DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of automobile engineering. In particular, the present disclosure relates to the field of wheel alignment measurement and correction techniques. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to wheel alignment techniques using sensing devices fitted onto an automobile lift.
DEFINITIONS
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.
Lift – The term “Lift” hereinafter in the complete specification refers to a mechanism configured to elevate a vehicle from the ground level to a certain height, and securely support the vehicle at that particular height.

BACKGROUND
Conventional methods of Lift mounted wheel alignment systems use two or more pairs of cameras. Typically, one pair of cameras is used to determine the alignment of wheels on the left side of a vehicle, and another pair is used to determine the alignment of wheels on the right side of the vehicle. All the cameras are generally positioned between the front and the rear wheels of the vehicle. However, such use of multiple cameras increases cost and complexity of the system. Further, the multiple pair of cameras occupies more space.
Therefore, there is a need of a system and a method to determine wheel alignment of a vehicle that alleviates the abovementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle that occupies less space.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle that is cost effective.
Further object of the present disclosure is to simplify the product configurations, reduce installation time and requirements by eliminating dedicated sensor mounting / holding structures.
Further object is to reduce the weight of the front target wheel mounting accessory by using miniature size target plates which will be convenient for the user while handling it.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
A system for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle comprises at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices, at least two pairs of Target plates and a control module. A lifting mechanism is configured to lift the vehicle. The at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices is fixed on the lifting mechanism, and is configured to capture images of the at least two target plates. The at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices is further configured to generate and transmit digital signals corresponding to the captured images. The control module is adapted to cooperate with the at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices to receive the digital signals corresponding to the captured images and compute alignment information based on the received digital signals.
The control module comprises at least one repository, and a processor. The at least one repository is configured to store pre-determined images corresponding to a desired position of the at least two pairs of target plate. The processor is adapted to cooperate with the at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices and the at least one repository, and is configured to receive the digital signals corresponding to the captured images representing actual position of the at least two target plates, from the at least one pair opto-electronic sensing devices. The processor is further configured to generate target images representing the actual position of the at least two target plates using the digital signals received from the at least one pair opto-electronic sensing devices. Further, the processor is configured to compare the target images with the pre-determined images to generate compared signals, compute alignment information based on the compared signals, and display the alignment information on at least one display unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A system and a method for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle, of the present disclosure, will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a system for determining wheel alignment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the system of figure 1; and
Figure 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an opto-electronic sensing device and a control module of the system shown in figure 1 and figure 2.

LIST OF REFERRAL NUMERALS

100 – System of the present disclosure
105 – Lifting mechanism
110 – Vehicle
115 – Front wheels of the vehicle
116 – Rear wheels of the vehicle
118 – Front target plate
119 –Rear target plate
120 – Opto-electronic sensing device
120a – Camera
120b – First transceiver
125 – Control module
130 – Second transceiver
135 – Processor
140 – Repository
145 – Input device
150 – Display unit
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The existing lift mounted systems need a minimum two pairs of cameras to determine wheel alignment of a vehicle. Use of the multiple cameras increases the overall cost of the system and also, occupies more space.
The present disclosure overcomes the abovementioned drawbacks by using a single pair of opto-electronic sensing devices i.e. two cameras mounted on an alignment lift itself. One camera, for left sides of wheels, and another camera, for right side of the wheels, are positioned at the front side of alignment lift, thereby viewing the front and rear targets simultaneously.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawing, illustrates a top view of a system 100 for determining wheel alignment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the system 100, and figure 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of opto-electronic sensing devices 120 and a control module 125 of the system 100.
The system 100 comprises at least two pairs of target plates 118 or 119, at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices 120, the control module 125, and the vehicle 110 whose wheel alignment is to be determined. A lifting mechanism 105, which may be a part of the system 100, is configured to lift the vehicle 110 whose wheel alignment is to be determined. In an embodiment, the system 100 comprises an alignment lift as the lifting mechanism 105, wherein the vehicle 110 is positioned on the alignment lift. The lifting mechanism 105 is configured such that it can lift the vehicle 110 from the ground level.
In an embodiment, the system 100 comprises a Miniature Front target plate 118 and a Rear target plate 119. The Miniature Front target plate 118 is physically mounted on each of the front wheels 115 of the vehicle 110. The Rear target plate 119 is physically mounted on each of the rear wheels 116 of the vehicle 110.
In another embodiment, all the target plates (118 and 119) may be of same size.
The Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 fitted to the wheels reflect the wheel alignment parametric conditions of the respective wheels. The purpose of the target plates 118, 119 is to accurately reflect the wheel alignment angles of the wheels 115, 116 respectively so that the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 capturing images can analyze and determine the wheel alignment parameters of the vehicle 110.
In an embodiment, the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 are capable of reflecting light when illuminated.
The at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices 120 is fitted on the lifting mechanism 105. The at least one opto-electronic sensing device 120 is configured to capture images of the at least one target plate 118, and further configured to generate and transmit digital signals corresponding to the captured images. In an embodiment, the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 are configured to capture images of the Front target plate 118 mounted on the front wheels 115 and the Rear target plate 119 mounted on the rear wheels 116 of the vehicle 110.
In another embodiment, the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 are mounted on the alignment lift. In yet another embodiment, the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 are mounted at an operative front side of the alignment lift.
The at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices 120 is configured to capture the position of the front wheels 115 and rear wheels 116 simultaneously on which the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 are mounted respectively. The at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices 120 is further configured to generate digital signals corresponding to the captured images, and transmit the digital signals to a processor 135.
In an embodiment, each opto-electronic sensing device 120 comprises a camera 120a and a first transceiver 120b. The camera 120a is equipped with a light source which is capable of illuminating the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 mounted respectively on the front wheels 115 and the rear wheels 116 of the vehicle 110. The camera 120a is further configured to provide digital signals corresponding to the captured images, and is equipped with a lens of required focal length and vision angle to cover the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119. The first transceiver 120b is configured to facilitate transmission of the digital signals provided by the camera 120a. In one embodiment, the camera 120a is a scientific imaging camera.
The control module 125 is adapted to cooperate with the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 to receive the digital signals corresponding to the captured images and compute alignment information based on the received digital signals.
In an embodiment, the control module 125 comprises at least one repository 140, the processor 135, and at least one display unit 150. The repository 140 is configured to store the alignment data corresponding to the specifications recommended by the original equipment manufacturers for various models. More specifically, the repository 140 is configured to store pre-determined images corresponding to desired positions of the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119.
The processor 135 is adapted to cooperate with the opto-electronic sensing devices 120 and the repository 140. The processor 135 is configured to receive the digital signals corresponding to the captured images representing the actual position of the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 from the opto-electronic sensing devices 120. The processor 135 is further configured to generate target images representing actual position of the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 by using the digital signals received from the opto-electronic sensing devices 120, and to compare the target images with the pre-determined images to generate compared signals. Alignment information is then computed by the processor 135 based on the compared signals, and displayed on at least one display unit 150. In one embodiment, the processor 135 is an image processor.

In an embodiment, the control module 125 includes a second transceiver 130 that is configured to receive the digital signals from the opto-electronic sensing devices 120, and transmit the digital signals to the processor 135.
In another embodiment, the control module 125 includes an input device 145 that is adapted to be in communication with the processor 135 to obtain relevant user input.
In a working configuration, the vehicle 110 is positioned on the lifting mechanism 105. The Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 are mounted on each of the front wheels 115 and the rear wheels 116 of the vehicle 110 respectively. The light source, in the camera 120a of each of the opto-electronic sensing devices 120, illuminates the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119. The camera 120a captures the pattern of the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119 which, in turn, represents orientation of the front wheels 115 and the rear wheels 116. Further, the camera 120a provides alignment information of the front wheels 115 and rear wheels 116, in form of digital signals, based on the captured images, to the first transceiver 120b. The first transceiver 120b transmits these digital signals to the second transceiver 130 of the control module 125. The second transceiver 130 transmits the digital signals to the processor 135. In one embodiment, the first transceiver 120b is in wired communication with the second transceiver 130. In another embodiment, the first transceiver 120b is in wireless communication with the second transceiver 130. In an embodiment, the processor 135 receives the digital signals via the second transceiver 130, and generates target images corresponding to the digital signals. The processor 135 then calculates the distances of three directions x, y and z and three angles x, y and z from the obtained target images. In the processor 135, the values related to the above angles and distances are taken as an input for calculating the wheel alignment parameters using special algorithms. The processor 135 cooperates with the repository 140, and compares the target images with pre-stored images having desired position of the Front target plate 118 and the Rear target plate 119. After comparing the target images with pre-stored images, the processor 135 generates compared signals, and further computes alignment information based on the compared signals. The alignment information comprises calculated values of the wheel angles, and adjustment required for the wheel angles to match with the required desired specifications which may be recommended by the original equipment manufacturer of the vehicle 110.
In an embodiment, the processor 135 cooperates with the input device 145 to obtain relevant user input, wherein the input device 145 is configured to receive and provide the instructions from a user to the processor 135. In another embodiment, the input device 145 is in wired and/or wireless communication with the processor 135.
In yet another embodiment, the processor 135 transmits the alignment information to the at least one display unit 150. The at least one display unit with the processor 135, and displays the alignment information.
In one embodiment, the system 100 includes various algorithms/modules that are developed to calculate various wheel alignment angles and compensation values for “runout”, “thrust angle” and “setback”.
In another embodiment, the target images are compared/processed using various techniques, such as an ‘edge detection technique’, which measures wheel angles in three directions, i.e. vertical, horizontal, and perpendicular to the camera 120a. These three wheel angles are very important for calculating various wheel alignment angles prevailing in the vehicle 110.
As the system 100 comprises a single pair of opto-electronic sensing devices, space consumption and the overall cost of the system 100 is reduced.

TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a system and method for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle that:
• uses single pair of cameras to cover all the wheels;
• is cost effective;
• occupies less space;
• simplifies product configurations, reduces installation time and requirements by eliminating dedicated sensor mounting / holding structures;
• reduces weight of front target wheel mounting accessory by using miniature size target plates which can be handled conveniently;
• facilitates measurement of an initial condition of wheel alignment angles in the ground floor level and adjustment of angles at any convenient height as desired by user without any need to position the opto-electronic sensing device at required height during different phases of alignment sequence;
• acquires differential readings from ground level to correction level and effect suitable compensation, irrespective of differential movements during vehicle lifting;
• uses a specialized software to enable an opto-electronic sensing devices to capture the images of the targets and convert them into wheel alignment angles and transmit to a processor;
• has a processor that interprets the angles in relation to the camera dispositions and the vehicle location and give the wheel alignment parameters as output;
• modernizes placement of the opto-electronic sensing device with attachment provision that suits various kinds of alignment lifts; and
• avoids complex camera sensor mounting systems and hardware, and avoids mechanical structures to move the cameras up and down with the movement of the lift, thereby saving cost and labour work for installation.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:1. A system (100) for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle (110), said system (100) comprising:
- at least two pairs of target plates (118 or 119) mounted on the respective wheels (115 or 116) of said vehicle (110);
- at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices (120) configured to capture images of said at least one pair of target plates (118 or 119), and further configured to generate and transmit digital signals corresponding to said captured images; and
- a control module (125) adapted to cooperate with said at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices (120) to receive said digital signals corresponding to said captured images and compute alignment information based on said received digital signals.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control module (125) comprises:
- at least one repository (140) configured to store pre-determined images corresponding to a desired position of said at least one target plate (118); and
- a processor (135) adapted to cooperate with said at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices and said at least one repository (140), and configured to:
• receive said digital signals corresponding to said captured images representing actual position of said at least one target plate (118) from said at least one pair opto-electronic sensing devices (120),
• generate target images representing the actual position of said at least one target plate (118) using said digital signals,
• compare said target images with said pre-determined images stored in said repository (140) to generate compared signals,
• compute alignment information based on said compared signals, and
• display said alignment information on at least one display unit (150).
3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control module (125) includes a second transceiver (130) configured to receive said digital signals from said at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices (120), and transmit said digital signals to said processor (135).
4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control module (125) includes an input device (145) adapted to be in communication with said processor (135) to obtain relevant user input.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said opto-electronic sensing devices (120) comprises:
- a camera (120a) equipped with a light source and a lens having desired focal length and vision angle, and configured to capture images of said at least one pair of target plates (118 or 119), and provide digital signals corresponding to said captured images; and
- a first transceiver (120b) configured to facilitate transmission of said digital signals.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises a Front target plate (118) and a Rear target plate (119) such that said Front target plate (118) is mounted on each of the front wheels (115) of said vehicle (110), and said Rear target plate (119) is mounted on each of the rear wheels (116) of said vehicle (110).
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system includes a lifting mechanism (105) on which said at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices (120) is mounted

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said lifting mechanism (105) is an alignment lift configured to lift said vehicle (110).

9. A method for determining wheel alignment of a vehicle (110), said method comprising the following steps:

- mounting at least two pairs of target plates (118 and 119) on the respective wheels (115 and 116) of said vehicle (110);
- capturing images of said at least one pair of target plates (118 or 119) and generating digital signals corresponding to said captured images, by at least one pair of opto-electronic sensing devices (120);
- transmitting said digital signals to a control module (125);
- receiving, at said control module (125), said digital signals corresponding to said captured images;
- generating target images corresponding to said digital signals;
- comparing said target images with pre-determined images having desired positions of said at least one pair of target plates (118 or 119) to generate compared signals;
- computing alignment information based on said compared signals; and
- displaying said alignment information on at least one display unit (150).
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, which includes a step of mounting a Front target plate (118) on each of the front wheels (115) of said vehicle (110) and a Rear target plate (119) on each of the rear wheels (116) of said vehicle (110).