KR100380477B1 - Test Apparatus for Automobiles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a test apparatus of a vehicle for controlling the photographing position of the camera by analyzing the photographed image of the camera to detect the alignment error from the analyzed image in order to automatically align the camera and the instrument panel to accurately photograph the instrument panel A camera that photographs the instrument panel and provides image data; An image processor which analyzes the image data provided from the camera and measures an alignment error between the photographed instrument panel and the camera; And a camera position controller for controlling a photographing position of the camera based on the alignment error measured by the image processor.

Description

Test Apparatus for Automobiles

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a test apparatus for testing performance measurement of an automobile, and more particularly, to a test apparatus for an automobile in which various instrument panels of the automobile are photographed by a camera and the scale is read.

As a test apparatus for a vehicle known in the art, a camera capable of capturing an image is attached to photograph various instrument panels of an automobile, and the photographed scale is analyzed to read the scale of the image, and the various performances of the vehicle can be grasped from the read scale. There is a test device of the automobile that can. However, as shown in FIG. 1, since the camera 10 used in the conventional test apparatus is roughly aligned by the eye mass of the tester, the instrument panel 12 is inclined at a predetermined angle α from the vertical direction (z-axis). It was difficult to detect this even in the case of a loss, and the scale read out from the photographed image provided a value different from the actual value, so that the correct test could not be performed. This problem occurs equally even when tilted in the horizontal direction.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to analyze the photographed image of the camera and to detect the alignment error from the analyzed image in order to automatically align the instrument panel and the camera automatically photographing the instrument panel It is to provide a test device for a vehicle that controls the shooting position of the camera.

1 conceptually illustrates an example of misalignment of a test apparatus of a conventional automobile;

2 is a conceptual block diagram of a test apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention.

3 is a view conceptually showing one embodiment of an instrument panel measured by a test apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention;

4 conceptually illustrates the operation principle of a test apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention;

5 conceptually illustrates one embodiment of a camera position controller of the testing apparatus of the automobile of FIG. 4;

* Explanation of the symbols of the main parts of the drawings

100: camera 110: image processor

120: camera position controller

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a camera for photographing the instrument panel to provide image data; An image processor which analyzes the image data provided from the camera and measures an alignment error between the photographed instrument panel and the camera; And a camera position controller for controlling a photographing position of the camera based on the alignment error measured by the image processor.

Now, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the configuration and operation of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 2, a conceptual block diagram of a test apparatus for a motor vehicle according to the present invention is shown. The test apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention measures an alignment error between a camera 100 which photographs an instrument panel and provides image data, and analyzes the image data provided from the camera 100 and photographed the instrument panel and the camera 100. The image processor 110 and a camera position controller 120 for controlling the photographing position of the camera 100 based on the alignment error measured by the image processor 110.

The camera 100 may be a digital camera such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or an analog camera for general image capturing. In the case of using the digital camera as the camera 100, the image processor 110 may shorten the processing procedure and time required to obtain various data as described below from the captured image.

The image processor 110 may be configured as a conventional microprocessor or may be used by programming a personal computer. The image processor 110 analyzes an image of the instrument panel provided from the camera 100 to measure an alignment error between the instrument panel and the camera 100. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates one embodiment of an instrument panel to be photographed, wherein reference numerals 30, 32, and 34 denote central, upper and lower scales provided on the instrument panel, respectively. If the instrument panel and the camera are aligned exactly parallel in the vertical direction (z-axis direction in FIG. 1), in the captured image 50 conceptually shown on the right side of FIG. 3, the center scale 30 and the upper scale 32 The distance between the two will be the distance d equal to the distance between the central scale 30 and the lower scale 34. Regarding such reference scales as the center scale 30, the upper scale 32, and the lower scale 34, the user may input and set the image processor 110 in advance, or the image processor 110 may have the same shape. It can also be programmed to identify the scale of the.

However, as shown in FIG. 4, if the instrument panel is inclined by an angle α from the vertical direction, and the camera 100 is positioned to capture an image in the exactly horizontal direction, the imaging surface of the camera 100 is photographed. In the image 50 ', the distance d' between the center scale 30 and the lower scale 34 will be different from the distance b between the center scale 30 and the upper scale 32. The difference is called a.

The image processor 110 measures the distance between the scales from the photographed image. As an embodiment for measuring the distance between the respective graduations, assuming that the vertical distance per unit pixel of the imaging surface is Yp, each is given by the following equation. In other words,

d '= Yp × (number of pixels from center scale to bottom scale)

b = Yp × (number of pixels from center to top scale)

a = d '-b

Next, the inclination angle α is given by the following equation. In other words,

tan (α) = e / 2d '

Here, e is the distance from the imaging surface of the camera 100 to the virtual setting image, and can be obtained from the following equation using the distance c from the imaging surface to the focal point of the camera 100. That is, in Figure 4, c: b = e: a,

e = (c × a) / b

Therefore, the inclination angle α is

Is obtained.

The image processor 110 measures the inclination angle α in the vertical direction through the above-described process. If the instrument panel and the camera 100 are also inclined in the horizontal direction, the image processor 110 also measures the inclination angle in the horizontal direction. It can be measured through the same process as one.

Next, the camera position controller 120 controls the photographing position of the camera 100 based on the tilt angle in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction measured by the image processor 110. 5, a conceptual block diagram of one embodiment of the camera position controller 120 is shown. That is, the camera position controller 120 includes a height controller 124 for controlling the height in the vertical direction (z direction) of the camera 100, and a photographing hardness controller for controlling the left and right angles of the camera 100. 126, and the photographing latitude controller 128 for controlling the up and down angle of the camera 100 is preferably included. According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the height controller 124, the photographing longitude controller 126, and the photographing latitude controller 128 may be configured according to the tilt angle measured from the image processor 110. The photographing position of the camera 100 can be controlled by controlling the step motor (not shown) for height, longitude, and latitude adjustment provided in the. The step motor may change the photographing position of the camera 100 by rotating a gear coupled to a predetermined position of the camera 100.

According to the test apparatus of the vehicle of the present invention, when the instrument panel and the camera are not aligned in the vertical or horizontal direction, by measuring the tilt angle automatically to control the photographing position, the instrument panel can be photographed at the correct alignment position. Actual data representing various states of the vehicle can be read.

Claims (3)

A camera that photographs the instrument panel and provides image data; An image processor which analyzes the image data provided from the camera and measures an alignment error between the photographed instrument panel and the camera; And And a camera position controller for controlling the photographing position of the camera based on the alignment error measured by the image processor. The method of claim 1, And the image processor identifies at least three reference points from an image of the photographed instrument panel and measures an alignment error using the distance between each reference point and the focal length of the camera. The method of claim 2, The camera position controller, A height controller controlling a height in a vertical direction (z direction) of the camera; A photographing hardness controller configured to control the left and right directions of the camera; And And a photographing latitude controller configured to control an angle of the vertical direction of the camera.