difficult to use as accurate evidence.

In the background art described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a black box device for a vehicle that photographs the surroundings of a vehicle using multiple cameras and processes the same as a single video to increase the reliability of the image.

A vehicle black box apparatus using multiple cameras as one means for solving the above-mentioned problems is a control unit for selecting one of a camera unit including a first camera and a second camera, the first camera and the second camera. A control unit to generate the first and second cameras according to the control signal, and the video signal of the first camera and the video signal of the second camera are composed of one video signal composed of a plurality of frames. The video synthesis logic unit comprises an encoding unit for reducing the amount of data with respect to the video signal, and a memory unit for storing the compressed video data.

The image synthesis logic unit may cross-select the first camera and the second camera in consideration of the number of frames for the first camera and the number of frames for the second camera.

The video data may include sensor data generated by at least one sensor in real time as a data unit for a predetermined section, and the data unit may be configured in a frame format independent of each of the plurality of frames.

The video data may include sensor data generated by at least one sensor in real time, and each of the plurality of frames may include sensor data generated at a corresponding timing.

The sensor data may include at least one of an ID of a data frame, a size of a data frame, a creation date, time, speed, acceleration, impact amount, longitude, and latitude information.

The encoding unit may apply different compression ratios for the image signal of the first camera and the image signal of the second camera. Particularly, some video signals can be processed with reduced compression or lossless compression.

The memory unit may include two or more memories, and the video data may be simultaneously stored in the two or more memories through a mirroring technique. The controller may allow the external host PC to recognize the read-only CD-ROM when the access from the external host PC is recognized.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that can be composed of a video by synthesizing the video signals of multiple cameras in a vehicle black box device.

In addition, there is an effect that can obtain an image from a camera of various functions and configure it as a single video.

In addition, this facilitates the application of wide-angle cameras, night cameras, and the like, as well as the processing of video signals therefrom, thereby increasing the reliability of the image.

In addition, by treating the sensor data obtained from various sensors related to the vehicle together with video processing, it is effective to increase memory management efficiency.

In addition, this makes it easy to find the association between the sensor data and the stored image data, so that the image can be used more usefully in case of an accident.

In addition, by using a mirroring technique when storing data, it reduces the risk of video loss and reduces the risk of data manipulation by allowing the external host PC to recognize the vehicle black box device as a CD-ROM.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention related to a vehicle black box device for increasing the reliability of an image photographed around a vehicle using multiple cameras will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a flow chart showing an image processing operation of the vehicle black box device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a diagram illustrating an image synthesis result of a vehicle black box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle black box apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment may include one of a camera unit including a first camera 10 and a second camera 11, a first camera 10, and a second camera 11. The control unit 13 for generating a control signal to select a cross-selection of the first camera 10 and the second camera 11 according to the control signal, the image signal of the first camera 10 and the second camera An image synthesis logic section 12, which comprises the video signal of (11) as one video signal composed of a plurality of frames, an encoding section 14 for compressing the amount of data for the video signal, and the compressed video It includes a memory unit 18 for storing data.

Here, the frame refers to an image generated by scanning the entire screen once in order to output information to the screen display device, that is, an individual image of a moving picture that continuously changes in time in computer graphics or television broadcasting. For example, most computer monitors and televisions generate 30 or 60 frames per second and display them on the screen.

The image synthesis logic unit 12 according to the present exemplary embodiment may consider the number of frames for the first camera 10 and the number of frames for the second camera 11 in consideration of the first camera 10 and the second camera 11. Select) at the intersection.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the frame number n is initialized in step S200. In operation S210, an image signal is received from one of the first camera 10 and the second camera 11, and in operation S220, the image signal is received from the first camera 10 or the second camera 11. Count by increasing the number of frames (n) by one.

In operation S230 and S240, it is checked whether the frame number k1 preset for the first camera 10 or the frame number k2 preset for the second camera 11 is satisfied. If this is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S210 again to receive an image signal from the first camera 10 or the second camera 11. If this is satisfied, the process is switched to another camera and the process proceeds to step S200 to repeat the above process. In this process, the video signal received in step S210 is output in step S260 according to the present embodiment and output as a single video composed of a plurality of frames.

Referring to FIG. 3, one frame 30 for a multi-camera video signal, that is, a frame 31 for the video signal of the first camera 10 and one frame 31 for the video signal of the second camera 11 are provided. You can see the result of the synthesis process as a video of. In FIG. 3, the preset frame number k1 for the video signal of the first camera 10 is set to 4, and the preset frame number k2 for the video signal of the second camera 11 is set to 1. The case is shown. The determination of the number of frames may be used in a preset state or may be set based on the control signal after confirmation.

Conventional image processing of multiple cameras processes images through individual components, for example, individual encoders, but according to the present embodiment, multiple video signals are processed by only one encoder by configuring multiple camera video signals into one video signal. It is effective to construct the system economically.

In addition, when using multiple cameras according to the present embodiment, the reliability of an image may be increased by using different types of cameras, that is, using cameras having advantages in various environments. For example, the first camera 10 may use a general non-focus type camera, and the second camera 11 may use a wide angle and night camera.

In this case, the second camera 11 is easier to identify the cause of the accident by taking a wider and more detailed picture of the surrounding situation at the time of the accident through the advantage of the wide-angle camera. In addition, at night, the part of the first camera 10 may be photographed by the second camera 11 through the night photographing function of the second camera 11 to increase the reliability of the image.

In addition, when using multiple cameras according to the present embodiment, a camera photographing for various viewing angles of a vehicle may be used. For example, the first camera 10 may be set as a rear camera and the second camera 11 may be set as a left camera or a right camera. In addition, a third camera may be additionally applied to both the left camera and the right camera. Of course, a fourth camera or the like for the front camera may also be added.

In this case, the rear, left, or right cameras can store the image data only when the surrounding camera is generally recognized in comparison with the front camera. Accordingly, the video signal of the left and / or right camera may be included in the video while driving, and the video signal of the rear camera may be included in the video while the vehicle reverses. The video data may be output to the video display device so that the user may easily recognize the situation in reverse.

In general, since the compression ratio is increased to store the photographed data, there is a technical difficulty in accurate cause analysis when an accident occurs due to loss of original data. Therefore, in order to compensate for this, the present invention is configured to reduce the compression rate of at least some images during video signal processing, that is, reduce the loss rate of the video signal or generate high quality data by lossless compression.

For example, the encoder 14 according to the present exemplary embodiment may distinguish between the video signal of the first camera 10 and the video signal of the second camera, and thus the video signal of the first camera 10 and the video of the second camera. Different compression rates can be applied to the signal. That is, the video signal of the first camera 10 may be encoded at a general compression rate, and the loss ratio may be reduced for the video signal of the second camera, or processed as high quality data using a lossless compression method. However, since the high quality data according to the present embodiment is considerably larger than the video data according to the general compression method, it is preferable to have a configuration that can be stored within the allowable range of the memory on an accident basis.

4 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a view showing the result of the image synthesis of the vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a view showing the data content stored in the vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the sensor data generated by the sensor unit 15 including one or more sensors in real time is processed in real time during video storage so that the video data includes sensor data. In other words, the sensor data generated for a certain time is not processed as separate data, but is stored in the video at the same time by using a part of the video frame.

Here, the sensor data includes not only information about the sensor but also frame information in the video to be stored. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the ID 60 of the data frame, the size 61 of the data frame, the creation date 62, the time 63, the speed 64, the acceleration 65, the longitude and the like. It may include at least one of the latitude 66 information.

As described above, in storing the sensor data together with the video data according to the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a proper amount is buffered, that is, a predetermined time is collected, and the data frame 50 is configured and stored. And two methods of continuously adding and storing the data portion 52 little by little to the image data.

According to the first method, the sensor data unit for a predetermined section may be configured and included in a frame format. In other words, the sensor data of the vehicle is configured into a separate data frame 50. According to the second method, sensor data generated in real time may be additionally included as a data portion 52 in a frame corresponding to a corresponding timing. That is, it is a method of recording together with the video frame. If sensor data is added at the end of each image frame, it will be separately separated and restored when decoding.

Generally, the storage means for recording data is configured to access sequentially. Therefore, while saving video data, sensor data such as speed, position, and impact amount cannot be saved. To store at the same time, separate storage means must be prepared, for example, using two flash memories. However, this causes a problem that the price of the product rises and the process of storing data is complicated.

However, when processing video data (including audio) according to the present exemplary embodiment, if sensor data such as speed, position, and impact amount are added as part of a continuous image frame and stored, the data processing speed can be increased without adding memory. In addition, data frames other than video frames can be reproduced as normal videos simply by skipping during video playback. In addition, since the sensor data for the timing is stored in the video, there is an advantage that it is possible to easily determine the cause, phenomenon, and the like according to the image later.

7 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the memory unit 18 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 4 includes two or more memories including the first memory 71 and the second memory 72, and through the parallel storage logic unit 70. The video data may be simultaneously stored in two or more memories 71 and 72 through a mirroring technique. This increases the reliability of the data by preparing for storage failures that can cause catastrophic problems in the system.

In addition, a self-diagnosis (SELF-DIAGNOSTIC) function is provided to monitor power and signals of the image synthesis logic unit 12 and the sensor unit 15 to periodically perform self-diagnosis to ensure the reliability of use of the device. The data detected according to the self-diagnosis may be implemented to be known to the user in various forms such as an image, a voice, and a signal.

8 is a view showing a relationship between a vehicle black box device and an external host PC according to another embodiment of the present invention.

According to the present embodiment, in the method of storing data and connecting it to an external host PC (Personal Computer) 81 to confirm, the control unit 13, when the access from the external host PC 81 is recognized, the external host PC 81 ) To recognize the vehicle black box device 80 as a READ-ONLY CD-ROM (82).

In addition, the application program may be embedded in the vehicle black box device 80 so that it can be immediately executed when connected to the PC 81 so that the data can be checked. That is, the CD-ROM 82 corresponding to the vehicle black box device 80 is automatically executed, and when it is confirmed that the connection is made to the network at the time of automatic execution, the authentication process is transmitted to the server by interworking with the authentication procedure or an authorized user. Only a check can be made to have a structure that can prevent unauthorized leakage of stored data.

According to the present embodiment, an unauthorized person cannot arbitrarily easily modulate the data stored in the vehicle black box device, thereby increasing the reliability of the data.

Although described above with reference to the drawings and embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims below. Could be.

1 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an image processing operation of a vehicle black box apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a view showing the result of image synthesis of the vehicle black box device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating an image synthesis result of a vehicle black box apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view showing the data content stored in the vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram of a vehicle black box device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a view showing a relationship between a vehicle black box device and an external host PC according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the code for the main configuration of the drawings>

10: first camera 11: second camera

12: image synthesis logic unit 13: control unit

14: encoding section 15: sensor section

16: data selector 17: buffer 18: memory

Claims (8)

A camera unit including a first camera and a second camera; A controller configured to generate a control signal for selecting one of the first camera and the second camera; Image synthesis logic that selects the first camera and the second camera at the intersection according to the control signal, and configures the video signal of the first camera and the video signal of the second camera as one video signal composed of a plurality of frames. part; An encoding unit compressing the video signal; And Memory unit for storing the compressed video data Including, a vehicle black box device using multiple cameras. The method according to claim 1, The image synthesis logic unit may select the first camera and the second camera in consideration of the number of frames for the first camera and the number of frames for the second camera, the vehicle black using multiple cameras. Box device. The method according to claim 1, The video data may include sensor data generated by at least one sensor in real time as a data unit for a predetermined section, wherein the data unit is configured in a frame format independent of each of the plurality of frames. Vehicle black box device used. The method according to claim 1, The video data includes sensor data generated by at least one sensor in real time, wherein each of the plurality of frames includes sensor data generated at a corresponding timing. The method according to claim 3 or 4, The sensor data, at least one of the ID of the data frame, the size of the data frame, the date of creation, time, speed, acceleration, longitude and latitude information, characterized in that the vehicle black box device using a multiple camera. The method according to claim 1, The encoding unit, characterized in that the compression ratio for the video signal of the first camera and the video signal of the second camera differently, the vehicle black box device using a multiple camera. The method according to claim 1, And the memory unit comprises two or more memories, and the video data is simultaneously stored in the two or more memories through a mirroring technique. The method according to claim 1, The controller may allow the external host PC to recognize the read-only CD-ROM when the access from the external host PC is recognized.

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