Vehicle imaging apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US11303822B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Vehicle imaging apparatus",
  "abstract": "A vehicle imaging station comprising one or more cameras each camera having an adjustable shutter speed and a field of view, the fields of view of the one or more cameras covering an vehicle imaging volume, a control unit arranged to control the shutter speed of the cameras, a vehicle speed detection device arranged to measure the speed of a vehicle moving through the vehicle imaging volume and to output detected vehicle speed data to the control unit. The control unit is arranged to automatically adjust the shutter speed of the cameras based on the detected vehicle speed data and to cause the cameras to capture one or more images with the adjusted shutter speed.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A vehicle imaging station comprising a camera array for imaging a vehicle as it passes through a vehicle imaging volume, the vehicle imagining station comprising: one or more support structures; first and second cameras attached to the one or more support structures and located on a first side of the vehicle imaging volume, wherein the first camera is located at a first height and is angled to capture one or more images of a front of a vehicle as it enters the vehicle imaging volume, and wherein the second camera is located at a second height, greater than the first height and is angled to capture one or more images of a rear of a vehicle as it exits the vehicle imaging volume; and third and fourth cameras attached to the one or more support structures and located on a second side of the vehicle imaging volume, opposite to the first side, wherein the third camera is located at the first height and is angled to capture one or more images of the front of a vehicle as it enters the vehicle imaging volume and the fourth camera is located at the second height and is angled to capture one or more images of a rear of a vehicle as it exits the vehicle imaging volume.",
    "2. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth camera located above the vehicle imaging volume, such that it is arranged to capture one or more images of a top side of a vehicle passing through the vehicle imaging volume.",
    "3. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle imaging station includes a vehicle length and/or height detection device and the control unit can cause the cameras to adjust the number of images captured based on a detected length and/or height of the vehicle.",
    "4. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, wherein the one or more cameras are mounted on one or more support posts.",
    "5. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, further comprising a booth within which the one or more image capture devices are provided and which has an entrance and an exit for a vehicle.",
    "6. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the walls of the booth may include a light absorption coating or an antireflection coating.",
    "7. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 5, wherein the booth comprises automatic doors at each end, arranged to open to enable the vehicle to pass in to the booth, to close automatically once the vehicle has entered the booth and to open again to enable the vehicle to exit the booth.",
    "8. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, further comprising a unique identifier capture system for capturing and processing one or more images of unique identifiers associated with vehicle being imaged by the apparatus.",
    "9. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, wherein the first height is between 0.6 m and 1 m.",
    "10. A vehicle imaging station according to claim 1, wherein the second height is between 1 m and 1.5 m."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Great Britain Application No. 1707968.2 filed on May 18, 2017, and under 35 U.S.C. § 365 to International Application No. PCT/GB2018/051301 filed on May 14, 2018. The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.\n\nThis invention relates to the imaging of vehicles.\n\nOver time vehicles may suffer external damage, such as scratches and dents, or structural damage. Current methods of assessment of this damage involve manual inspection and recording of the location and nature of visible surface damage. Manual damage inspection is a time consuming process which is susceptible to human error.\n\nAccording to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle imaging station comprising:\n\nThus the invention enables a fast but accurate way of imaging a vehicle, for example for recording the nature and location of visible damage to vehicles. This system enables capture of images for damage assessment of vehicles while the vehicle is on the move, which increases the speed of the process as well as making the system easier to use for a driver of the vehicle to be assessed because there is no need to stop the vehicle during imaging. Adjusting the shutter speed of the cameras automatically based on the detected speed of the vehicle ensures that the quality of the images that are obtained is optimised.\n\nThe apparatus may further comprises a light monitoring device including one or more light meters positioned around the vehicle imaging volume.",
  "cpc": [
    "G03B 15/00",
    "G01B 11/30",
    "G01N 2021/8809",
    "G01N 21/8806",
    "G03B 7/00",
    "G06T 2207/30248",
    "G06T 7/0002",
    "H04N 23/54",
    "H04N 23/60",
    "H04N 23/61",
    "H04N 23/90",
    "H04N 5/222",
    "H04N 5/2253",
    "H04N 5/23218",
    "H04N 5/247",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G03B 15/00",
    "G06T 7/00",
    "H04N 23/90",
    "G06K 9/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Degould Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Daniel George Gould"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-05-14",
  "publication_date": "2022-04-12",
  "grant_date": "2022-04-12",
  "priority_date": "2017-05-18",
  "application_number": "US-201816613880-A",
  "family_id": "59220702",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "JPH01218273A",
    "JPH01218272A",
    "JPH02214830A",
    "JPH04185579A",
    "GB2253761A",
    "EP1035510A2",
    "CA2326087A1",
    "CA2429236A1",
    "US20110050929A1",
    "US20110109748A1",
    "GB2500716A",
    "US20150097924A1",
    "TW201603557A",
    "CN105323572A",
    "KR20160040039A",
    "US20160100087A1",
    "KR101625538B1"
  ]
}