Self-calibrating 3D machine measuring system useful in motor vehicle wheel alignment
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G01B-011/26
G01B-005/24
출원번호
US-0928453
(2001-08-14)
발명자
/ 주소
Jackson, David A.
Glickman, Steven
Shroff, Hoshang D.
Bliven, Brian M.
Kling, III, Michael J.
출원인 / 주소
Snap-On Technologies, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
McDermott, Will & Emery
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
15인용 특허 :
17
초록▼
Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera aligner for use in aligning motor ve
Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera aligner for use in aligning motor vehicle wheels. In this embodiment, the aligner includes a first camera pod having two alignment cameras and a calibration camera, and a second camera pod having another two alignment cameras and a calibration target. Because the aligner has four alignment cameras and a calibration camera, the aligner is often referred to as a five-camera aligner. For illustration purposes, the first camera pod is herein referred to as the left camera pod and the second camera pod is herein referred to as the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the left camera pod is placed to the left of the aligner, and the right camera pod is placed to the right of the aligner. The two alignment cameras of the left camera pod focus at the two left wheels of the vehicle under alignment, while the two alignment cameras of the right camera pod focus at the two right wheels of the same vehicle. In addition, the calibration camera on the left pod focuses at the calibration target mounted in the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the relative positions of the elements (alignment camera, calibration camera, and calibration target) in each camera pod are pre-calibrated. Consequently, the aligner is fully calibrated when the position of the left camera pod to the right camera pod is measured. Further, the calibration camera is configured such that it periodically measures the position of the left camera pod relative to the right camera pod, rendering the aligner a self-calibrated aligner.
대표청구항▼
Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera aligner for use in aligning motor ve
Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera aligner for use in aligning motor vehicle wheels. In this embodiment, the aligner includes a first camera pod having two alignment cameras and a calibration camera, and a second camera pod having another two alignment cameras and a calibration target. Because the aligner has four alignment cameras and a calibration camera, the aligner is often referred to as a five-camera aligner. For illustration purposes, the first camera pod is herein referred to as the left camera pod and the second camera pod is herein referred to as the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the left camera pod is placed to the left of the aligner, and the right camera pod is placed to the right of the aligner. The two alignment cameras of the left camera pod focus at the two left wheels of the vehicle under alignment, while the two alignment cameras of the right camera pod focus at the two right wheels of the same vehicle. In addition, the calibration camera on the left pod focuses at the calibration target mounted in the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the relative positions of the elements (alignment camera, calibration camera, and calibration target) in each camera pod are pre-calibrated. Consequently, the aligner is fully calibrated when the position of the left camera pod to the right camera pod is measured. Further, the calibration camera is configured such that it periodically measures the position of the left camera pod relative to the right camera pod, rendering the aligner a self-calibrated aligner. tween the pellicle, the mask and the mounting structure; a port on the mounting structure through which a pressure difference can be created between the interior portion and an exterior environment; a pressure regulator in communication with the port to control a pressure in the interior portion; and a velocity sensor to determine the velocity of the pellicle, wherein the pressure difference is controlled by the pressure regulator to maintain a flat surface on the pellicle based on a reading from the velocity sensor. 2. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a source of high pressure gas coupled to the pressure regulator, and a source of low pressure gas coupled to the pressure regulator.3. The mounting system of claim 2, wherein one of the sources of pressure gas is the exterior environment.4. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor operatively coupled to the pressure regulator for detecting a pressure of the interior portion.5. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a position sensor to determine the position of the pellicle; wherein the pressure difference is controlled by the pressure regulator to maintain a flat surface on the pellicle based on a reading from the position sensor. 6. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a calibrated leak from the interior portion to the exterior environment.7. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising an aerodynamic fairing adjacent the mounting structure.8. A method of reducing distortion of a sealed pellicle for a mask, the pellicle being sealed to the mask to form an interior portion therebetween, the method comprising the steps of: determining a velocity of the pellicle using a velocity sensor; and regulating a pressure in the interior portion to maintain a flat surface on the pellicle based on the velocity. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing an aerodynamic fairing adjacent the mask to reduce turbulent airflow across the pellicle.10. The method of claim 8, wherein the pressure is also regulated according to feedback from at least one of a pressure sensor coupled to the interior portion, and a position sensor for the pellicle. ne)-4,4′-oxydiamine) and copolymers of more than two of the foregoing polymers.4. A liquid crystal display comprising a cell filled with liquid crystals between two alignment layers, wherein at least one of the two layers comprises the polymer blend of claim 1.5. A process for preparing a liquid crystal alignment layer, the process comprising: (i) mixing at least one cinnamate polymer and at least one polyimide polymer in a weight ratio of the cinnamate polymer and the polyimide polymer from 1:9 to 9:1, and dissolving the mixed polymers in an organic solvent; (ii) spin coating the dissolved polymers onto a plate; (iii) heating the polymers to obtain liquid crystal alignment layer; and wherein the cinnamate polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylfluorocinnamate, polyvinylalkoxyfluorocinnamate, and copolymers of the foregoing polymers. 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylacetate, metacresol, n-butylacetate and diethylether.7. The process of claim 5, wherein the spin coating comprises rotating the plate at 1,000 rpm to 3,000 rpm.8. The process of claim 5, wherein the heating is performed at a temperature from 100° C. to 300° C.9. The process of claim 5, further comprising irradiating an ultraviolet ray onto the alignment layer.10. The process of claim 9, wherein the ultraviolet ray is selected from the group consisting of a polarized ultraviolet ray, a nonpolarized ultraviolet ray, and both of the foregoings.11. A liquid crystal alignment layer prepared by the process of claim 5. acobsen et al.; US-6606247, 20030800, Credelle et al., 361/737; US-20010031514, 20011000, Smith et al.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (17)
January Daniel B., Apparatus and method for determining vehicle wheel alignment measurements from three dimensional wheel positions and ori.
January Daniel B. ; Burns ; Jr. Leigh R. ; Colarelli ; III Nicholas J., Apparatus and method for determining vehicle wheel alignment measurements from three dimensional wheel positions and orientations.
Burns ; Jr. Leigh R. ; Strege Timothy A. ; Stieff Michael T. ; January Daniel B. ; Colarelli ; III Nicholas J., Apparatus and method with improved field of view for determining vehicle wheel alignment measurements from three dimensional wheel positions and orientations.
Arnoul, Patrick; Guerin, Jean-Pierre; Letellier, Laurent; Viala, marc, Method for calibrating the initial position and the orientation of one or several mobile cameras.
Jean-Loup Rapidel FR; Jean-Thierry Lapreste FR; Gerard Rives FR; Michel Dhome FR; Jean-Marc Lavest FR, Optical installation and process for determining the relative positions of at least two objects in space.
Hoenke, Mark S.; Hulbert, Jack A.; Lehman, James R.; Menkveld, Todd K.; Momber, Gregory J.; Smith, Thomas D., Apparatus and method for determining the orientation of an object such as vehicle wheel alignment.
Dorrance, Daniel R.; Strege, Timothy A.; Burns, Jr., Leigh R.; Shylanski, Mark S.; Golab, Thomas J., Method and apparatus for guiding placement of vehicle service fixtures.
Gill,George M.; Jackson,David A.; Glickman,Steve L.; Rigsby,Stephen K., Method for use with an optical aligner system for positioning a fixture relative to a vehicle.
Rogers, Steven W.; Jackson, David A.; Lewis, Bradley; Brown, Adam C.; D'Agostino, Robert J.; Sellers, Eric R., Wheel aligner with advanced diagnostics and no-stop positioning.
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