US 12,302,040 B2
Triggering system
José Herculano Lopes Barreto, Zaltbommel (NL); Cornelis Alexander Elizabeth Van Sterkenburg, Zaltbommel (NL); and Bart Johannes Beers, Zaltbommel (NL)
Assigned to Cyclomedia Technology B.V., Zaltbommel (NL)
Filed by Cyclomedia Technology B.V., Zaltbommel (NL)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/867,471.
Claims priority of application No. 2028779 (NL), filed on Jul. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0019084 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 7/18 (2006.01); G01S 19/47 (2010.01); H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 7/188 (2013.01) [G01S 19/47 (2013.01); H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A triggering system for triggering a plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras for obtaining a set of images, the system comprising:
a plurality of camera controllers that each control one or more cameras among the plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras; and
a central unit comprising a primary controller that is configured to:
repeatedly receive time information from a Global Navigation Satellite System, GNSS, and to repeatedly receive acceleration data from an inertial measurement unit, IMU;
repeatedly generate first time data based on the received time information;
repeatedly generate motion data based on and/or comprising the received acceleration data;
generate second time data related to an instant in time at which recording of the set of images should start;
repeatedly transmit said first time data and motion data to the plurality of camera controllers; and
transmit said second time data to the plurality of camera controllers;
wherein each camera controller comprises a local timing unit configured for generating third time data, and a secondary controller configured to trigger said one or more cameras among the plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras to initiate a recording of an image by said one or more cameras, the secondary controller of each camera controller being configured to:
repeatedly synchronize the local timing unit of that camera controller based on the received first time data;
repeatedly determine, for each camera among the one or more cameras, a respective triggering time instant at which a recording of an image should be initiated based on relative mounting position data of that camera, and the received motion data;
repeatedly compare the third time data to a most recently determined triggering time instant for each of said one or more cameras; and
trigger each of said one or more cameras based on a most recent comparison result such that entrance pupils of the plurality cameras are substantially at a same position at a time of recording the respective images.