Back to results
US 6,151,562 AGranted
Vehicle wheel alignment data by rotating vision sensor
OwnerM. Stanley Merrillinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for measuring vehicle wheel alignment characteristics, and in particular measuring wheel camber and toe, uses a rotating vision sensor such as a laser sensor to map a portion of the vehicle tire and/or rim, allowing for the determination of wheel camber and toe without rotating the wheel. The sensor may be repositioned between the rear and front vehicle wheels. A separate sensor may be used for the left and the right vehicle wheels. The invention has particular utility for auditing of the alignment of vehicles in production lines. The devices and methods may also be used for more general imaging purposes.
Claims23
A device for measuring alignment characteristics of a vehicle wheel/tire, comprising:
- a vision sensor having a field of vision and being capable of determining spatial coordinates of a group of pixels within the field of vision;
- the field of vision being sufficiently sized to detect a portion of a vehicle wheel/tire to be characterized;
- means for rotating the vision sensor so that the vision sensor field of vision scribes a torus in space, whereby a collection of spatial coordinates of pixels are obtained at more than one position of the torus;
- and
- a computer for calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic of the wheel/tire selected from the group consisting of too, camber, and both toe and camber
- wherein said vision sensor rotates while the collection of spatial coordinates is being obtained.
3 more elements
A method for determining alignment characteristics of a vehicle wheel/tire, comprising:
- positioning a vision sensor having a field of vision and capable of determining spatial coordinates of a group of pixels within the field of vision with respect to a vehicle wheel/tire to be characterized, such that at least a portion of the wheel/tire is within the sensor field of vision;
- rotating the vision sensor with respect to the wheel/tire so that the vision sensor is positioned at more than one angular position with respect to the wheel/tire
- obtaining a collection of spatial coordinates of pixels at more than one angular position of the vision sensor;
- and
- calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic of the wheel/tire selected from the group consisting of toe, camber, and both toe and camber
- wherein said vision sensor rotates while the collection of spatial coordinates is being obtained.
3 more elements
A device for measuring wheel alignment of the front and rear wheel/tires of vehicle, comprising:
- a vision sensor having a field of vision and capable of determining spatial coordinates of a group of pixels within the field of vision;
- means for rotating the vision sensor so that the vision sensor field of vision scribes a torus in space, whereby a collection of spatial coordinates of pixels are obtained at more than one position of the torus;
- a computer for calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic selected from the group of toe, camber, and both toe and camber;
- and
- a track, the vision sensor being slidably engaged with the track from a first position to a second position, the first position corresponding to a first wheel/tire of a vehicle to be characterized and the second position corresponding to a second wheel/tire to be characterized.
2 more elements
A method for measuring wheel alignment of the front and rear wheel/tires of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a vision sensor with respect to one of the front and rear vehicle wheel/tires, the sensor having a field of vision and being capable of determining spatial coordinates of a group of pixels within the field of vision, the vision sensor being engaged with means for rotating the vision sensor so that the vision sensor scribes a torus in space, whereby a collection of spatial coordinates of pixels is obtained at more than one position of the torus;
- calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic selected from the group consisting of toe, camber, and both toe and camber for the one of the front and rear wheel/tires;
- sliding the vision sensor along a track from a first position corresponding to one of the vehicle front and rear wheel/tires to a second position corresponding to the other of the vehicle front and rear wheel/tires;
- and
- calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic selected from the group consisting of toe, camber, and both toe and camber for the other of the front and rear wheel/tires;
- wherein said vision sensor rotates while the collection of spatial coordinates is being obtained.
3 more elements
A wheel alignment system, comprising:
- a vision sensor having a field of vision and being capable of determining spatial coordinates of a group of pixels within the field of vision;
- the field of vision being sufficiently sized to detect a portion of a vehicle wheel/tire to be characterized;
- means for rotating the vision sensor so that the vision sensor field of vision scribes a torus in space, whereby a collection of spatial coordinates of pixels is obtained at more than one position of the torus;
- and
- a computer for calculating from the collection of spatial coordinates a wheel alignment characteristic of the wheel/tire selected from the group consisting of toe, camber, and both toe and camber;
- and
- an additional wheel alignment device (60) for characterizing the wheel/tire;
- wherein said vision sensor rotates while the collection of spatial coordinates is being obtained.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.