Methods for measuring alignment in customized vehicles

• US 20050132587A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Stieff, Michael T., Larson, Timothy A., Bowen, Dennis D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/203.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/26 for testing wheel alignment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for guiding an operator in the alignment of the wheels of an automotive vehicle which has been either modified from a original manufacturer configuration, or for which no previously established alignment settings are known. Initially, the operator identifies known information about the vehicle and selects a desired characteristic of the vehicle for which the vehicle alignment is to be optimized. A set of initial alignment settings are presented to the operator, based upon the selected characteristic for the vehicle, and the vehicle alignment is adjusted thereto. One or more subsequent measurements of the vehicle are acquired. Alignment adjustments to further improve the selected characteristic, identified in response to the vehicle measurements are presented to the operator. The process of alignment adjustment, measurement, and presented adjustments is repeated until an optimal alignment setting for the selected characteristic is reached.

Claims

1. A method for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle to alter at least one vehicle characteristic, comprising:

selecting a desired characteristic of the vehicle for which the vehicle alignment is to be altered;

providing a set of guideline alignment settings based in-part upon said selected characteristic for the vehicle;

aligning the vehicle to said guideline alignment settings;

testing the vehicle in a predetermined manner associated with said selected characteristic;

subsequent to said test, acquiring data relevant to said selected characteristic; and

evaluating said data to determine if additional alignment adjustments would further improve said selected characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein responsive to said evaluation indicating additional alignment adjustments would alter said selected characteristic, replacing at least one guideline alignment setting in said guideline alignment settings with an altered value and repeating the step of aligning.

3. The method of claim 2 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle further including repeating the steps of testing, acquiring, and evaluating.

4. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said data includes at least one measurement of said vehicle related to said selected characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said data includes operator feedback.

6. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle further including the step of providing vehicle identifying information prior to selecting a desired characteristic;

and

wherein said set of guideline alignment settings are further based in-part on said provided vehicle identifying information.

7. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein the step of acquiring at least one measurement of the vehicle includes acquiring at least one tire tread surface temperature measurement.

8. The method of claim 7 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein the step of acquiring at least one measurement of the vehicle includes acquiring at least one set of tire tread surface temperature measurements from at least one vehicle tire.

9. The method of claim 8 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said at least one set of tire temperature measurements includes at least one measurement from an outer edge of a tire tread surface, at least one measurement from a middle region of said tire tread surface, and at least one measurement from an inner edge of said tire tread surface.

10. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle further including the steps of measuring a tire inflation level for each vehicle tire;

and

altering a tire inflation level to be within a predetermined range of acceptable tire inflation values for each vehicle tire having a measured tire inflation level outside of said predetermined range.

11. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein the step of acquiring at least one measurement of the vehicle includes acquiring at least one tire footprint pressure measurement.

12. The method of claim 11 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said at least one tire footprint pressure measurement is a static measurement.

13. The method of claim 11 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said at least one tire footprint pressure measurement is a dynamic measurement.

14. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein the step of acquiring at least one measurement of the vehicle includes acquiring at least one dynamic tire footprint pressure measurement for a vehicle tire associated with a predetermined change in a vehicle suspension angle associated with said vehicle tire.

15. The method of claim 14 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said predetermined change in a vehicle suspension angle is a camber change.

16. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein the step of acquiring at least one measurement of the vehicle includes acquiring at least one tire lateral force measurement.

17. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein each of said altered values in said guideline alignment settings is based on said at least one measurement, a corresponding guideline value from an immediately prior iteration, and a predetermined alignment alteration guideline.

18. The method of claim 1 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle further including the step of acquiring one or more preliminary measurements associated with said vehicle prior to providing said set of guideline alignment settings;

and

wherein said set of guideline alignment settings are further based in-part upon said one or more preliminary measurements.

19. The method of claim 18 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said one or more preliminary measurements include at least one bump steer measurement.

20. The method of claim 18 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle further including the step of adjusting one or more vehicle components responsive to said one or more preliminary measurements prior to the step of aligning the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said step of adjusting one or more vehicle components includes the step of leveling one or more vehicle steering system components.

22. The method of claim 18 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said one or more preliminary measurements include at least one tire wear measurement.

23. The method of claim 18 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said one or more preliminary measurements include at least one tire tread depth measurement.

24. The method of claim 18 for adjusting the alignment of a vehicle wherein said one or more preliminary measurements include at least one wheel lateral force measurement.

25. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having at least one sensor for acquiring vehicle wheel alignment data, a computer configured with a vehicle wheel alignment software program for calculating vehicle wheel alignment values for one or more vehicle wheels from the acquired vehicle wheel alignment data, and a display operatively coupled to the computer for displaying the calculated vehicle wheel alignment values, the improvement comprising:

the computer configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a first set of program instructions for receiving at least one selected characteristic of the vehicle from a technician;

the computer configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a second set of program instructions for generating at least one set of guideline alignment values for the vehicle based on said at least one selected characteristic; and

the computer configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a third set of program instructions for guiding a technician to alter the alignment of a vehicle utilizing said generated guideline alignment values.

26. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 25 wherein said at least one selected characteristic of the vehicle is maximization of tire life

27. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 25 wherein said at least one selected characteristic of the vehicle is optimization of vehicle handling.

28. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 25 further including at least one interface for receiving data related to said at least one selected characteristic of the vehicle.

29. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 28 wherein said at least one interface for receiving data is configured for manual input of data values by the technician.

30. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 28 wherein said at least one interface for receiving data is configured for automatic input of data values initiated by the technician.

31. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 28 wherein said at least one interface is configured for receiving one or more measurements selected from a set of measurements including tire tread temperature measurements, static tire footprint pressure measurements, dynamic tire footprint pressure measurements, and tire lateral force measurements.

32. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 28 wherein said computer is configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a fourth set of program instructions for acquiring data related to said at least one selected characteristic of the vehicle through said at least one interface.

33. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 32 wherein said computer is configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a fifth set of program instructions for optionally altering one or more guideline alignment values for a vehicle in response to at least said acquired data.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. A method for guiding adjustment of a vehicle steering system, comprising:

acquiring one or more bump steer measurements associated with the vehicle steering system;

guiding, responsive to said acquired one or more bump steer measurements, an operator to adjust one or more components of the vehicle steering system.

38. The method of claim 37 for guiding adjustment of a vehicle steering system further including the step of providing vehicle identifying information;

and wherein said guiding is further responsive to said provided vehicle identifying information.

39. The method of claim 37 for guiding adjustment of a vehicle steering system wherein said guiding step further includes the step of identifying at least one shim placement location associated with a component of the vehicle steering system.

40. The method of claim 37 for guiding adjustment of a vehicle steering system wherein said guiding step further includes the step of identifying a positional adjustment of a component of the vehicle steering system.

41. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

43. An improved vehicle wheel alignment system having at least one sensor for acquiring vehicle wheel alignment data, a computer configured with a vehicle wheel alignment software program for calculating vehicle wheel alignment values for one or more vehicle wheels from the acquired vehicle wheel alignment data, and a display operatively coupled to the computer for displaying the calculated vehicle wheel alignment values, the improvement comprising:

the computer configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a first set of program instructions configured for receiving one or more bump steer measurements associated with a vehicle;

the computer configured with said vehicle wheel alignment software program including a second set of program instructions configured for utilizing said received bump steer measurements to guide a technician to alter at least one steering component of said vehicle.

44. The improved vehicle wheel alignment system of claim 43 further including at least one interface for receiving data identifying a vehicle type;

and

wherein said second set of program instructions is further configured for utilizing received data identifying a vehicle type to guide a technician to alter at least one steering component of said vehicle.

45. A method for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, comprising:

acquiring a measurement of each of one or more vehicle wheel alignment angles of the vehicle;

acquiring data representative of one or more characteristics of the vehicle; and

utilizing said acquired measurements and said acquired data to generate one or more guideline alignment angle values.

46. The method of claim 45 for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, wherein said one or more guideline alignment angle values are each representative of a desired alignment angle.

47. The method of claim 45 for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, wherein said one or more alignment angle values are each representative of a desired change in an alignment angle.

48. The method of claim 45 for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, wherein said acquired data is representative of vehicle tire wear.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said acquired data is representative of vehicle tire wear locations.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein said acquired data is representative of vehicle tire tread depth.

51. The method of claim 45 for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, further including the steps of:

aligning the vehicle utilizing said guideline alignment angle values; and

testing the vehicle in a manner associated with said one or more characteristics of the vehicle.

52. The method of claim 51 further including the steps of:

subsequent to said testing operation, acquiring additional data relevant to said characteristics of the vehicle; and

evaluating said data to determine if additional alignment adjustments would further improve said selected characteristics.

53. The method of claim 45 for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system, further including the step of retrieving one or more manufacturer'"'"'s guideline alignment values for the vehicle;

and

wherein said retrieved one or more manufacturer'"'"'s guideline alignment values are utilized with said acquired measurements and said acquired data to generate said one or more guideline alignment angle values.