DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPTICALLY RECORDING THE UNDERBODY OF A VEHICLE

• US 20140036082A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wendt, Axel, Hoellmann, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,649,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A device for optically recording the underbody of a vehicle using at least one camera, includes at least two mirrors which are disposed and oriented in such a way that images of several areas of the underbody of the vehicle are able to be recorded simultaneously by the camera.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A device for optically recording an underbody of a vehicle, the device comprising:

at least one camera; and

a plurality of mirrors disposed and oriented in such a way that images of several areas of the underbody of the vehicle are able to be recorded simultaneously by the camera when the vehicle is positioned over the device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of mirrors are offset from each other in each of at least two directions.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein at least two of the mirrors are disposed at an angle of 45°

relative to a top surface of the device.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein at least two of the mirrors are disposed at an angle not equal to 45°

relative to a top surface of the device.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein at least two of the mirrors are placed in such a way that at least one area of the underbody of the vehicle is able to be photographed by the camera from different perspectives when the vehicle is positioned over the device.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is configured to construct an image of substantially an entirety of the underbody of the vehicle based on images projected by the mirrors to the camera in a first direction while an entirety of the vehicle passes over the device in a second direction essentially perpendicular to the first direction.

17. A method for optically recording images of an underbody of a vehicle moving over a device including a camera, comprising:

recording, by the camera, images of partial areas of the underbody of the vehicle, wherein the device includes a plurality of mirrors disposed and oriented in such a way that images of several areas of the underbody of the vehicle are simultaneously recordable by the camera when the vehicle is positioned over the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein different ones of the images are recorded in succession at a constant frequency.

19. The method of claims 17, further comprising:

assembling the images to form one overall image.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the mirrors are offset relative to each other with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle over the device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the mirrors are offset relative to each other with respect to a transverse axis of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle over the device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the mirrors are offset relative to each other with respect to a transverse axis of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle over the device.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the mirrors are disposed at an angle of 45°

relative to the plane of the underbody of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle over the device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the mirrors are disposed at an angle not equal to 45°

relative to the plane of the underbody of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle over the device.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein at least two of the mirrors are placed in such a way that at least one area of the underbody of the vehicle is able to be photographed by the camera from different perspectives during movement of the vehicle in a single direction relative to the device.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein, during the movement of the vehicle over the device, the camera is disposed to the side of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the mirrors are disposed to project the images to the camera in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.