Engine installation using machine vision for alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302785-B2
Application number	US-94776707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2007
Priority date	Nov 29, 2007
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Installation of an engine to a support structure includes temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine. One of the alignment structures has a target pattern on its surface. The installation further includes using a machine vision system from the other of the mounting structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference. The relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of an engine mounting element (e.g., bolt hole) with respect to a corresponding mounting element (e.g., bolt hole) in the support structure. The relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference can be used to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, including engaging mounting holes of the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
using the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements.

2. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having an imaging surface and a target pattern on the imaging surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, including protecting the reference onto the imaging surface, and creating real-time images of the imaging surface, the images indicating the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
using the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the machine vision system uses pattern recognition of the imaging surface to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference.

4. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure;
using the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements; and
adjusting field of view of the machine vision system.

5. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, including computing real-time information about position and direction of the target pattern from the reference as the engine is being moved towards the support structure, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
using the real-time information to maneuver the engine, including displaying the real-time information to a human operator so the human operator can use a transporter/loader to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements.

6. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, including computing real-time information about position and direction of the target pattern from the reference as the engine is being moved towards the support structure, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
sending the information to a closed loop control for a transporter/loader, the transporter/loader maneuvering the engine in response to the information in order to align the mounting elements.

7. A method of installing an engine to a support structure, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment structures to the support structure and the engine, one of the alignment structures having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment structures to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
using the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements;
wherein the engine is an aircraft engine of a wide body aircraft, wherein the engine is maneuvered by a loader/transporter that can move, lift and maneuver the engine in multiple axes; and wherein one of an operator and a closed loop control of the transporter/loader uses the information to control the loader in order to maneuver the engine with respect to the support structure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mounting holes are shear pin holes, the method further comprising removing both alignment plates once shear pin engagement has begun.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the machine vision system stores a picture of the imaging surface at an alignment position, the picture providing the target pattern, and wherein the maneuvering includes performing pattern matching to find the target pattern picture in the images.

10. A method of installing an engine to a support structure including a pylon, the method comprising:
temporarily attaching first and second alignment plates to mounting holes on the pylon and the engine, one of the alignment plates having a target pattern on its surface;
using a machine vision system from the other of the alignment plates to indicate the relative position of the target pattern with respect to a reference, wherein the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference provides information about relative position of a mounting element of the engine with respect to a corresponding mounting element of the support structure; and
using the relative position of the target pattern with respect to the reference to maneuver the engine in order to align the mounting elements;
wherein the reference is at a known location on the pylon and the target pattern is at a known location with respect to the engine.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision system

Assignees

• Buckus Gary M
• Tanzini Michael John
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Buckus Gary M
• Tanzini Michael John

Classifications

• Y10T29/53974

  having means to permit support movement while work is thereon · CPC title

• B64F5/0009 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• F02C7/20 Primary

  Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep · CPC title