Test vehicle tracking system
First Claim
1. A vehicle test system for recording vehicle data from vehicles traversing a test track, comprising:
- a plurality of locator beacons juxtaposed with the test track for transmitting location signals, each beacon including a transmitter and a microprocessor controlling the transmitter;
a plurality of at least partially buried well casings, each well casing for holding a respective beacon, each well casing having an open top end;
a plurality of caps, each cap being removably engaged with a respective well casing to cover the respective top end thereof;
at least one receiver disposable in a test vehicle on the test track for receiving the location signals as the receiver passes by the beacons;
a computer in communication with the receiver for receiving position signals therefrom; and
a flight recorder for recording vehicle parameters, the flight recorder being in communication with the computer for receiving position signals therefrom and correlating the position signals with the vehicle parameters over time, the computer being programmed to output position signals to the flight recorder in accordance with the communication protocol of the flight recorder.
21 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for recording vehicle data from vehicles traversing a test track includes a plurality of locator beacons buried in respective well casings around the test track for transmitting location signals. Each beacon includes a transmitter and a microprocessor that controls the transmitter. Receivers are disposed in the test vehicles for receiving the location signals as the vehicles pass by the beacons, and a respective computer receives the position signals from each receiver and formats the signals as appropriate for the vehicle'"'"'s onboard flight recorder. Then, after checking for signal fidelity the computer sends each signal to the flight recorder, which time stamps the position signals along with other data collected from the vehicle. In this way, data can be correlated to particular segments of the test track.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle test system for recording vehicle data from vehicles traversing a test track, comprising:
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a plurality of locator beacons juxtaposed with the test track for transmitting location signals, each beacon including a transmitter and a microprocessor controlling the transmitter; a plurality of at least partially buried well casings, each well casing for holding a respective beacon, each well casing having an open top end; a plurality of caps, each cap being removably engaged with a respective well casing to cover the respective top end thereof; at least one receiver disposable in a test vehicle on the test track for receiving the location signals as the receiver passes by the beacons; a computer in communication with the receiver for receiving position signals therefrom; and a flight recorder for recording vehicle parameters, the flight recorder being in communication with the computer for receiving position signals therefrom and correlating the position signals with the vehicle parameters over time, the computer being programmed to output position signals to the flight recorder in accordance with the communication protocol of the flight recorder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a vehicle test system, a plurality of position beacon assemblies disposed along a predetermined route for generating respective position signals, each position signal being representative of the beacon assembly that transmitted it, each position beacon assembly comprising:
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a transmitter; a well casing being at least partially buried, the well casing being formed with an open top end for receiving the transmitter therethrough; and a closure selectively engageable with the well casing for covering the top end. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16)
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15. A computer program device medium comprising:
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a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing system; and a means on the program storage device and embodying logic means recognizable by the digital processing system for performing method steps for generating position signals representative of a beacon and the temperature thereof, comprising; logic means for determining whether the temperature is outside of a temperature range; logic means for updating the temperature range when the temperature is outside the range; and logic means for generating a position signal representative of the temperature, the temperature range, and the logical address of the beacon. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A computer program device medium comprising:
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a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing system; and a means on the program storage device and embodying logic means recognizable by the digital processing system for performing method steps for sending, to a vehicle flight recorder, received position signals including plural transmitter beacon address bytes and at least one transmitted check sum, comprising; logic means for determining when a complete position signal is received; logic means for determining a received check sum based on the position signal; logic means for determining whether the value of any beacon address byte is different from the value of any other beacon address byte in the position signal; and logic means for sending the position signal to the flight recorder only when the received check sum equals the transmitted check sum and when no beacon address byte value is different from any other beacon address byte value. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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19. In a vehicle test system, a plurality of vehicle receiving systems positionable in respective vehicles for receiving, as each vehicle traverses a test track, position signals from stationary beacons juxtaposed with the test track, each receiving system comprising:
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a receiver for receiving the position signals, a flight recorder for recording vehicle data over time as the vehicle traverses the test track; a computer for receiving position signals from the receiver, the computer generating an output signal representative of the position signals, the computer formatting the output signal in accordance with the communication protocol of the flight receiver, the computer including logic means for determining when a complete position signal is received; logic means for determining a received check sum based on the position signal; logic means for determining whether the value of any beacon address byte is different from the value of any other beacon address byte in the position signal; and logic means for sending the position signal to the flight recorder only when the received check sum equals the transmitted check sum and when no beacon address byte value is different from any other beacon address byte value.
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Specification