Method and apparatus for wireless information transfer in vehicle service systems

• US 20020193910A1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Voeller, David A., Strege, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,754,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/279
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods

Abstract

A vehicle service system wherein a computer is configured for active wireless communication over a wireless micro-network with any of a variety of similarly configured external components and devices brought into proximity with the computer, including, but not limited to, sensors, input and output devices, mobile computers, onboard vehicle computers, and other vehicle service equipment.

Claims

1. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a computing device, an associated display, and at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor in communication with the computing device for communicating wheel alignment data, said improvement comprising:

a first transceiver unit associated with said computing device, said first transceiver unit configured to establish a wireless communications link with at least one additional transceiver unit associated with a second device located in proximity to said first transceiver unit;

wherein said established wireless communications link comprises at least a portion of a wireless communications network.

2. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver unit is further configured to automatically identify the presence of said additional transceiver unit upon said additional transceiver unit positioned within proximity to said first transceiver unit.

3. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said computing device and said first transceiver unit are configured to utilize the Bluetooth wireless communications protocol;

and

said wireless communications network comprising a Bluetooth micro-network.

4. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said computing device and said first transceiver unit are configured to utilize the Wireless Fidelity wireless communications protocol;

and

said wireless communications network comprising a Wireless Fidelity micro-network.

5. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said computing device and said first transceiver unit are configured to utilize the HomeRF wireless communications protocol;

and

said wireless communications network comprising a HomeRF micro-network.

6. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 1 wherein said external device associated with said at least one additional transceiver unit is not a vehicle wheel alignment sensor.

7. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a computing device, an associated display, and at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor in communication with the computing device for communicating wheel alignment data, said improvement comprising:

a first transceiver unit associated with said computing device, said first transceiver unit configured to establish a wireless communications link with a wireless communications network; and

at least one additional transceiver unit associated with an external device located in proximity to said additional transceiver unit, said second transceiver unit configured to establish a second wireless communications link with said wireless communications network;

wherein said computing device and said external device are configured to utilize said first transceiver unit and said at least one additional transceiver unit to exchange information over said wireless communications network.

8. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having a computing device, an associated display, and at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor in communication with the computing device for communicating wheel alignment data, said improvement comprising:

a first transceiver unit associated with said computing device, said first transceiver configured to establish a link to a wireless communications micro-network;

a second transceiver unit associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, said second transceiver configured to establish a link to said wireless communications micro-network; and

wherein said vehicle wheel alignment sensor is in communication with said computing device via said wireless communications micro-network.

9. A improved vehicle service system having a computing device, an associated display, and at least one sensor in communication with the computing device for communicating vehicle data, said improvement comprising:

a first transceiver unit associated with said computing device, said first transceiver configured to establish a link to a wireless communications micro-network in proximity to said first transceiver unit; and

wherein said computing device is configured to receive data from said wireless communications micro-network.

10. The improved vehicle service system of claim 9 wherein said computing device is configured to receive data associated with at least one vehicle in proximity to said improved vehicle service system through said wireless communications micro-network.

11. The improved vehicle service system of claim 10 wherein said vehicle service system is a wheel alignment system.

12. The improved vehicle service system of claim 11 wherein said data associated with said at least one vehicle is representative of a current measurement of at least one of the following vehicle parameters:

braking pressure, wheel turning information, ride-height information, engine status, power steering status, tire pressure, wheel toe angle;

wheel camber angle;

wheel caster angle;

wheel SAI angle;

or steering wheel position.

13. The improved vehicle service system of claim 10 wherein said vehicle service system is a vehicle brake testing system.

14. The improved vehicle service system of claim 13 wherein said data associated with said at least one vehicle includes is representative of a current measurement of at least one of the following vehicle parameters:

wheel turning information;

anti-lock brake information;

accelerometer information;

wheel braking force;

vehicle wheel speed;

vehicle brake hydraulic pressure;

or vehicle brake pedal pressure.

15. The improved vehicle service system of claim 10 wherein said data associated with said at least one vehicle in proximity to said improved vehicle service system is stored in a memory onboard said at least one vehicle.

16. The improved vehicle service system of claim 15 wherein said data includes vehicle alignment specifications.

17. The improved vehicle service system of claim 15 wherein said data includes vehicle alignment measurements.

18. The improved vehicle service system of claim 9 wherein said computing device is configured to utilize said wireless communications micro-network to store data in an onboard memory of at least one vehicle in proximity to said improved vehicle service system.

19. The improved vehicle service system of claim 18 wherein said data includes current vehicle measurements.

20. A method for transferring information in a vehicle wheel alignment system in communication with a wireless micro-network, comprising:

identifying, on said wireless micro-network, an automotive vehicle in proximity to said vehicle wheel alignment system; and

transferring, on said wireless micro-network, information from said identified automotive vehicle to said vehicle wheel alignment system in response to one or more requests for information from said vehicle wheel alignment system.

21. The method of claim 20 for transferring information in a vehicle wheel alignment system further comprising the steps of:

performing, with said vehicle wheel alignment system, one or more service procedures on said identified automotive vehicle; and

transferring, on said wireless micro-network, information from said vehicle wheel alignment system to said identified automotive vehicle subsequent to a completion of said one or more service procedures on said identified automotive vehicle.

22. The method of claim 20 for transferring information in a vehicle wheel alignment system further comprising the step of:

providing said automotive vehicle with at least one transceiver configured for wireless communication with said wireless micro-network prior to identifying said automotive vehicle on said wireless micro-network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said at least one transceiver is established in communication with an electronic control module on said automotive vehicle.

24. A method for transferring information in a vehicle wheel alignment system in communication with a wireless micro-network, comprising:

identifying, on said wireless micro-network, an vehicle inspection device in proximity to said vehicle wheel alignment system; and

transferring, on said wireless micro-network, information from said identified vehicle inspection device to said vehicle wheel alignment system in response to one or more requests for information from said vehicle wheel alignment system.