Apparatus, System and Method for the Self-Loading of a Car in a Carwash

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions executable by at least one computer processor to perform a method of providing assistance to allow a driver to self-load a vehicle on a car wash conveyor using feedback concerning a location of the vehicle relative to an ideal loading path, the feedback displayed to the driver using a graphical display located such that it is visible to the driver while in the vehicle approaching a loading point for the car wash conveyor, the method comprising:

• mapping pixel coordinates in a video frame of an ideal loading path of vehicles at an entrance to the car wash, the ideal loading path corresponding to a path of the vehicles when properly aligned to load the vehicles onto the car wash conveyor;
• processing images included in at least one video stream of the entrance to determine whether a vehicle is advancing toward a loading point for the car wash conveyor;
• where an approaching vehicle is identified, processing images included in the at least one video stream to determine an amount of an error between an actual location of the approaching vehicle and the ideal loading path, the error determined as a lateral alignment of the approaching vehicle relative to the ideal loading path;
• where the approaching vehicle is identified, evaluating images included in the at least one video stream to determine a forward distance the approaching vehicle must travel to reach the loading point;
• and
• displaying a plurality of dynamic graphical icons on the graphical display to illustrate to the driver a first adjustment required to correct for the error and a second adjustment required to drive the approaching vehicle forward to reach the loading point.

A system configured to assist a driver in self-loading a vehicle on a car wash conveyor at a loading point located at an entrance to the car wash conveyor, the system comprising:

• at least one camera configured to capture a video stream including a plurality of video frames each including images of the loading point;
• an image processing system configured to map pixel-coordinates in video frames of an ideal loading path of vehicles at the entrance to the car wash conveyor and where an approaching vehicle is identified, process images included in the video stream to determine an amount of an error between an actual location of the approaching vehicle and the ideal loading path, the error determined based at least in part on a lateral alignment of the approaching vehicle relative to the ideal loading path, the ideal loading path corresponding to a path of the approaching vehicle when properly aligned to load the approaching vehicle onto the car wash conveyor;
• and
• a display configured to display a plurality of dynamic graphical icons on the graphical display to illustrate to the driver a first adjustment required to correct for the error.