Method and apparatus for determining the alignment of motor vehicle wheels

• US 5,943,783 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Balco, Inc. (CSW Industrials, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balco, Inc. (CSW Industrials, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, Bernie Fergus
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Christopher W.
• Application Number:
  US08/982,814
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 33/288, 33/286, 33/203, 33/203.18, 33/203.19, 33/203.2, 356/155, 356/139.09, 356/152.1, 356/152.2, 356/153.3
• US Class Current: 33/288
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/12 Method or fixture for calibrating the wheel aligner
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/143 One or more cameras on each side of a vehicle in the main embodiment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/26 Algorithms, instructions, databases, computerized methods and graphical user interfaces employed by a user in conjunction with the wheel aligner
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/30 Reference markings, reflector, scale or other passive device

Abstract

An apparatus for determining the position and/or alignment of objects such as motor vehicle wheels, and including targets for attachment to the objects, a pair of optical sensing means such as television cameras for viewing the targets, an electronic processing means connected to the optical sensing means for processing data relating to images of the targets to determine position and/or alignment information, and a display means for displaying the position and/or alignment information. The optical sensing means view a target located on each object and form an image of each target. Electronic signals corresponding to each of the images are transferred to the electronic processing means which correlates the image signals of each of the targets with the true shape of each target. In so doing, the processing means relates the geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of certain known elements of the target with the geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of corresponding elements in the viewed images and calculates the position and/or alignment of the objects to which the targets are attached.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the alignment of motor vehicle wheels comprising:

target means including a plurality of target objects for attachment to wheels on respective first and second sides of a vehicle under inspection, each said target objects including a plurality of visually perceptible, geometrically configured target elements having known geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships;

optical inspection means defining a spatial reference system and including a plurality of cameras in excess of two, each of said plurality of cameras forming respective viewing paths intersecting said target objects when they are attached to wheels of a vehicle under inspection, each said camera being operable to inspect an image of a corresponding target object as viewed along its corresponding viewing path and to generate image information describing the geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of the imaged target elements;

processing means for relating said image information to predetermined reference information describing the known geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of said target elements and for determining the position and angular orientation of said plurality of target objects relative to said spatial reference system and generating position and orientation information commensurate therewith; and

means responsive to the generated position and orientation information and operative to indicate the position and alignment of the wheels to which said plurality of targets are attached.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means responsive includes a display means which uses said orientation information to indicate the alignment of said plurality of wheels.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the alignment of each said wheel is expressed in terms of caster, camber and toe measurements.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said target means comprises four target objects for attachment respectively to four wheels of the vehicle an intersecting ones of said viewing paths.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said processing means further determines the relative positions of said four wheels.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said optical inspection means further includes lighting means associated with each camera means to provide on-axis target illumination therefor.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said lighting means includes an array of light-emitting diodes arrayed around the optical axis of each said corresponding camera means.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said light-emitting diodes are selected to have a particular wavelength characteristic and wherein wavelength-selective filter means are used to discriminate between diode light reflected from said target objects and light emanating from other sources.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each said target object includes a planar plate having said plurality of target elements formed on a surface thereof and means for attaching the plate to a wheel of a vehicle under inspection.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said means for attaching orients the plane of said surface substantially normal to the rim plane of the wheel to which the target object is attached.

11. An apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein said target elements are formed of retro-reflective material.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said target means includes clamps for clampingly engaging the rims of wheels.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising support means for supporting said plurality of cameras in fixed positions at predetermined separations from each other at a predetermined elevation.

14. A method of determining the relative orientation of the wheels of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

attaching a plurality of targets in excess of two on respective wheels of each side of said vehicle, each of said targets including a plurality of target elements of known geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships, said plurality of targets having predetermined positional relationships to the wheels to which they are attached;

using a plurality of cameras in excess of two, respectively, having known spatial positions and directional orientations, to view said targets and to form detected images thereof;

determining the geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of the target elements of each of said detected images;

relating the determined geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of said detected images to the known geometric characteristics and positional interrelationships of corresponding elements of the respective targets to determine the angular orientation of said targets; and

using said angular orientations to determine the alignment of said wheels.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 and further including the step of relating the determined geometric characteristics and interrelationships of said detected images to the known geometric characteristics and interrelationships of corresponding elements of said targets to determine the positions of the axles of said wheels.

16. An apparatus for determining the alignment of motor vehicle wheels comprising:

a plurality of targets each including a first plurality of known geometric attributes with known spatial interrelationships;

optical inspection means establishing a spatial reference system including a plurality of viewing paths respectively intersecting said targets when attached respectively to a plurality of wheels of a vehicle under inspection, said plurality of viewing paths being greater than two, said optical inspection means being operable to inspect images of said targets as viewed along said respective viewing paths and to generate image information describing the geometric attributes and interrelationships of the images;

processing means for relating said image information to predetermined reference information describing the known geometric attributes and relationships of said targets to determine the angular orientation of said targets relative to said spatial reference system and to generate orientation information commensurate therewith; and

means for using said orientation information to indicate the alignment of said wheels.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said processing means is further operative to determine the spatial positions of three of said wheels, the said positions defining a reference plane relative to which the alignment of the wheels can be calculated.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein said images are viewed with said wheels in first positions, and wherein said optical image inspection means is further operable to inspect other images of said targets after said wheels have been rotated about their axes to second positions, and to generate additional image information describing the geometric attributes and interrelationships of the targets as they appear in said other images, and wherein said processing means is further operable to relate said additional image information to the original image information to determine the relationships of said targets to the axes of rotation of said wheels.

19. An apparatus for determining the position and orientation of an object comprising:

means defining at least three targets associated with the object and having separate determinable relationships to the object, each said target including a plurality of known detectable attributes having known interrelationships;

imaging means for viewing said targets each along a separate respective viewing path and for developing electronic signals representation of each viewed image of the targets;

computational means having information stored therein defining the known attributes and interrelationships of each target, and responsive to said electronic signals, and operative to relate said electronic signals to the stored information and to determine the orientation of each target relative to its viewing path; and

means for using said determined orientation of each target to determine the position and orientation of the object.

20. An apparatus for determining the relative alignment of a plurality of components comprising:

a plurality of targets each including a plurality of target objects, each target object having a plurality of known detectable attributes with known geometries and spatial interrelationships, each said target being adapted for attachment to one of said components;

optical inspection means establishing a spatial reference system including more than two viewing paths, each of which intersects one of said targets when the targets are attached to said components, said optical inspection means being operable to inspect an image of each target object as viewed along its corresponding viewing path and to generate image information describing the attributes and interrelationships of each image;

processing means for relating the image information corresponding to each target object to predetermined reference information describing the known attributes and relationships of each said target object to determine the angular orientation of each said target object relative to said spatial reference system and to generate first orientation information commensurate therewith; and

indicator means for using said orientation information to indicate the alignment of each said component.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said indicator means further uses said orientation information to indicate the position of each component.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein said optical inspection means includes a video camera for each of the more than two viewing paths and lighting means for providing on-axis illumination for said cameras.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said detectable attributes are embodied as geometrical shapes formed by a body of retro-reflective material.

24. A method for determining the relative alignment of at least three components of an object, comprising the steps of:

establishing at least one target on each component of the object such that each target has a determinable relationship to the component and wherein each target includes a plurality of known detectable attributes having known geometric characteristics and interrelationships;

viewing each target along a corresponding viewing path to form at least one detected image of each target;

determining the geometric characteristics and interrelationships of at least two attributes of each detected image;

relating the determined characteristics and interrelationships of the attributes of each detected image to the known geometric characteristics and interrelationships of corresponding attributes of a corresponding target to determine the angular orientation of each target relative to a corresponding viewing path; and

using said angular orientations and said determinable relationships to determine the relative alignment of the components of said object.