Method and apparatus for compensating vehicle inspection system measurements for effects of vehicle motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697766-B1
Application number	US-201715646329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle inspection system configured with a processing system and at least one displacement sensor disposed on opposite sides of a vehicle inspection lane sensor region to acquire displacement measurement data associated with a moving vehicle passing through the vehicle inspection lane. The processing system is configured to receive acquired displacement measurement data to determine characteristics of the moving vehicle, such as vehicle velocity, dynamic axle alignment, dynamic wheel alignment, or dimensions. The processing system is further configured to evaluate the determined dynamic vehicle characteristics in relation to static vehicle characteristics, such as static axle alignment or static wheel alignment, through application of one or more compensation factors based on user selected parameters, default parameters, or identified vehicle features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle inspection system, comprising:
a first displacement sensor assembly disposed on one longitudinal side of a vehicle inspection lane through which a vehicle undergoing inspection moves in a longitudinal direction, said first displacement sensor assembly oriented to acquire displacement measurements associated with at least one wheel assembly on a first lateral side of the moving vehicle;
a second displacement sensor assembly disposed on an opposite longitudinal side of said vehicle inspection lane, said second displacement sensor assembly oriented to acquire displacement measurements associated with at least one wheel assembly on a second lateral side of the moving vehicle;
a processing system configured to receive displacement measurement data from said first and second displacement sensor assemblies, said processing system further configured with software instructions to
a) evaluate said received displacement measurement data to determine a value for at least one dynamic vehicle characteristic, wherein said dynamic vehicle characteristic is affected by at least one of (i) the vehicle's speed, and (ii) a presence of a driver within said vehicle;
b) apply at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula to said determined value of said at least one dynamic vehicle characteristic to adjust said determined value for an effect of said vehicle's speed and/or a driver presence within said vehicle; and
c) compare said at least one adjusted value with a specification value for said characteristic on a static vehicle at rest to produce an output to a user, report, or data storage system.

2. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 wherein said at least one determined value is representative of one of a wheel toe angle, a wheel camber angle, or an axle total toe for said moving vehicle; and
wherein said specification value is an associated wheel toe angle specification, an associated wheel camber angle specification, or an associated axle total toe specification.

3. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 wherein said processing system is configured with software instructions to apply a first compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula to a first determined value which is associated with a first axle of the moving vehicle; and
wherein said processing system is configured with software instructions to apply a second compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula to a second determined value which is associated with a second axle of the moving vehicle.

4. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 wherein said at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula is selected in response to a style of said vehicle, wherein said vehicle style is a compact vehicle, a sports vehicle, a luxury vehicle, a light truck, or a sport utility vehicle.

5. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 further including at least one imaging sensor configured to acquire at least one image of an identifying feature on said moving vehicle;
wherein said processing system is further configured with software instructions to evaluate said at least one acquired image of said identifying feature to extract vehicle identifying data; and
wherein said processing system is further configured with software instructions to utilize said extracted vehicle identifying data to select said at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula.

6. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 wherein said at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula is further selected to compensate said at least one determined value for an effect associated with at least one tire and/or wheel installed on said moving vehicle.

7. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 further including a drive-over tire pressure measurement system configured to acquire at least one measure of inflation pressure for a wheel assembly of the moving vehicle; and
wherein said at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula is selected to compensate said at least one determined value for a dynamic vehicle effect which is further associated with said measured wheel assembly inflation pressure.

8. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1 wherein said at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula is further selected to compensate said at least one determined value for an identified ride-height of said moving vehicle.

9. A vehicle inspection method, comprising:
moving a vehicle through a vehicle inspection lane once;
acquiring, during said movement through said inspection lane, a plurality of displacement measurements to surfaces on a first side of said vehicle from a first displacement sensor assembly disposed on one longitudinal side of a vehicle inspection lane and to surfaces on an opposite side of said vehicle from a second displacement sensor assembly disposed on an opposite longitudinal side of said vehicle inspection lane, said plurality of displacement measurements including displacement measurements acquired from surfaces of rolling wheel assemblies on each side of said vehicle;
evaluating said acquired displacement measurements to determine a value representative of at least one vehicle characteristic;
compensating said at least one determined value to adjust for a change in said vehicle characteristic associated with said movement of said vehicle; and
comparing each compensated value with a specification value for said characteristic of a stationary vehicle for output to a user, report, or data storage system.

10. The vehicle inspection system of claim 9 wherein said at least one determined value is representative of one of a wheel toe angle, a wheel camber angle, or an axle total toe for said moving vehicle; and
wherein said stationary vehicle specification value is an associated wheel toe angle specification, an associated wheel camber angle specification, or an associated axle total toe specification, for said vehicle at rest.

11. The vehicle inspection method of claim 9 wherein said step of compensating further includes compensating a first determined value associated with a first axle of the moving vehicle to adjust for said change associated with said vehicle movement; and
compensating a second determined value which is associated with a second axle of the moving vehicle to adjust for said change associated with said vehicle movement.

12. The vehicle inspection method of claim 9 further including the step of selecting at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula for use in compensating said at least one determined value based on a style of said vehicle, said style selected from a set of vehicle styles including a compact vehicle, a sports vehicle, a luxury vehicle, a light truck, and a sport utility vehicle.

13. The vehicle inspection method of claim 9 further including the steps of
acquiring at least one image of an identifying feature on said moving vehicle;
evaluating said at least one acquired image of said identifying feature to extract vehicle identifying data; and
selecting, based on said extracted vehicle identifying data, at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula for use in said compensating step.

14. The vehicle inspection method of claim 9 further including the step of selecting at least one compensation factor, offset, correction value, or formula for use in said compensating step to compensate said at least one determined value based on a dimension of at least one tire and/or wheel installed on said moving vehicle.

Assignees

• Hunter Eng Co

Inventors

• Dorrance Daniel R
• Bernard Bruce E
• Hall Aaron C
• Colarelli Iii Nicholas J
• Strege Timothy A

Classifications

• G01M17/06

  Steering behaviour; Rolling behaviour · CPC title

• G01M17/04

  Suspension or damping · CPC title

• G01B2210/20

  Vehicle in a state of translatory motion · CPC title

• G01B21/045

  Correction of measurements (G01B9/02055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B11/2755 Primary

  using photoelectric detection means · CPC title