Transmitting functional safety statistics via transmitted video

A method comprising:

• receiving video that includes a frame having a reserved portion;
• accumulating event data in a non-image data format from at least one monitored system;
• embedding the event data within the reserved portion of the frame so that the event data is contained within a first video data format of the frame, while maintaining the non-image data format of the event data, so that the event data is located within a number N>1 most significant bits of respective words of the frame, wherein N is less than a number of bits in ones of the words of the frame, and wherein N is selected to prevent information loss in the event data in response to a format conversion of the frame from the first video data format to a second video data format;
• transmitting the frame that includes the embedded event data to a host processor;
• and
• extracting the event data from the frame by the host processor to produce an extracted event data in the non-image data format.

A method for transmitting event data within an automobile comprising:

• accumulating the event data, in a non-image data format, from at least one automotive system within the automobile;
• acquiring a frame of video from a camera of the automobile;
• embedding the event data within a reserved portion of the frame of video so that the event data is contained within a first video data format of the frame of video, while maintaining the non-image data format of the event data, so that the event data is located within a number N most significant bits of respective words of the frame of video, wherein N is less than a number of bits in ones of the words of the frame of video, and wherein N is selected to prevent information loss in the event data due to a format conversion of the frame of video from the first video data format to a second video data format;
• converting the frame of video that includes the event data from the first video format to the second video format;
• transmitting the frame of video that includes the embedded event data and is in the second video format to a host processor;
• and
• extracting the event data from the frame of video by the host processor to produce an extracted event data in the non-image data format.