Wheel Alignment Check Using Trajectory Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chassis measurement methods require multiple sensors and cannot efficiently measure a vehicle's geometry while it is passing, especially when the vehicle is not traveling in a straight line, leading to measurement errors and the need for repeated passes.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using two sensors to capture images of a vehicle's wheels on both the front and rear axles, evaluating these images to determine if the vehicle is traveling straight, and compensating for curved trajectories to accurately determine the geometric driving axis and wheel alignment without requiring the vehicle to re-pass in a straight line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to monitor all wheels simultaneously, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement process is segmented into two phases: first capturing images of front wheels, then capturing images of rear wheels as the vehicle passes. This temporal segmentation allows two sensors to collect data for all four wheels without requiring simultaneous multi-sensor coverage, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image capture of the front wheels before the vehicle completes its passage. This preliminary action allows the evaluation device to begin processing front wheel data while simultaneously capturing rear wheel images, optimizing the use of limited sensors and reducing the need for additional measurement equipment.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle is required to travel in a straight line, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to repeated passes
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the evaluation parameters dynamically based on detected vehicle trajectory. When curved movement is detected, the evaluation device applies trajectory compensation algorithms to correct the measured wheel positions and calculate the accurate driving axis, allowing precise measurements without requiring straight-line travel and thus maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation device continuously monitors vehicle trajectory during the passage and provides feedback to adjust the measurement evaluation process. This feedback mechanism enables real-time compensation for curved paths, ensuring measurement precision is maintained regardless of vehicle movement pattern, thereby eliminating the need for repeated passes.
3Device complexity
If two sensors are used instead of four, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates when vehicle trajectory is curved
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation device acts as an intermediary that processes and compensates for trajectory deviations. By introducing this computational intermediary, the system can use fewer physical sensors while maintaining measurement precision through mathematical correction of the captured image data based on detected vehicle path curvature.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a computational model (copy) of the vehicle's actual trajectory from the captured images and uses this model to correct measurement errors. This virtual copy of the trajectory allows the evaluation device to compensate for curved paths and determine accurate driving axis angles despite using only two sensors.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for carrying out a wheel alignment check, comprising at least two recording devices (4a, 4b) designed to each record at least two images of the front wheels (8a, 8b) and the rear wheels (12a, 12b) of a passing vehicle (6); and an evaluation device (16) designed to evaluate the images recorded by the recording devices (4a, 4b), in order to determine whether the vehicle (6) is travelling in a straight line. The recording devices (4a, 4b) are arranged in such a way that a vehicle (6) to be measured can travel through the at least two recording devices (4a, 4b). The evaluation device (16) is designed to determine the geometrical driving axis (F) of the vehicle (6) and/or the individual tracks of the wheels (8a, 8b, 12a, 12b) on the front axle (10) and/or on the rear axle (14) of the vehicle (6), when the evaluation of the images recorded by the recording devices (4a, 4b) shows that the vehicle (6) is travelling in a straight line.