COMPUTER VISION AIDED AUTOMATED TIRE INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR IN-MOTION INSPECTION OF VEHICLE TIRES

• US 20120020526A1
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nascent Technology, LLC (System Development Resources, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nascent Technology, LLC (System Development Resources, Inc.)
• Inventors: Teti, Fabio, Urban, Scott, Austin, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection

Abstract

A system and method related thereto, for automatically inspecting at least one tire of a moving vehicle. The system includes an image acquisition device including at least one camera. The camera acquires multiple real-time images of at least one tire of a moving vehicle. As the tire of the vehicle enters a field of view of the camera, the camera component is configured to photograph and transmit the multiple photographs of the at least one tire. A light source illuminates the at least one tire of the vehicle in the field of view of the camera, and the light application may be synchronous with the imaging performed by the camera. A computer image processing component receives the multiple images transmitted from the camera and analyzes the multiple images using a detection program. The computer imaging processing component analyzing the photographs and provides an inspection analysis of each at least one tire.

Claims

1. A system for automatically inspecting at least one tire of a moving vehicle, comprising:

one or more image acquisition devices including at least one camera device configured for acquiring multiple photographs of at least one tire a moving vehicle, wherein the tire of the vehicle enters a field of view of the camera, the camera component being configured to photograph and transmit the multiple photographs of the vehicle at least one tire;

a light source for providing light on the vehicle tire in the field of view of the camera, and the light being synchronous with the photographing by the camera; and

a computer image processing component for receiving the multiple images transmitted from the at least one camera device, the computer image processing component analyzing the multiple photographs using a detection program, the detection program being stored on a non-transient computer readable medium of a computer system, the computer imaging processing component analyses the images and provides an inspection analysis of the at least one tire, and the computer image processing component transmits inspection analysis results and the multiple acquired images for storage thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera device is activated to begin photographing when the camera detects movement in the field of view.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera device acquires a series of photographs of the part in a specified time sequence.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the specified time sequence corresponds to every foot of travel of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle velocity can be determined by the at least one camera device and used to adjust a shutter speed of the camera for capturing photographs of the at least one tire during one revolution.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera device includes a high resolution area scan camera, and a high-speed velocity camera.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera device provides a live video feed, or series of snapshot digital images, of the at least one tire.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the program performs analyses of the acquired images to determine a tread depth of the at least one tire, and provides a rating of the tire to determine tire replacement.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one part includes tires of a commercial vehicle, said images obtained while approaching and passing said one or more image acquisition devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more image acquisition devices include at least one camera device on each respective side of the moving vehicle for simultaneously acquiring images of the tires at either side of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the images include treads of the at least one tires.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer image processing component includes an analysis of the tread depth from the acquired images of the treads of the tires.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a series of images over a specified length of time are combined to form a single image.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera component further includes:

an area scan camera device which is activated when a vehicle enter a field of view of the areas scan camera; and

a vehicle velocity camera which snaps photographs at a specified shutter speed.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a velocity camera acquires a series of images of the part in a specified time sequence, and the velocity camera measure the speed of the vehicle, the specified time sequence corresponds to every foot of travel of the vehicle by using an area scan camera which is activated when a vehicle enter a field of view of the area scan camera, and the velocity camera snaps photographs as a specified shutter speed corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source includes at least one light for illuminating a tire for one revolution of the tire of the moving vehicle, and the light is positioned above the height of the tire.

17. A method for automatically inspecting at least one tire t of a moving vehicle

comprising:

acquiring multiple images of at least one tire of a moving vehicle using at least one camera, as the part of the vehicle enters a field of view of the at least one camera;

illuminating, using a light source, the at least one tire of the vehicle in the field of view of the camera;

synchronizing the imaging by the camera with the light on the that least one tire;

transmitting the multiple acquired images of the at least one vehicle tire to a computer image processing component;

receiving the multiple images at the computer image processing component;

analyzing the multiple images of the part using a detection program, the detection program being stored on a non-transient computer readable medium of a computer system of the image processing component;

providing an inspection analysis of the at least one tire using the analysis of the multiple acquired images; and

transmitting the inspection analysis and the multiple acquired images for storage thereof.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

activating the at least one camera when the camera detects movement in the field of view.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

analyzing the multiple images to provide a tread depth of a tire, and provide a rating of the tire to determine tire replacement.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transient computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program, a computer system including a processor for executing the steps of the computer program for automatically inspecting at least one tire of a moving vehicle, the program steps comprising:

acquiring multiple images of at least one tire of a moving vehicle using at least one camera, as the part of the vehicle enters a field of view of the at least one camera;

illuminating, using a light source, the at least one tire of the vehicle in the field of view of the camera;

synchronizing the imaging by the camera with the light on the that least one tire;

transmitting the multiple acquired images of the at least one vehicle tire to a computer image processing component;

receiving the multiple images at the computer image processing component;

analyzing the multiple images of the part using a detection program, the detection program being stored on a non-transient computer readable medium of a computer system of the image processing component;

providing an inspection analysis of the at least one tire using the analysis of the multiple acquired images; and

transmitting the inspection analysis and the multiple acquired images for storage thereof.