US 8,573,363 B2 · Apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift using a machine vision wheel alignment system

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle. In one embodiment, a machine vision wheel alignment system including an image sensor, a processor, and a display provides a visual display of the vehicle and the runways to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. In other embodiments, a pair of runway targets and a vehicle target are viewed by a pair of image sensors of a machine vision wheel alignment system. Image signals from the image sensors are processed to determine respective positions of the runways and to monitor a position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and a visual reference is displayed to guide an operator of the vehicle.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a machine vision wheel alignment system having a first image sensor mounted to view a target on a first wheel of the vehicle, a first portion of the vehicle, and a first one of the runways;
a processor for receiving and processing a first image signal from the first image sensor, and a monitor operably connected to the processor;
wherein the processor is for processing the first image signal to generate a first image of the first portion of the vehicle and the first one of the runways, and displaying the first image on the monitor, to provide a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift using a machine vision wheel alignment system

Life of this patent

Apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift using a machine vision wheel alignment system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11