Apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift using a machine vision wheel alignment system
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B66F-007/28
G01B-011/275
출원번호
US-0059216
(2013-10-21)
등록번호
US-9452917
(2016-09-27)
발명자
/ 주소
Healy, Donald A.
Pruitt, Carl W.
출원인 / 주소
SNAP-ON INCORPORATED
대리인 / 주소
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
17
초록▼
An apparatus is provided for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle. In one embodiment, sensors attached to the runways generate sensor signals responsive to a position of the vehicle relative to the runways. The sensor signals are proc
An apparatus is provided for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle. In one embodiment, sensors attached to the runways generate sensor signals responsive to a position of the vehicle relative to the runways. The sensor signals are processed to determine and monitor the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and a visual reference is displayed to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. In another embodiment, each runway includes a turntable for receiving the wheels. An actuator is connected to one runway and to its corresponding turntable, and is configured to move the turntable relative to the runway. The sensor signals are processed to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and to cause the actuator to align the turntable with the vehicle wheel.
대표청구항▼
1. An apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of camera sensors respectively attached to the runways for generating a set of sensor signals responsive to a position of the vehicle rela
1. An apparatus for guiding a vehicle onto a service lift having a pair of runways for receiving the wheels of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of camera sensors respectively attached to the runways for generating a set of sensor signals responsive to a position of the vehicle relative to the runways;a processor configured to receive and process the sensor signals; anda monitor operably connected to the processor;wherein the processor is configured to process the sensor signals to determine and monitor the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and to cause the monitor to display a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual reference displayed on the monitor comprises graphical animations indicating the position of the vehicle relative to the runways. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual reference displayed on the monitor comprises directional arrows for providing feedback to guide the operator. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera sensors comprise video cameras, and the visual reference displayed on the monitor comprises a video image of the vehicle relative to the runways. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising sonic indicators, wherein the processor is for causing the sonic indicators to operate responsive to the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, for providing feedback to guide the operator. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors additionally comprise sonic sensors or pressure sensors. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a vehicle orientation directional indicator having selectively illuminated directional arrows for providing feedback to guide the operator,wherein the processor is configured to cause the directional arrows to illuminate responsive to the position of the vehicle relative to the runways. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the runways comprises a turntable movably mounted thereto, and an actuator connected to the runway and to the turntable for moving the turntable relative to the runway; and wherein the processor is configured to cause the actuators to move the turntables responsive to the sensor signals such that the turntables are aligned with the vehicle wheels. 9. An apparatus for controlling a service lift having a pair of runways each including a turntable movably mounted thereto for receiving the wheels of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensors for generating a set of sensor signals responsive to a position of the vehicle relative to the runways;a processor configured to receive and process the sensor signals; andan actuator connected to one runway and to the turntable corresponding to the one runway and configured to move the turntable relative to the one runway,wherein the processor is configured to process the sensor signals to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and to cause the actuator to move the turntable responsive to the sensor signals so as to align the turntable with a vehicle wheel on the one runway. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the apparatus comprises a pair of actuators including the actuator connected to the one runway and to the turntable corresponding to the one runway and a second actuator connected to the other runway and to the turntable corresponding to the other runway, andthe processor is configured to cause the pair of actuators to move the turntable corresponding to the one runway and the turntable corresponding to the other runway responsive to the sensor signals so as to align the turntables with vehicle wheels on the respective one runway and other runway. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensors comprise at least one camera. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensors comprise sonic sensors or pressure sensors. 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the plurality of sensors are respectively attached to the runways, andthe processor is configured to process the sensor signals to determine and monitor the position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and to cause a monitor operably connected to the processor to display a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the plurality of sensors comprises a first image sensor mounted to view a target on at least one of a first wheel of the vehicle, a first portion of the vehicle, and a first one of the runways, andthe processor is further configured to receive a first image signal from the first image sensor, to process the first image signal to generate a first image of the first portion of the vehicle and the first one of the runways, and to cause the first image to be displayed on a monitor so as to provide a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a second image sensor mounted to view a target on at least one of a second wheel of the vehicle opposing the first wheel, a second portion of the vehicle, and a second one of the runways, andthe processor is further configured to receive a second image signal from the second image sensor, to process the second image signal to generate a second image of the second portion of the vehicle and the second one of the runways, and to cause the second image to be displayed on the monitor. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause only one of the first and second images to be displayed on the monitor at a time. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first and second images to be displayed on the monitor simultaneously. 18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the plurality of sensors comprises a pair of image sensors for respectively viewing a pair of runway targets each attached to one of the runways, wherein one of the image sensors is also for viewing a vehicle target attached to the vehicle, andthe processor is further configured to receive image signals from the image sensors, to process the image signals from the image sensors to determine respective positions of the runways, to process the image signal from the one of the image sensors viewing the vehicle target to monitor a position of the vehicle relative to the runways, and to cause the monitor to display a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: the pair of image sensors are for viewing a pair of vehicle targets attached to the vehicle, andthe processor is configured to process image signals from the pair of image sensors viewing the pair of vehicle targets to monitor the position of the vehicle relative to the runways. 20. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a beam generator configured to generate a light beam and to direct the light beam toward the vehicle along a center line of the service lift located between the runways, so as to provide a visual reference to guide an operator of the vehicle to drive the vehicle wheels onto the runways. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the beam generator comprises a rotary laser generator mounted to a stationary mount. 22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the light beam is a laser light beam, and the light beam generator comprises a collimator for forming the laser light beam into a fan pattern.
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