Method and apparatus for networked wheel alignment communications and service

• US 6,370,455 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Colarelli, Nicholas J., Brandt, Richard L., Strege, Timothy A., Larson, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US09/655,777
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/33, 701/34, 731/172, 731/773, 731/21
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A wheel alignment system including at least one sensing device for acquiring automotive data, interface circuitry in communication with the sensing device for generating data representative of automotive data acquired by the sensing device, and a host computer in communication with the interface circuitry for performing a sequence of operations on the data generated by the interface circuitry. The host computer provides integrated Internet access to allow for transmission to the vehicle wheel alignment system, from a remote server, via the Internet, updated information and software applications and components necessary to accurately diagnose a vehicle, and the return of diagnostic, statistical, and log information associated with the vehicle wheel alignment system. The host computer provides integrated Internet access to allow for transmission of electronic commerce and statistical information, alignment logs, error messages, status messages, or diagnostic information to a remote system, and for the receipt of information including updated software applications, diagnostic commands, and remote information queries therefrom.

Claims

1. A method for remote diagnostic repair of a vehicle wheel alignment system by a remote system over a communication link, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring, from said vehicle wheel alignment system to said remote system over said communication link utilizing NET protocols, at least one packet of information related to the operational status of said vehicle wheel alignment system;

analyzing, at said remote system, said transferred at least one packet of information; and

responsive to said analysis, said remote system performing a diagnostic action associated with said vehicle wheel alignment system.

2. The method of claim 1 for diagnostic repair of a vehicle wheel alignment system from a remote system wherein the step of analyzing said transferred at least one packet of information identifies at least one component fault in said vehicle wheel alignment system.

3. The method of claim 1 for diagnostic repair of a vehicle wheel alignment system from a remote system wherein said diagnostic action comprises the step of transferring, from said remote system to said vehicle wheel alignment system over said communication link utilizing NET protocols, at least one NET Web Services software component.

4. The method of claim 1 for diagnostic repair of a vehicle wheel alignment system from a remote system wherein said diagnostic action comprises the step of transferring, from said remote system to said vehicle wheel alignment system over said communication link utilizing NET protocols, at least one diagnostic command.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferred at least one packet of information includes data identifying the configuration of said vehicle wheel alignment system.

6. A method for communicating information between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer over a communication link, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring from said vehicle wheel alignment system to said remote computer over said communication link utilizing NET protocols, at least one packet of information related to the operation of said vehicle wheel alignment system;

analyzing, at said remote computer, said transferred at least one packet of information; and

responsive to said analysis, said remote computer performing an action associated with said at least one packet of information.

7. The method of claim 6 for communicating with a vehicle wheel alignment system from a remote computer wherein said at least one packet of information includes data accumulated over a period of time.

8. The method of claim 7 for communicating between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer wherein the step of analyzing said transferred at least one packet of information includes identifying usage information associated with said vehicle wheel alignment device.

9. The method of claim 6 for communicating between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer wherein said at least one packet of information includes statistical information.

10. The method of claim 6 for communicating between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer wherein said step of transferring said at least one packet of information related to said vehicle wheel alignment device is responsive to a predetermined condition.

11. The method of claim 10 for communicating between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer wherein said predetermined condition is a scheduled event.

12. The method of claim 10 for communicating between a vehicle wheel alignment system and a remote computer wherein said predetermined condition is the detection of at least one system fault in said vehicle wheel alignment system.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein said action associated with said at least one packet of information includes storing said at least one packet of information in at least one repository associated with said remote computer.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of transferring said at least one packet of information via said communications link includes the steps of:

composing an electronic mail message containing said at least one packet of information to said remote computer; and

transmitting said composed electronic mail message over said communications link to said remote computer; and

extracting, at said remote computer, said at least one packet of data from said electronic mail message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said received at least one packet of information includes cumulative statistical data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said action associated with said at least one packet of information includes analyzing said received at least one packet of data to identify at least one trend.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one trend includes component failure statistics.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said received at least one packet of information includes wheel alignment system configuration data.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said received at least one packet of information includes vehicle repair data.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said transferring of said at least one packet of information is responsive to a signal from said remote computer transmitted over said communications link.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said signal is transmitted at a predetermined interval.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein said action associated with said at least one packet of information includes generating, at said remote computer, a report utilizing said received at least one packet of information.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein said action associated with said at least one packet of information includes providing filtered technical information to said vehicle wheel alignment system.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said filtered technical information is specific to a problem identified at said least one vehicle wheel alignment system.

25. A distributed automotive vehicle service system comprising:

at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit, said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit including at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, a general purpose computer configured with vehicle wheel alignment software interconnected to said at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, and a first communications interface;

a service processor, said service processor located remote from each said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit, said service processor configured with a second communications interface, and at least one diagnostic software application;

a communications link establishing a bi-directional data pathway between said first and second communications interfaces; and

wherein said service processor is further configured to access data associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit over said communications link.

26. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 25 wherein said service processor is further configured to modify said data associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit.

27. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 26 wherein said data associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit comprises at least one software application.

28. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 25 wherein said service processor is configured responsive to said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit condition to access said data associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit over said communications link.

29. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 25 wherein said service processor is configured to access, at predetermined intervals, said data associated with said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit over said communications link.

30. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 29 wherein said service processor is configured to signal an operator upon identification in said accessed data of a predetermined condition.

31. A distributed automotive vehicle service system comprising:

at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit, said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit including at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, a general purpose computer configured with vehicle wheel alignment software interconnected to said at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, and a first communications interface, said vehicle wheel alignment software comprising a plurality of first software components configured to utilize NET runtime protocols;

at least one remote computer system located remotely from each said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit, said at least one remote computer system configured with a second communications interface;

an Internet link establishing a bi-directional data pathway between said first and second communications interfaces;

wherein said first and second communications interfaces are each compatible with NET protocols.

32. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 31 wherein said remote computer system is configured with alignment unit services software, said alignment unit service software comprising a plurality of second software components configured to utilize NET runtime protocols.

33. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 wherein at least one of said first software components is a NET web service component;

and

at least one of said second software components is a NET web service component.

34. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 33 wherein said NET web service components are configured to be accessible over said Internet link with Simple Object Access Protocol.

35. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 33 wherein said NET web service components are configured to be accessible over said Internet link with at least one Internet protocol.

36. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 herein at least one of said first plurality of software components is accessible by said alignment unit services software application over said Internet link.

37. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 36 wherein said at least one accessible software component is configured to provide status information on said vehicle wheel alignment unit.

38. The distributed automotive, vehicle service system of claim 36 wherein said at least one accessible software component is configured to provide statistical information on said vehicle wheel alignment unit.

39. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 36 wherein said at least one accessible software component is configured to provide configuration information on said vehicle wheel alignment unit.

40. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 wherein at least one of said second plurality of software components is accessible by said vehicle wheel alignment software over said Internet link.

41. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 40 wherein said at least one accessible software component is configured to receive information from said vehicle wheel alignment unit.

42. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 40 wherein said at least one accessible software component is configured to provide software updates from said at least one remote computer system to said vehicle wheel alignment unit.

43. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 wherein at least one of said first plurality of software components is located remote from said vehicle wheel alignment unit;

wherein at least one of said second plurality of software components is located remote from said at least one remote computer system; and

said remotely located software components are accessible utilizing NET protocols.

44. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 wherein each of said software components includes an XML self-description.

45. The distributed automotive vehicle service system of claim 32 wherein at least one of said first plurality of software components is an Active Server Page;

and

at least one of said second plurality of software components is an Active Server Page.

46. A distributed automotive vehicle service system comprising:

at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit, said at least one vehicle wheel alignment unit including at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor, a general purpose computer configured with two or more versions of vehicle wheel alignment software compatible with NET protocols, said general purpose computer interconnected to said at least one vehicle wheel alignment sensor and to the Internet.