Vehicle headlight measurement system instrumentation structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989625-B2
Application number	US-201916683345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle (9) headlight measurement system instrumentation structure (1) comprises: a support structure (3); a vehicle calibration assistance structure (4), which is carried by the support structure (3) and includes a headlight aiming device (40), configured to facilitate alignment or calibration of a headlight (90) of the vehicle (9), the vehicle (9) being positioned within a service area (8); a processing system (11) configured to receive, from the headlight aiming device (40), data correlated with a light beam emitted by the headlight (90) and to provide, through an interface (10), an informative indication relating to an operating condition of the headlight (90), where the processing system (11) includes a communication port (12) connectable to an electronic control unit (91) of the vehicle (9).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A headlight measurement system instrumentation structure for a vehicle, comprising:
a support structure;
a vehicle calibration assistance structure, which is mounted on the support structure and includes a headlight aiming device, configured to facilitate alignment or calibration of a headlight of the vehicle, the vehicle being positioned within a service area;
a processing system configured to receive, from the headlight aiming device, data correlated with a light beam emitted by the headlight and to provide, through an interface, an informative indication relating to an operating condition of the headlight;
a communication port which is connectable to an electronic control unit of the vehicle,

wherein the processing system is further configured to:
retrieve, from the electronic control unit of the vehicle, input data including information relating to faults or informative indications regarding the state of the vehicle;
process the input data and generate drive signals;
send the drive signals to the electronic control unit of the vehicle to control the headlight of the vehicle through the electronic control unit of the vehicle,

wherein the headlight measurement system instrumentation structure further comprises:
a positioning target element, having a surface provided with a predetermined graphical feature, the positioning target element being supported by the support structure and oriented in a forward direction towards the service area;
a positioning device, configured for aiding a relative positioning between the vehicle, positioned in the service area, and the vehicle calibration assistance structure;

wherein the processing system is operatively coupled to the positioning device to receive data therefrom.

2. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the drive signals include a command to switch on the headlight or a part of the headlight, thereby instructing the electronic control unit to switch on the headlight or the part of the headlight.

3. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 2 , wherein the drive signals include a command to make the headlight or part of it perform a reference movement by instructing the electronic control unit to vary the orientation of the headlight according to a predetermined path in order to check a correct operation of the headlight or the part of the headlight.

4. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the faults includes a plurality of fault codes and wherein the processing system includes a matching logic for associating each fault code of the plurality of fault codes with a corresponding fault item.

5. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to generate a report document containing at least the input data and to send the report document to a printer or to an external network.

6. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the communication port includes a wireless device connectable to the control unit of the vehicle.

7. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the communication port includes a vehicle communication interface, VCI, which is connectable to the control unit of the vehicle.

8. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit of the vehicle includes a memory unit connected to the processing system to store the information relating to the faults or informative indications regarding the state of the vehicle, and wherein the drive signals include one or more delete commands to delete from the memory unit one or more of the information items relating to the faults or informative indications regarding the state of the vehicle.

9. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions to process the data received from the positioning device to determine measurements including at least a spatial relationship between the vehicle calibration assistance structure and the vehicle, wherein the positioning device is spaced from the support structure and includes an optical device, oriented in a lateral direction to view graphical features of the vehicle, and a matching camera, oriented in a backward direction to view the positioning target element.

10. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 9 , wherein the optical device includes a first camera and a second camera, arranged in stereo configuration, the processing system being configured to derive a 3D representation of a vehicle portion viewed by the first camera and the second camera.

11. The headlight measurement system instrumentation structure of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle calibration assistance structure, which is mounted on the support structure, includes a safety calibration device, configured to facilitate alignment or calibration of a safety system component of the vehicle.

12. A method for checking a headlight of a vehicle, comprising the following steps:
capturing data correlated with a light beam emitted by the headlight of the vehicle positioned in a service area, this step being performed by a headlight aiming device;
processing the data correlated with the light beam emitted by the headlight of the vehicle, the step of processing being performed in a processing system;
sending to an interface an informative indication relating to an operating condition of the headlight;
connecting the processing system to an electronic control unit of the vehicle through a communication port;
receiving at the processing system input data retrieved by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, the input data including information relating to faults or informative indications regarding the state of the vehicle;
in the processing system, processing the input data and generating drive signals;
sending the drive signals to the electronic control unit of the vehicle to control the headlight of the vehicle through the electronic control unit of the vehicle,
positioning between the vehicle, located in the service area, and the vehicle calibration assistance structure by means of a positioning device and a positioning target element, including a surface provided with a predetermined graphical feature, the positioning target element being supported by the support structure and oriented in a forward direction towards the service area.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the drive signals include a command to switch on the headlight or a part of it, thereby instructing the electronic control unit to switch on the headlight or the part of it.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising a step of generating a report document containing at least the input data and a step of sending the report document to a printer or to an external network.

15. A headlight measurement system instrumentation structure for a vehicle, comprising:
a support structure;
a vehicle calibration assistance structure, which is mounted on the support structure and includes a headlight aiming device, configured to facilitate alignment or calibration of a headlight of the vehicle, the vehicle being positioned within a service area;
a processing system configured to receive, from the headlight aiming device, data correlated with a light beam emitted by the headlight and to provide, through an interface, an informative indication relating to an operating condition of t

Assignees

• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• G01M11/064 Primary

  by using camera or other imaging system for the light analysis · CPC title

• G01M11/067

  Details of the vehicle positioning system, e.g. by using a laser · CPC title

• G01M11/06 Primary

  Testing the alignment of vehicle headlight devices · CPC title

• G01M11/061

  Details of the mechanical construction of the light measuring system (G01M11/064 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S7/4004

  of parts of a radar system · CPC title