MISALIGNED TIRE DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20170103268A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Santamaria, Omar, Felix, Rodrigo
• Granted Patent: US 9,984,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/42 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

An alignment tool is disclosed configured to provide accurate tire alignment analysis based on the comparison of video recordings capturing a direction of travel and data obtained from various vehicle on-board components.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a video recorder configured to capture digital video;

a steering wheel angle sensor configured to sense a steering wheel alignment angle; and

a processor configured to;

analyze the digital video to identify a desired feature;

select a digital image from the digital video including the desired feature; and

determine a tire alignment angle based on pixel placement of the desired feature in the selected digital image.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the digital video.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the desired feature is a road edge line, and the processor is configured to detect at least one road edge line from the selected digital image.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify pixels comprising the at least one road edge line;

determine locations at which pixels comprising the at least one road edge line leave the selected digital image; and

determine the tire alignment angle based on the determined locations at which pixels comprising the at least one road edge line leave the selected digital image.

5. The vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the at least one road edge line corresponds to at least one of a solid outer road edge line or a dashed divider road line.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

compare the determined tire alignment angle to the steering wheel alignment angle; and

determine whether a tire misalignment exists based on the comparison.

7. The vehicle system of claim 6, further comprising a display device;

and

wherein the processor is configured to control display of a notification message on the display device identifying the tire misalignment exits when the tire misalignment is determined to exist.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store a default table including a plurality of default steering wheel angles each having assigned a range of acceptable default tire alignment angles.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to:

parse the default table to identify a default steering wheel angle corresponding to the steering wheel alignment angle;

identify a range of acceptable default tire alignment angles corresponding to the default steering wheel angle in the default table;

compare the determined tire alignment angle to the range of acceptable default tire alignment angles; and

determine a misalignment exists when the determined tire alignment angle is outside the range of acceptable default tire alignment angles.

10. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a modem configured to communicate with a neuronal server;

wherein the processor is configured to control the modem to upload the selected digital image to the neuronal server.

11. A method of tire alignment analysis, the method comprising:

controlling a video recorder to capture digital video;

controlling a steering wheel sensor to sense a steering wheel alignment angle;

analyzing the digital video to identify a desired feature;

selecting a digital image from the digital video including the desired feature; and

determining a tire alignment angle based on pixel placement of the desired feature in the selected digital image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the video recorder is positioned within a vehicle cabin to record out a front windshield.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the desired feature is a road edge line, and the processor is configured to detect at least one road edge line from the selected digital image.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying pixels comprising the at least one road edge line;

determining locations at which pixels comprising the at least one road edge line leave the selected digital image; and

determining the tire alignment angle based on the determined locations at which pixels comprising the at least one road edge line leave the selected digital image.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one road edge line corresponds to at least one of a solid outer road edge line or a dashed divider road line.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the determined tire alignment angle to the steering wheel alignment angle; and

determining whether a tire misalignment exists based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a notification message identifying the tire misalignment exits when the tire misalignment is determined to exist; and

controlling a display device to display the notification message when the tire misalignment is determined to exist.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling a storage of a default table on a memory, the default table including a plurality of default steering wheel angles each having assigned a range of acceptable default tire alignment angles.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

parsing the default table to identify a default steering wheel angle corresponding to the steering wheel alignment angle;

identifying a range of acceptable default tire alignment angles corresponding to the default steering wheel angle in the default table;

comparing the determined tire alignment angle to the range of acceptable default tire alignment angles; and

determining a misalignment exists when the determined tire alignment angle is outside the range of acceptable default tire alignment angles.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling a modem to upload the selected digital image to a neuronal server.