HIGH VOLUME VEHICLE INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20170120700A1
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEQ Corporation (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ATEQ Corporation (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mouchet, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 10,675,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

An inspection system for use in measuring several vehicle conditions in a high volume vehicle inspection line. A plurality of sensors are installed on a vehicle for measuring a plurality of vehicle conditions to assist in the rapid evaluation of critical vehicle conditions or parameters. At least one tool is positioned along a vehicle path in a monitoring station. As the vehicle passes through the monitoring station, the tool received electronic data from the plurality of sensors and displays one or more signals to alert an inspector of acceptable or unacceptable vehicle conditions. In one example, the plurality of sensors includes tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) data from the vehicle tires to rapidly assess the condition of the tire air pressure and other monitored tire conditions.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting vehicle conditions of a high volume quantity of transportation vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a tool along a path of travel through a vehicle monitoring station;

sequentially moving the transportation vehicles through the vehicle monitoring station;

receiving by the tool a sensor first measurement of a vehicle condition from a measurement sensor positioned on each transportation vehicle as the respective transportation vehicle travels through the vehicle monitoring station at a first time;

comparing the received sensor first measurement of the vehicle condition to a predetermined vehicle condition value stored in an electronic data memory storage device; and

signaling a user of a predetermined signal based on the comparison of the sensor first measurement and the predetermined vehicle condition value stored in the electronic data memory storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement sensor is a tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) sensor, the method further comprising the steps of:

activating the TPMS sensor to transmit measurement data;

receiving the sensor first measurement as a tire air pressure from the TPMS sensor at the first time; and

storing in the electronic data memory storage device the TPMS sensor first measurement tire air pressure.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

identifying a specific vehicle in the vehicle monitoring station through imaging of vehicle identification indicia positioned on the specific vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of identifying the specific vehicle further comprises at least one of the steps of:

reading the vehicle identification number (VIN);

reading the vehicle license plate indicia;

or

reading a tag positioned on the vehicle including specific vehicle identification indicia.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle condition further comprises tire tread condition of a plurality of tires mounted to the transportation vehicle, the method further comprises:

positioning a first tire tread sensor along a first side of the path of travel and a second tire tread sensor along a second side of the path of travel opposite the first side;

measuring through the tire tread sensor a tire tread condition of each of the plurality of transportation vehicle tires; and

transmitting the measured tire tread condition to the tool for display to the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle condition comprises a fluid condition in the transportation vehicle and the measurement sensor is a fluid condition sensor, the method further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the tool a fluid condition sensor first measurement from the fluid condition sensor at the first time;

storing in the electronic data memory storage device the fluid condition sensor first measurement; and

displaying the fluid condition sensor first measurement for the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the sensor first measurement in the electronic data memory storage device;

receiving by the tool a second sensor measurement of the vehicle condition from the measurement sensor as the respective transportation vehicle travels through the vehicle monitoring station at a second time subsequent to the first time;

recalling the sensor first measurement from the electronic data memory storage device;

comparing the sensor first measurement to the sensor second measurement; and

signaling the user a predetermined signal based on the comparison of the sensor first measurement and the sensor second measurement.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of positioning the tool along the path of travel further comprises:

positioning a first tool on a first side of the path of travel in the vehicle monitoring station;

positioning a second tool on a second side of the path of travel opposite the first side, each of the first and the second tool are physically unconnected and independent of the measurement sensor positioned on each transportation vehicle and configured to receive the sensor first measurement from a respective measurement sensor positioned within a receiving range of the respective first or second tool.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the tool a second sensor measurement as a tire air pressure from the TPMS sensor as the respective transportation vehicle travels through the vehicle monitoring station at a second time subsequent to the first time;

recalling the TPMS sensor first measurement tire air pressure from the electronic data memory storage device;

comparing the TPMS sensor first measurement tire air pressure to the TPMS sensor second measurement tire air pressure; and

signaling the user a predetermined signal based on the comparison of the TPMS sensor first measurement tire air pressure and the TPMS sensor second measurement tire air pressure.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the TPMS sensor first measurement further comprises receiving a TPMS sensor specific identification;

storing the TPMS sensor first measurement TPMS sensor specific identification in the electronic data memory storage device; and

comparing the received TPMS sensor first measurement TPMS sensor specific identification to the vehicle condition value comprising a TPMS sensor specific identification for the transportation vehicle prior to moving of the transportation vehicle through the vehicle monitoring station at the first time.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the tool a TPMS sensor second measurement as a TPMS sensor specific identification as the respective transportation vehicle travels through the vehicle monitoring station at a second time subsequent to the first time;

recalling the TPMS sensor first measurement TPMS sensor specific identification from the electronic data memory storage device;

comparing the TPMS sensor first measurement TPMS sensor specific identification to the TPMS sensor second measurement TPMS sensor specific identification; and

signaling the user a predetermined signal based on the comparison of the TPMS sensor first measurement TPMS sensor specific identification and the TPMS sensor second measurement TPMS sensor specific identification.

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

14. A method of inspecting vehicle conditions of a high volume quantity of transportation devices, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a tool along a path of travel through an inspection station for a high volume quantity of transportation devices;

sequentially moving the transportation devices through the inspection station;

receiving by the tool a tire air pressure sensor first measurement from a tire air pressure sensor positioned in fluid communication with a pneumatic tire on each transportation device as the respective transportation device travels through the vehicle inspection station at a first time;

receiving by the tool a tire air pressure sensor second measurement from the tire air pressure measurement sensor as the respective transportation device travels through the vehicle inspection station at a second time subsequent to the first time;

comparing the received tire air pressure sensor first measurement or the tire air pressure sensor second measurement to a predetermined tire air pressure value stored in an electronic data memory storage device; and

signaling a user of the comparison of the tire air pressure sensor first measurement or the tire air pressure sensor second measurement to the predetermined tire air pressure value stored in the electronic data memory storage device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the transportation device is a passenger vehicle, the tire air pressure sensor is a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor and the tool is a portable TPMS tool, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing the tire air pressure sensor first measurement in an electronic data storage device physically unconnected from the TPMS tool and remote from the TPMS tool;

comparing the TPMS tire air pressure sensor first tire air pressure measurement to the TPMS tire air pressure sensor second tire air pressure measurement; and

signaling a user of the comparison of the TPMS tire air pressure sensor first tire air pressure measurement to the TPMS tire air pressure sensor second measurement.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of positioning a tool along the path of travel further comprises:

positioning a first tool along a first side of the path of travel; and

positioning a second tool along a second side of the path of travel opposite the first side of the path of travel.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

storing in the electronic data storage device transportation device indicia specific to each respective transportation devices for positively identifying each transportation device passing through the inspection station;

receiving a transportation device indicia specific to the transportation device positioned on the transportation device as the transportation device travels along the path of travel; and

comparing the received transportation device indicia to the stored transportation device indicia.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

accessing in the electronic data memory storage device a plurality of previously stored data specific to the transportation device indicia.