Hands free automotive service system

• US 6,826,532 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Gill, George M., Rogers, Steven W., Coburn, David R. II, Casby, Alan D., Poe, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, W. R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/572,561
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 332/86, 356/155, 345/8
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/00 Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

A voice control system for an automotive service system includes a microphone, through which a technician can communicate voice commands to an item of automotive service equipment within the automotive service system, a speech processor module for converting the voice commands into digital instructions which can be processed by a system controller and for converting data from the system controller into synthesized voice audio, and a speaker for communicating the synthesized voice audio to the technician. The system of the present invention may also include a pair of goggles incorporating a heads-up display which displays the data from the system controller by virtual image in the technician'"'"'s forward field of vision without blocking his general forward field of view.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle wheel alignment system having a processor for controlling the operation of the system:

a sound to signal transducer;

a converter configured for converting voice commands received by the sound to signal transducer into operation instructions which can be processed by the processor to control the operation of a component of the wheel alignment system through voice commands.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sound to signal transducer comprises a microphone mounted in a device which can be worn by the technician.

3. A vehicle wheel alignment system having a processor for controlling the operation of the system, which comprises:

means in communication with the processor for producing data indicative of the operational steps required to make an adjustment to a vehicle component;

means for converting the data into electrical voice audio signals indicative of spoken procedural instructions that vocally guide an operator to perform the adjustment;

a signal to sound transducer for converting the electrical voice audio signals into voice audio messages that comprise spoken procedural instructions that vocally guide an operator to perform the adjustment;

a sound to signal transducer; and

means for converting voice commands received by the sound to signal transducer into operation instructions which can be processed by the processor to control the operation of a component of the wheel alignment system through voice commands.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising transceiver means for relaying communications between the data converting means and the signal to sound transducer and between the sound to signal transducer and the voice command converting means.

5. In combination with a vehicle wheel alignment system having a processor for controlling the operation of at least one component of the wheel alignment system, the improvement which comprises:

a sound to signal transducer;

means for converting voice commands received by the sound to signal transducer into operation instructions for controlling operation of the at least one component of the wheel alignment system, which instructions can be processed by the processor;

a wearable display for visually displaying data received from the processor including means for imaging of the data into a forward field of view of the technician;

whereby a technician can control the operation of the at least one component of the wheel alignment system through voice commands and receive data therefrom via the wearable display.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising means for transmitting data from the controller to the wearable display.

7. A vehicle wheel aligner for guiding an operator in making adjustments to a vehicle in order to bring an alignment measurement of the vehicle to within a known specification, which comprises:

at least one angle measuring instrument mountable relative to at least one wheel of the vehicle for generating signals representative of the relative angular orientation of the at least one wheel;

controller means for determining the alignment measurement from the signals generated by the at least one angle measuring instrument and for producing data indicative of a difference between the alignment measurement and the known specification;

means responsive to the data from the controller means for generating electrical voice audio signals indicative of the difference between the alignment measurement and the known specification and further indicative of spoken procedural instructions that vocally guide an operator to perform the adjustment; and

a signal to sound transducer for converting the electrical voice audio signals into audible voice audio messages that comprise spoken procedural instructions that vocally guide an operator to perform the adjustment;

wherein the wheel aligner generates voice audio messages indicative of the difference between the alignment measurement and the specification to thereby guide the operator in making the adjustments to bring the alignment measurement to within specification.

8. The wheel aligner of claim 7, wherein the controller means functions to control the operation of the wheel aligner and the wheel aligner further comprises:

a sound to signal transducer; and

means for converting voice commands received by the sound to signal transducer into operation instructions which can be processed by the controller means;

whereby the operator can control the operation of the wheel aligner through voice commands.

9. The wheel aligner of claim 8, further comprising transceiver means for relaying communications between the data converting means and the signal to sound transducer and between the sound to signal transducer and the voice command converting means.

10. The wheel aligner of claim 9, wherein the transceiver means comprises wireless transceiver means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless transceiver means comprises a radio frequency transceiver.

12. The wheel aligner of claim 7, further comprising a wearable display means for visually displaying the data produced by the controller means.

13. In combination with a vehicle wheel alignment having a processor for controlling the operation of the system, the improvement which comprises:

a sound to signal transducer;

means for converting voice commands received by the sound to signal transducer into operation instructions for controlling operation of at least one component of the wheel alignment system, which instructions can be processed by the processor; and

a wearable display for visually displaying data received from the processor;

whereby a technician can control the operation of the wheel alignment system through voice commands and receive data therefrom via the wearable display.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for transmitting data from the processor to the wearable display.