METHOD FOR DOWNLOADING DATA FROM MULTIPLE CAMERAS FOR OMNIDIRECTIONAL IMAGE RECORDING, AND A DEVICE FOR DOWNLOADING DATA FROM MULTIPLE CAMERAS FOR OMNIDIRECTIONAL IMAGE RECORDING

Abstract

A device and method for downloading data from multiple cameras at once for omnidirectional image recording are provided. The cameras are connected to USB ports of an integrator, whereas the charging current of the cameras is limited, then a connection is opened to the cameras and the memories made available by the individual cameras are mounted as sub-folders of a dedicated folder, after which the dedicated folder is made available and the integrator is connected to a computer and a connection is started with the integrator, where N threads are started and data is downloaded from the folders. The cameras are connected directly through USB ports to the integrator, which opens a connection with the cameras and mounts the memory resource made available by the camera as a sub-folder of the main folder, after which the main folder is made available to the user's computer through an USB port.

Claims

1. A method for downloading of data from multiple cameras for the recording of an omnidirectional image through an integrator operating in a system composed of a computer, two USB controllers, a USB hub and current limiters, characterized in that each of the cameras are connected in parallel to USB ports of the integrator, whereas the charging current of each of the cameras is limited by current limiters, then a connection being opened to each of the cameras connected directly to the USB hub and the memories made available by individual cameras are mounted as sub-folders of a dedicated folder of the integrator, after which the dedicated folder with mapped memories from individual cameras as sub-folders is made available as a mass-storage type USB device to a user's computer connected to USB port through USB cable and a connection is thus started from a user's computer with the integrator, for parallel downloading of data from multiple cameras in an amount of N threads, where data are downloaded directly from the mapped by the integrator memory of the connected cameras.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of the cameras connected to the integrator is higher than the number of started threads.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of started threads equals 1.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory resources made available by individual cameras are mounted as sub-folders of a dedicated folder with names which unequivocally identify the number of the connected camera.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memories made available by individual cameras are mounted as sub-folders of a dedicated folder with names which unequivocally identify the number of the USB port to which the given camera was connected.

6. A device for downloading data from multiple cameras for recording an omnidirectional image, equipped with an integrator, composed of a computer, two USB controllers, a USB hub and current limiters, characterized in that a set of cameras being connected in parallel directly through USB cables ports to an the integrator, whereas each of the cameras is connected directly through USB cables to the USB hub for direct recording of memory resources of each of the cameras as sub-folders of the dedicated folder of the integrator in the form of mass storage type storage through a USB cable connected to the user's computer USB port, which supplies the entire integrator system through current limiters, placed between the integrator and cameras.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The subject of the invention, in an example, but not limiting, implementation is presented in diagram form on the single attached FIGURE.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] A device according to the invention described above is an integrator 1 composed of an SBC (single board computer) 1A, two USB controller (1B and 1C), hub 1D and current limiters 1E. The cameras 2 are connected directly to the hub 1D using the USB cable 3. The integrator 1 software executed by the processor of the SBC computer 1A opens a connection to each of the cameras 2 and mounts the memory resource made available by the camera 2 as a sub-folder 3 of a separate folder 4 (drawing of the memory system). There is a possibility where each of the sub-folders identifies in an unequivocal manner the number of the camera, which enables simple processing of data recorded by individual cameras on subsequent stages of processing.

[0058] The integrator 1 makes available the main shared folder 4 with the mapped sub-folders 3 as a mass storage device, through a controller 1C and an USB connection 5 to the user's computer 4 to which it was connected.

[0059] Since the integrator connected to the computer may draw only a limited amount of current (typically the USB controllers allows the drawing of up to 2 A of current at 5 V). Moreover typically the camera 2 when connected to a computer or another device with an USB connector tries to switch to a charging mode and requests a large charging current (typically 750-900 mA). In case of connection of N cameras to the integrator 1 the total current required by cameras 2 would amount to Nthe current requested by a single camera, while the integrator 1 may draw from the user's computer 4 a current which allows only to supply only a single camera (a max. of 2 A at 5 V). To solve this problem in the integrator 1 between the USB hub 1D and the cameras 2 current limiters 1E were placed, which limit the maximum current supplied to cameras 2.