Image sensing wheel alignment system
First Claim
1. An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments comprising:
- a detector array for receiving an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, said detector array having image detecting elements;
an image sensor controller for controlling the detector array to receive the input image during an acquisition period, and further including circuitry for reading out an output image from the image detecting elements, said output image containing wheel alignment information for use in calculating vehicle wheel alignments, said output image including outputs from at least two image detecting elements obtained at different exposure levels during said acquisition period.
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Abstract
An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments having a detector array for receiving an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information. An image sensor controller controls the detector array to receive the input image during an acquisition period, the image sensor controller examining signals from the image detecting elements individually at a plurality of times during the acquisition period to determine exposure levels for image detecting elements. An output image from the image detecting elements at the end of the acquisition period contains wheel alignment information for use in calculating vehicle wheel alignments.
27 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments comprising:
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a detector array for receiving an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, said detector array having image detecting elements; an image sensor controller for controlling the detector array to receive the input image during an acquisition period, and further including circuitry for reading out an output image from the image detecting elements, said output image containing wheel alignment information for use in calculating vehicle wheel alignments, said output image including outputs from at least two image detecting elements obtained at different exposure levels during said acquisition period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments comprising:
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a first illumination source for illuminating a scene containing wheel alignment information from a first angle during a first interval; a second illumination source for illuminating said scene from a second angle during a second interval a detector array for receiving an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information, said detector array having image detecting elements, said image detecting elements defining a first image array associated with the first illumination source, further defining a second image array associated with the second illumination source, wherein the input images of the scene resulting from use of the first illumination source are received by the second image array, and the input images of the scene resulting from use of the second illumination source are received by the first image array; an image sensor controller for controlling the detector array to receive the input image during an acquisition period, and further including circuitry for reading out an output image from the image detecting elements, exposure of said scene during the first interval resulting in a first output image, and exposure of said scene during the second interval resulting in a second output image, said output images containing wheel alignment information for use in calculating vehicle wheel alignments; a processor configured to control exposure levels of both image arrays during the corresponding intervals, and to analyze differences between the first and second output images to identify specularities in the image; and wherein the first interval and the second interval are concurrent, the first image array being sensitive to light of a first color, and the second image array being sensitive to light of a second color.
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31. A method for calculating vehicle wheel alignment angles with an image sensing wheel alignment system, comprising:
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receiving, at a detector array having image detecting elements, an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information; controlling the detector array to receive said input image during an acquisition period; accessing an output image from said image detecting elements acquired during said acquisition period, said output image containing outputs from at least two of said image detecting elements obtained at different exposure levels; and calculating at least one vehicle wheel alignment utilizing wheel alignment information contained within said output image. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification