US 12,143,713 B2
Multi-chip camera controller system with inter-chip communication
Younes Djadi, Austin, TX (US); Nariankadu D. Hemkumar, Austin, TX (US); Sachin Deo, Austin, TX (US); Daniel T. Bogard, Austin, TX (US); Nathan Daniel Pozniak Buchanan, Austin, TX (US); and Eric B. Smith, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Cirrus Logic, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd., Edinburgh (GB)
Filed on May 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/737,673.
Application 17/737,673 is a continuation of application No. 17/737,615, filed on May 5, 2022, granted, now 11,979,659.
Application 17/737,615 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/320,528, filed on May 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/186,022, filed on May 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/024,735, filed on May 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0321765 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 23/661 (2023.01); G01D 5/14 (2006.01); G03B 13/36 (2021.01); H04N 23/60 (2023.01); H04N 23/66 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/661 (2023.01) [G01D 5/145 (2013.01); G03B 13/36 (2013.01); H04N 23/66 (2023.01); H04N 23/662 (2023.01); H04N 23/665 (2023.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for using actuators to control an image sensor and/or lens based on sensor data received from position sensors and based on position information for the image sensor and/or lens received from a host processor, comprising:
a primary camera controller device;
at least one secondary camera controller device; and
at least one communication link connecting the primary camera controller device and the at least one secondary camera controller device;
wherein the primary and secondary camera controller devices are configured to:
receive respective primary and secondary sensor data from the position sensors;
send the respective primary and secondary sensor data to the other camera controller device via the communication link;
process the primary and secondary sensor data and the position information to generate respective primary and secondary control data; and
drive the respective primary and secondary control data to the actuators concurrently;
wherein the primary and secondary camera controller devices are configured to synchronize a digital signal processor (DSP) frame of the secondary camera controller device to a DSP frame of the primary camera controller device;
wherein each of the primary camera controller device and the secondary camera controller device comprises a DSP and a clock source that provides a clock signal to the DSP;
wherein the secondary camera controller device comprises a free running counter that counts cycles of the clock source; and
wherein to synchronize the DSP frame of the secondary camera controller device to the DSP frame of the primary camera controller device, the secondary camera controller device is configured to:
use the free running counter to determine a frequency error between frequencies of the clock sources of the primary and secondary camera controller devices; and
use the frequency error to adjust the frequency of the clock source of the secondary camera controller device.