DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS AND DETECTION OF GEOMETRICAL FEATURES OF AN OBJECT

• US 20170301103A1
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Service Group Italy Srl (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Butler Engineering & Marketing SpA (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Gonzaga, Tullio, Santi, Silvano
• Granted Patent: US 10,586,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for the analysis and detection of geometrical features or parameters of an object, which device includes:

• • at least one enlightening means designed to lighten a portion of an object (T);
  • at least two cameras, each designed to detect an image of a portion of the object (T) lightened by the enlightening means;
  • an electronic unit (EU) designed to interpolate the images (OI) of the object (T) received from the cameras.

Claims

1. A device for the analysis and detection of geometrical features or parameters of an object, such as a tyred wheel or a tyre of a tyred wheel, said device defining or identifying or delimiting an advancing or rolling path of an object and comprising:

at least one enlightening means designed to lighten one portion of an object, such as a tyre of a wheel while rolling or advancing on said path;

at least two cameras, each designed to detect one image of said portion of said object lightened by said at least one enlightening means;

an electronic unit designed to interpolate the images of said object received from said at least two cameras, in order to evaluate one geometrical feature or parameter of said object.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two cameras are placed one opposite to the other with respect to an axis of symmetry of longitudinal extension of said rolling or advancing path.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two cameras are designed to detect images of a plurality of portions of said object stationary or rolling on said path, which portions are lightened by said at least one enlightening means, while said electronic unit is designed to roto-translate each image received from each camera on a plane passing through an axis of said object on said path, for example on a plane passing through the rotation axis of a wheel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two cameras have optical axis tilted by an angle with respect to the direction of the axis of extension of said rolling path, a camera in one direction and the other camera in the opposite direction, so that said optical axes converge in the approaching direction toward an entry end or an exit end of said path.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one enlightening means is placed in a position intermediate between said at least two cameras.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one enlightening means is designed to project on an object a coherent or incoherent light with a wavelength comprised between the visible and the infrared, so that a part of said object is highlighted along a plane oblique with respect to an axis of said object to be analyzed or not passing by an axis of said object to be analysed, for example the rotation axis of a wheel.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one enlightening means is designed to project on a tyre a plane of light intersecting said object with an angle different from the plane of a stereo system on which the cameras optical axis lies.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising a base defining said rolling or advancing path.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said device comprises means for moving said at least two cameras between a first rest position, wherein said at least two cameras are housed inside said base, and a second position, wherein said at least two cameras are exposed with respect to said base, said at least two cameras having a respective acquisition end facing a side of said path to detect an image of a portion of said object, rolling or advancing or stationary on said rolling or advancement path, which portion is lightened by said at least one enlightening means.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein in said first position said cameras do not hinder the passage of an object on said rolling or advancement path.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein said movement means comprise a lever group, on one side, operatively connected to said at least two cameras, and on the other side, having a movable end projecting from or flush with said movement path, so that said lever group is engageable by an object rolling or advancing on said path, in such a way that said at least two cameras are movable between the first and the second position following the passage of an object on the movable end of said lever group.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein said movement means comprise an electronically controlled actuator.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two cameras are housed in a part hermetically closed by sealing means.

14. The device according to claim 1 designed or suitable for analyzing and detecting geometrical features or parameters of a tyred wheel or a tyre of a tyred wheel mounted on an axis of a respective vehicle.

15. A method for the analysis and detection of geometrical features or parameters of an object, such as a tyre of a tyred wheel, comprising the following steps:

advancing an object on a rolling or advancement path;

lightening by means of at least one enlightening means a portion of an object stationary or rolling on said path;

detecting by at least two cameras a respective image of said portion of said object stationary or rolling on said path, said portion being lightened by said at least one enlightening means;

interpolating by means of an electronic unit the images received from said at least two cameras of said object, in order to evaluate a geometrical feature or a parameter of said object.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

said object is a tyred wheel or a tyre of a tyred wheel.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein

said tyred wheel or said tyre of a tyred wheel is mounted on an axis of a vehicle and said step of movement forward of said tyred wheel or said tyre of a tyred wheel is carried out by making said vehicle move forward.

18. The method according to claim 17, comprising a step of advancing a vehicle, so as to bring two or all the respective tyred wheels on a rolling path of a respective device and, thus, carry out the steps of lightening, detecting and interpolating for all the devices, thereby detecting geometrical features or parameters of two or more wheels of the vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 15, comprising a step of roto-translation of each image received by the stereo system of the cameras on a plane passing through an axis of said object stationary or rolling on said path, for example on a plane passing though the rotation axis of a tyred wheel.

20. The method according to claim 15, comprising a step of moving said cameras between a first rest position, wherein the cameras are housed inside a base, and a second position, wherein the cameras are exposed with respect to the base, and with a respective acquisition end facing a side of the path in order to detect an image of the portion of the object while rolling or moving forward or being stationary on said path, which portion is lightened by said at least one enlightening means.

21. The method according to claim 15, processed and carried out by means of a device for the analysis and detection of geometrical features or parameters of an object, such as a tyred wheel or a tyre of a tyred wheel, said device defining or identifying or delimiting an advancing or rolling path of an object and comprising:

at least one enlightening means designed to lighten one portion of an object, such as a tyre of a wheel while rolling or advancing on said path;

at least two cameras, each designed to detect one image of said portion of said object lightened by said at least one enlightening means;

an electronic unit designed to interpolate the images of said object received from said at least two cameras, in order to evaluate one geometrical feature or parameter of said object.