Integrated circuit image sensor for wheel alignment systems

• US 20030025901A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Burns, Leigh R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,744,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/139.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means

Abstract

An improved image sensor for computer systems that use images to calculate vehicle wheel alignments which includes an integrated circuit having a detector array for receiving an image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, an image sensor controller for operating the detector array and directing input/output for external communications outside the circuit, and an internal bus for communications within the integrated circuit. The sensor communicates wheel alignment information contained in the image with the computer system across an interface bus.

Claims

1. An improved image sensor for computer systems that use information contained in images to calculate vehicle wheel alignments, comprising:

an integrated circuit having a detector array for receiving an image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, an image sensor controller for operating the detector array and directing input/output for external communications outside the circuit, and an internal bus for communications within the integrated circuit; and

an interface bus between the integrated circuit and said computer system for communications therebetween, wheel alignment information contained in the image being transferred from the integrated circuit to said computer system over the interface bus.

2. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 1 wherein the detector array is comprised of a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels being electronically isolated from neighboring pixels.

3. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 2 wherein the pixels in the detector array have means for resisting blooming.

4. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit is a CMOS integrated circuit.

5. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 4 wherein the integrated circuit has a single supply voltage.

6. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises an analog to digital converter, the converter communicating with the image sensor controller on the internal bus.

7. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 6 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a processor, the processor communicating with the image sensor controller on the internal bus.

8. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 7 wherein the processor has logic for identifying a region of interest.

9. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 6 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a processor that has logic for identifying a region of interest and the image sensor controller has logic for limiting a read out to the region of interest.

10. An improved image sensor as set forth in claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises ASIC image sensor logic for communicating with the computer system across the interface bus.

11. A method for reducing the time to process images used in a vehicle wheel alignment system, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one image containing vehicle wheel alignment information on a detector array;

identifying a region of interest on the detector array; and

calculating vehicle wheel alignment based on the information in the region of interest on the detector array using at least one image containing vehicle wheel alignment information.

12. A method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of reading out from the region of interest a plurality of images containing vehicle wheel alignment information, and processing the images to average the information in the region of interest.

13. An image sensor system that minimizes the time to process images used in a user operated vehicle wheel alignment apparatus, comprising:

an integrated circuit image sensor having a detector array for receiving an image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, an image sensor controller for operating the detector array and directing input/output for external communications outside the circuit, an internal bus for communications within the integrated circuit, and a processor for storing image information and performing computations on the image information;

a computer system for interfacing with said user; and

an interface bus between the integrated circuit image sensor and the computer system for communications therebetween, wheel alignment information contained in the image being transferred from the integrated circuit to said computer system over the interface bus.

14. An image sensor system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the processor has logic and memory for calculating a vehicle wheel alignment.

15. An image sensor system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the computer system has logic and memory for calculating a vehicle wheel alignment.