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 perio
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.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 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
What is claimed is: 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. 2. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image contains a plurality of points of interest, said output image having different exposure levels for at least some of the points of interest. 3. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes at least one portion illuminated by ambient light, the output image having a different exposure level for said ambient lighted portion. 4. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the system is responsive to brightness gradients over the input image to control the exposure level of the image detecting elements. 5. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the brightness gradient is due to illumination. 6. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the brightness gradient is due to reflection. 7. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the brightness gradient is due to image detecting element response. 8. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the brightness gradient is due to lens effects. 9. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 further including a first illumination source for illuminating a scene containing wheel alignment information from a first angle during a first interval, and a second illumination source for illuminating said scene from a second angle during a second interval, 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, the system including logic for analyzing differences between the first and second output images to identify specularities in the image. 10. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the logic uses subpixel techniques for analyzing said differences. 11. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the image detecting elements constitute a first image array associated with the first illumination source, further including a second image array associated with the second illumination source, the input images of the scene resulting from use of the first illumination source being received by the second image array, and the input images of the scene resulting from use of the second illumination source being received by the first image array, the exposure levels of both image arrays being controlled during the corresponding intervals, further including logic for comparing output images from the first and second arrays to determine positions of specularities in the output images. 12. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said image sensor controller is configured to control the image detecting elements to prevent saturation during each of said intervals. 13. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes at least one under exposed portion, said system being responsive to under exposure to increase the total acquisition time. 14. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the system is responsive to banding over the input image to control exposure level of the image detecting elements. 15. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes a target that contains no retroreflective material. 16. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein a tire assembly is imaged. 17. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the banding is due to cycling of illumination sources at a higher rate than image acquisition cycles. 18. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the image sensor controller is responsive to brightness variations due to fluctuation in the brightness of artificial lighting during exposure times to control exposure levels of the image detecting elements. 19. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 further including a memory for saving signal values of each image detecting element, said signal values being capable of indicating over-exposure of image detecting elements, and logic for analyzing said saved values to reduce over-exposure. 20. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the saved signal values from individual image detecting elements in said detector array are averaged. 21. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes a vehicle tire assembly. 22. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes a target associated with a vehicle wheel to be aligned. 23. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input image includes a target constructed with retroreflective material. 24. The image sensing wheel alignment system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the image sensor controller is responsive to a signal indicating probable over-exposure of a particular image detecting element by the end of the acquisition period to reset said particular image detecting element. 25. The improved image sensing wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said image sensor controller is configured to examine signals from the image detecting elements individually during the acquisition period. 26. The improved image sensing wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said detector array has an illumination sensitivity that extends from below 10 Lux to at least 10,000 Lux. 27. The improved image sensing wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein a first portion of said image detecting elements have a first sensitivity to light, and wherein a second portion of said image detecting elements have a second sensitivity to light. 28. The improved image sensing wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said image detecting elements are configured to be reset to a first specified exposure level, during said image acquisition period, such that any image detecting elements having an exposure exceeding a second specified exposure level are reset to said first specified exposure level. 29. The improved image sensing wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein each of said image detecting elements has a variable reset period, said variable reset period controlled by the system to alter an exposure of each of said associated image detecting elements during said image acquisition period. 30. An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments comprising: 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. 31. A method for calculating vehicle wheel alignment angles with an image sensing wheel alignment system, comprising: 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. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein a first output from said image detecting elements is associated with scene illumination at a first angle; wherein a second output from said image detecting elements is associated with scene illumination at a second angle; and wherein said step of calculating further includes analyzing differences between said outputs within said output image to identify specularities within said output image.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (13)
Fossum Eric R. (LaCrescenta CA) Mendis Sunetra (Pasadena CA) Kemeny Sabrina E. (LaCrescenta CA), Active pixel sensor with intra-pixel charge transfer.
Hechel Dennis L. (New Berlin WI) Niemetschek Raymond H. (Brookfield WI) Slocum Tobin (Waukesha WI) Kercheck Gary R. (Colgate WI) Crawford Michael C. (Milwaukee WI), Angle sensor with CCD.
Daniel B. January ; Nicholas J. Colarelli, III, Apparatus and method for controlling a mechanism for positioning video cameras for use in measuring vehicle wheel alignment.
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.
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.
McClenahan James W. (1015 Arcaro Ct. Florissant MO 63034) Burns ; Jr. Leigh R. (104 Kenneth Troy IL 62294) Stieff Michael T. (20 Hill Trail Ct. Wentzville MO 63385) January Daniel B. (737 Hidden Lake, Sensors for vehicle alignment system and apparatus using same.
Dorrance, Daniel R.; Colarelli, III, Nicholas J.; Strege, Timothy A.; Golab, Thomas J.; Voeller, David; Shylanski, Mark S., Wheel alignment apparatus and method utilizing three-dimensional imaging.
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