Motor control system for a self-calibrating multi-camera alignment system
First Claim
1. A vehicle alignment system utilizing camera pods adapted to autonomously track a vehicle, the system comprising:
- first and second supporting tracks;
a first autonomous camera pod mounted to the first track to move autonomously along a first length of the first track, the first autonomous camera pod comprising;
a first motor drive adapted to move the first autonomous camera pod along the first length of the first track,a first camera adapted to capture image data of a first target mounted to the vehicle, the first camera generating first image data,a calibration target disposed in a fixed relationship to the first camera, anda first data processor; and
a second autonomous camera pod mounted to the second track to move autonomously along a second length of the second track, the second autonomous camera pod comprising;
a second motor drive adapted to move the second autonomous camera pod along the second length of the second track,a second camera adapted to capture image data of a second target mounted to the vehicle, the second camera generating second image data,a calibration camera disposed in a fixed relationship to the second camera adapted to capture image data of the calibration target, the calibration camera generating calibration image data, anda second data processor;
the first data processor of the first autonomous camera pod being adapted to;
receive the first image data from the first camera,autonomously determine, based at least in part on the first image data, whether to cause the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track, andtransmit, when the first data processor determines to cause the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track, a first motor command to the first motor drive thereby causing the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track; and
the second data processor of the second autonomous camera pod being adapted to;
receive the calibration image data from the calibration camera,autonomously determine, based at least in part on the calibration image data, whether to cause the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track, andtransmit, when the second data processor autonomously determines to cause the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track, a second motor command to the second motor drive, thereby causing the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments include a method for autonomous camera pod tracking of a vehicle during vehicle alignment. The method can include receiving, at a processor of an autonomous camera pod, at least one of vehicle target image data from a vehicle target camera or calibration target image data from a calibration camera, the vehicle target camera being adapted to acquire images of a target mounted to the vehicle, and the calibration camera being adapted to acquire images of a calibration target mounted to a sister autonomous camera pod. An optimal location of the autonomous camera pod can be calculated based on the received vehicle target image data or calibration target image data. The method can include transmitting, when it is determined to move the autonomous camera pod, a motor command to a motor drive of the autonomous camera pod, thereby causing the autonomous camera pod to move to the optimal location.
23 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A vehicle alignment system utilizing camera pods adapted to autonomously track a vehicle, the system comprising:
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first and second supporting tracks; a first autonomous camera pod mounted to the first track to move autonomously along a first length of the first track, the first autonomous camera pod comprising; a first motor drive adapted to move the first autonomous camera pod along the first length of the first track, a first camera adapted to capture image data of a first target mounted to the vehicle, the first camera generating first image data, a calibration target disposed in a fixed relationship to the first camera, and a first data processor; and a second autonomous camera pod mounted to the second track to move autonomously along a second length of the second track, the second autonomous camera pod comprising; a second motor drive adapted to move the second autonomous camera pod along the second length of the second track, a second camera adapted to capture image data of a second target mounted to the vehicle, the second camera generating second image data, a calibration camera disposed in a fixed relationship to the second camera adapted to capture image data of the calibration target, the calibration camera generating calibration image data, and a second data processor; the first data processor of the first autonomous camera pod being adapted to; receive the first image data from the first camera, autonomously determine, based at least in part on the first image data, whether to cause the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track, and transmit, when the first data processor determines to cause the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track, a first motor command to the first motor drive thereby causing the first autonomous camera pod to move along the first length of the first track; and the second data processor of the second autonomous camera pod being adapted to; receive the calibration image data from the calibration camera, autonomously determine, based at least in part on the calibration image data, whether to cause the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track, and transmit, when the second data processor autonomously determines to cause the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track, a second motor command to the second motor drive, thereby causing the second autonomous camera pod to move along the second length of the second track. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for tracking a vehicle during vehicle alignment, the method comprising:
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providing a vehicle alignment system comprising; first and second supporting tracks, a first autonomous camera pod mounted to the first columnar track and comprising a first motor drive and a first camera to image a first target mounted to the vehicle, and a second autonomous camera pod mounted to the second track and comprising a second motor drive, a second camera, and a calibration camera; acquiring, by the first camera, an image of the first target mounted to the vehicle; receiving, at a first data processor of the first autonomous camera pod, first image data from the first camera; calculating, at the first data processor, a first optimal location of the first autonomous camera pod; determining, at the first data processor, whether to move the first autonomous camera pod; transmitting, by the first data processor, when the first data processor determines to move the first autonomous camera pod, a first motor command to the first motor drive thereby causing the first autonomous camera pod to move along a first length of the first track to the first optimal location; acquiring, by the second camera, an image of a second target mounted to the vehicle and, by the calibration camera, an image of a calibration target mounted to the first autonomous camera pod; receiving, at a second data processor of the second autonomous camera pod, calibration image data from the calibration camera; calculating, at the second data processor, an optimal location of the second autonomous camera pod based at least in part on the received calibration image data; determining, at the second data processor, whether to move the second autonomous camera pod; and transmitting, by the second data processor, when the second data processor determines to move the second autonomous camera pod, a second motor command to the second motor drive thereby causing the second autonomous camera pod to move along a second length of the second track to the second optimal location. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of an autonomous camera pod mounted to a supporting track, cause the processor to track a vehicle during vehicle alignment, the autonomous camera pod being mounted to the track to move along a length of the tower, the tracking comprising:
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receiving vehicle target image data from a vehicle target camera and calibration target image data from a calibration camera, the vehicle target camera being adapted to acquire images of a target mounted to a vehicle, the calibration camera being adapted to acquire images of a calibration target mounted to a sister autonomous camera pod; calculating an optimal location of the autonomous camera pod based at least in part on the received calibration target image data; determining, responsive to the calculating, whether to move the autonomous camera pod; and transmitting, when it is determined to move the autonomous camera pod, a motor command to a motor drive of the autonomous camera pod, thereby causing the autonomous camera pod to move along the length of the tower to the optimal location. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification