Process and device for controlling a test track system for motor vehicles

• US 6,336,079 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Knestel, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/171,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 702/123, 702/183, 702/188, 702/184, 731/172, 731/173, 705/400, 705/1, 705/16, 705/24, 705/29, 705/20, 701/29, 701/99, 701/32, 701/35
• US Class Current: 702/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a test track system for motor vehicles having at least one test station and a device for carrying out this method (European system), which allows a high utilization of the capacity of the test track system. This can be accomplished, for example, by the fact that the system can automatically make an unambiguous identification of the vehicle and an unambiguous identification of the tester at each testing section. Thus all the information compiled by the test stations is automatically allocated to the current vehicle being tested. This makes it possible for the tester to move the vehicle from one test road to another, for example, without having to initialize the system again at the new test road. The system recognizes automatically that the vehicle is being tested further in the second test road, for example.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a test system for motor vehicles having at least one test road for conducting corresponding vehicle tests, where at least two test sections are provided, each having at least one test station and a workstation, the method comprising the following steps:

generating an unambiguous identification number which is assigned to a current vehicle testing procedure, and to which vehicle-specific information is assigned;

forming a test data record with the identification number as a license plate, where the test data record has a predetermined number of data fields;

loading the test data record onto the workstation of the test section where the vehicle to be tested is located;

performing a vehicle-specific test cycle of a test station and compiling measured data;

transferring the measured data to the workstation and selectively filling the data fields of the test data record with measured data;

storing the test data record; and

loading a new test data record onto the other workstation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the test cycle of a test station is controlled by a control module assigned to the respective test station.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of test stations are provided each test station having associated therewith a control module, and the respective control modules of the test stations are connected electrically, optically or electromagnetically to a control node by a field bus.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein each control node is formed by a field bus card which is electrically connected to the workstation.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each test station is assigned a predetermined number of data fields of the test data record.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a first and a second card reader are provided, with the first card reader being connected electrically to a workstation set up in an office area, and the identification number generated being stored on a card, and the second card reader being connected electrically to a workstation set up in a test section, and the identification number being read from the card, so that then the corresponding data record is loaded into the memory of this workstation.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a transponder system is provided, with the vehicle to be tested being assigned to a transponder element, and the transponder system allowing identification of the vehicle at the test station.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, and comprising the further steps of:

forming an administrative database containing the identification number, vehicle owner information, license plate information, a relational connection to a vehicle model database and a relational connection to the testing device database;

forming a system database containing the required limit values and customer-specific settings; and

forming a tester database containing the name of the tester in combination with a certain transponder element;

where

the testing device databases contain the test information on the respective testing devices which is accessed via the identification numbers.

9. A device for controlling a test system for motor vehicles with at least one test road, for conducting appropriate vehicle tests, said device comprising:

at least two test sections each having at least one workstation and at least one test station with a control module being assigned to each test station;

a field bus which connects at least one test station to the workstation; and

a control unit which carries out the following steps;

generating an unambiguous identification number which is assigned to a current vehicle testing procedure and to which vehicle-specific information is assigned;

forming a test data record with the identification number as license plate, with the test data record having a predetermined number of data fields;

loading the test data record onto the workstation of the system;

performing a vehicle-specific test cycle of a test station and compiling measured data;

transferring the measured data to the workstation and selectively filling the data fields of the test data record with the measured data;

storing the test data record; and

loading a new test data record to the other workstation.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of workstations are provided and are linked together by a local area network.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control unit is formed by a local area network server.

12. The device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein first and second card readers are provided, with the first card reader being electrically connected to a workstation set up in an office area, and the identification number generated being stored on a card, and the second card reader being electrically connected to a workstation set up in a testing section, and the identification number generated being read from the card, so that then the respective data record is loaded into the memory of this workstation.

13. The device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a transponder system is provided, where the vehicle to be tested is assigned to the transponder element, and the transponder system allows identification of the vehicle at the test station.