Method and Apparatus For Guiding Placement of Vehicle Service Fixtures
AssigneeHunter Engineering Company
InventorsDaniel R. Dorrance, Timothy A. Strege, Leigh R. Burns, Mark S. Shylanski, Thomas J. Golab
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine vision system is configured to facilitate placement of a vehicle service apparatus relative to an associated vehicle. The machine vision system is configured to utilize images of optical targets received from one or more cameras to guide the placement of the vehicle service apparatus relative to the associated vehicle.
Claims13
A method for aligning a vehicle service apparatus relative to an associated vehicle, the vehicle service apparatus having a steer axis and a pair of lateral extension arms, a camera disposed on each of the lateral extension arms, comprising the steps of:
- mounting a first optical target on a first side of the associated vehicle in a field of view of a first of the cameras;
- mounting a second optical target on a second side of the associated vehicle in a field of view of a second of the cameras;
- acquiring one or more images of said first optical target with the first camera;
- acquiring one or more images of said second optical target with the second camera;
- identifying at least one vehicle measurement from said images acquired with the first camera;
- identifying at least one vehicle measurement from said images acquired with the second camera;
- and
- guiding the placement of the vehicle service apparatus relative to the associated vehicle utilizing said measurements.
An improved vehicle service apparatus having a housing configured for placement relative to an associated vehicle, the improvement comprising:
- a first camera coupled to the housing and having a first field of view including a first side of the associated vehicle;
- a second camera coupled to the housing and having a second field of view including a second side of the associated vehicle, said second side opposite said first side;
- a first optical target configured for attachment to the associated vehicle in said first field of view;
- a second optical target configured for attachment to the associated vehicle in said second field of view;
- and
- a computer configured to receive data from said first and second cameras and to guide the placement of the housing relative to the associated vehicle utilizing said received data.
A method for guiding placement of a vehicle service apparatus relative to an associated vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a first camera and a first optical target to operatively determine a relationship between a component on a first side of the vehicle and the vehicle service apparatus;
- positioning a second camera and a second optical target to operatively determine a relationship between a component on a second side of the vehicle and the vehicle service apparatus, said second side on an opposite side of the vehicle from said first side;
- acquiring one or more images of said first optical target with the first camera;
- acquiring one or more images of said second optical target with the second camera;
- determining at least a first vehicle measurement from said images acquired with the first camera;
- determining at least a second vehicle measurement from said images acquired with the second camera;
- guiding the placement of the vehicle service apparatus relative to the associated vehicle utilizing said first and second measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.