# US 12,015,840 B2 · Synchronized camera system having two different cameras > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,840 B2 - Document ID: US12015840B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/309,807 - Filed: 2019-12-17 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-18 - Assignees: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH - Applicants: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH - Inventors: Aless Lasaruk; Reik Müller; Simon Hachfeld; Dieter Krökel; Stefan Heinrich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015840B2 ## CPC - H04N 13/25: using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - H04N 17/002: {for television cameras} - H04N 23/58: Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - H04N 25/41: {Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors} - H04N 25/531: by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A camera system and method for controlling same, including capturing images of surroundings of a vehicle for a driver assistance system thereof. The camera system includes a first rolling shutter camera having a first aperture angle, a second rolling shutter camera having a second aperture angle, and control electronics. The first and second cameras are suitable for generating wide-angle and tele camera images, respectively. The first aperture angle is greater than the second aperture angle. The two cameras are designed such that both camera images have an overlap region. The control electronics synchronizes the two cameras. The geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another, and the position of the overlap region in the wide-angle image and in the tele camera image, are determined by continuous estimation. The stored geometric arrangement and position are taken into consideration during synchronization of the first and second cameras. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera system for capturing images of the surroundings of a vehicle for a driver assistance system of the vehicle, the camera system comprising: a first rolling shutter camera having a first aperture angle; a second rolling shutter camera having a second aperture angle; wherein the first camera is configured to generate a wide-angle camera image and the second camera is designed to generate a tele camera image such that an overlap region exists among the camera images; and control electronics configured to synchronize the two cameras; wherein a geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another and a position of the overlap region are determined by continuous estimation; and wherein the determined geometric arrangement and position are taken into consideration during synchronization; wherein the control electronic is configured to produce the synchronization in such a manner that a greater line geometry of the first camera predefines the beginning of synchronization and a clock frequency of the second camera in such a manner that the exposure of each line of the first camera is begun synchronously with the relevant line of the second camera. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the first camera captures per line nw with a readout clock Δtl and the second camera captures per line nT with the readout clock Δtl/k, wherein k indicates the number of the lines nT, nT+1, . . . , nT+(k−1) of the second camera which are contained in one line nw of the first camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The camera system according to claim 2, wherein at least two pixels of the second camera are predefined inside the overlap region and are exposed synchronously to the relevant pixels of the first camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The camera system according to claim 3, wherein a start pixel of the first line and an end pixel of the last line of the second camera are each exposed, inside the overlap region for each line of the first camera, synchronously to a relevant start and end pixel of the line of the first camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The camera system according claim 1, wherein the image sensor of the first camera is exposed with an exposure time b1 and the image sensor of the second camera is exposed with exposure time b2, wherein b2>b1, and the start of exposure of the first camera is delayed by (b2−b1)/2 with respect to the start of exposure of the second camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The camera system according to claim 5, wherein the start of capturing of the second camera is delayed by half a line clock Δtl of the first camera with respect to the first camera inside the overlap region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the image sensors of the first camera and the second camera have a comparable number of pixels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the second camera is twice the resolution of the first camera in the overlap region, wherein n is a natural number. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another and the position of the overlap region is continuously estimated by utilizing a fundamental matrix estimation. ### Claim 10 A method for controlling a camera system for capturing images of the surroundings of a vehicle for a driver assistance system of the vehicle, wherein a first rolling shutter camera has a first aperture angle and a second rolling shutter camera has a second aperture angle, wherein the first camera is configured to generate a wide-angle camera image and the second camera is configured to generate a tele camera image such an overlap region exists among the camera images, said method comprising: determining, by control electronics, the geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another, and the position of the overlap region in the wide-angle image and in the tele camera image by continuous estimation; and synchronizing, by the control electronics, the two cameras including considering the determined geometric arrangement and position, wherein the first camera captures per line nw with a readout clock Δtl and the second camera captures per line nT with the readout Δtl/k, wherein k indicates the number of the lines nT, nT+1, . . . nT+(k−1) of the second camera which are contained in one line nw of the first camera. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the control electronics is configured to produce the synchronization in such a manner that a greater line geometry of the first camera predefines the beginning of synchronization and the clock frequency of the second camera in such a manner that the exposure of each line of the first camera is begun synchronously with the relevant line of the second camera. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein two pixels of the second camera are predefined inside the overlap region and are exposed synchronously to the relevant pixels of the first camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein a start pixel of the first line and an end pixel of the last line of the second camera are each exposed, inside the overlap region for each line of the first camera, synchronously to a relevant start and end pixel of the line of the first camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according claim 10, wherein the image sensor of the first camera exposes with an exposure time b1 and the image sensor of the second camera exposes with the exposure time b2, wherein b2>b1, and the start of exposure of the first camera is delayed by (b2−b1)/2 with respect to the start of exposure of the second camera. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the start of capturing of the second camera is delayed by half a line clock Δtl of the first camera with respect to the first camera inside the overlap region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the image sensors of the first camera and the second camera have a comparable number of pixels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the resolution of the second camera is twice the resolution of the first camera in the overlap region, wherein n is a natural number. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another and the position of the overlap region is continuously estimated by utilizing a fundamental matrix estimation. ### Claim 19 A camera system for capturing images of the surroundings of a vehicle for a driver assistance system of the vehicle, the camera system comprising: a first rolling shutter camera having a first aperture angle; a second rolling shutter camera having a second aperture angle; wherein the first camera is configured to generate a wide-angle camera image and the second camera is designed to generate a tele camera image such that an overlap region exists among the camera images; and control electronics configured to synchronize the two cameras; wherein a geometric arrangement of the two cameras with respect to one another and a position of the overlap region are determined by continuous estimation, wherein the determined geometric arrangement and position are taken into consideration during synchronization, and wherein the image sensor of the first camera is exposed with an exposure time b1 and the image sensor of the second camera is exposed with exposure time b2, wherein b2>b1, and the start of exposure of the first camera is delayed by (b2−b1)/2 with respect to the start of exposure of the second camera.