Method and device for regulating the attitude of a motor vehicle

• US 6,341,013 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1998
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corghi SpA (Nexion S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Corghi SpA (Nexion S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Battiti, Roberto, Corghi, Remo
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/126,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/291, 382/203, 382/286, 340/933, 701/82, 180/271, 173/178.R, 702/113, 702/150, 702/151, 702/152, 702/153
• US Class Current: 356/139.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/143 One or more cameras on each side of a vehicle in the main embodiment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/146 Two or more cameras imaging the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/20 Vehicle in a state of translatory motion

Abstract

A method for regulating the attitude of a motor vehicle by measuring the characteristic angles of the wheels, includes the following operations: obtaining at least one pair of images of each moving wheel while the vehicle is being positioned on the measuring site; calculating for each image the ellipse resulting from the interpolation of a discrete number of points lying on the image; establishing a correspondence between the points identified in each pair of images, to uniquely determine the edge of the wheel rim and its spatial position; calculating the value of the characteristic attitude angles relative to the spatial position of the wheel rim.

Claims

1. A method for regulating the attitude of a motor vehicle by measuring the characteristic angles of the wheels, comprising the following operations:

obtaining at least one pair of images of each moving wheel while the vehicle is being positioned on a measuring site;

calculating for each image the ellipse resulting from an interpolation of a discrete number of points lying on the image;

establishing a correspondence between the points identified in each pair of images, to uniquely determine an edge of the wheel rim and a spatial position of the wheel rim; and

calculating the value of the characteristic attitude angles relative to the spatial position of the wheel rim.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying the wheel rim edge within the pair of images.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying the wheel rim edge by identifying the region in which the transition between the image grey levels is a maximum.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating the wheel rim edge from five points lying on the image of the wheel rim edge.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining at least two pairs of images of the moving wheel while the vehicle is being positioned within the measurement site.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of calculating any defect in the perpendicularity of the wheel rim axis to its axis of rotation by comparing the two pairs of images of each moving wheel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining at least two pairs of images of the wheel stationary within the measurement site, said at least two pairs of images corresponding to at least two different steered positions.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of comparing the angular variation data obtained in said positions and calculating the spatial position of the steering axis.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the center of rotation of the wheels, the axes which join the center of rotation of the front and rear wheels respectively, the straight line which passes through the central points of said axes, and the angular deviations of said straight line from the longitudinal axis of the measurement site, and the correction parameters for the calculated measurements.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying all the calculated data on a monitor, to enable the operator to make the necessary adjustments.