Universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus

• US 7,272,476 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Opus Inspection, Inc. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Environmental Systems Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Pandey, Arun Raj, Newton, James R., Davis, Mark A., Sulik, Charles M., Ortiz, David L
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/266,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus that may be used as common core enabling a user to interface with, control, and analyze data from, various modular automotive maintenance or diagnostic equipment and/or components regardless of the type or manufacturer of the component. The universal controller of the invention may include a processor and a control application, the control application including one or more software modules that enable the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components. The universal controller may also include one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured for one of the plurality of automotive maintenance components. Each of the one or more component interfaces may also include one or more component modules specific to one of the plurality of automotive maintenance components and a port for operatively connecting one of the plurality of automotive maintenance components to the apparatus.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

one or more electrical outlet receptacles for providing electrical power to one or more of the one or more connected automotive maintenance components.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface, a display device, and a user input device, wherein the graphical user interface enables user control of a connected automotive maintenance component, and wherein the display device and the user input device enables a user to interact with the graphical user interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display device includes an LCD screen enabling the display of one or more menus to the user, and wherein the user input device includes a digital keypad enabling the user to scroll through and select items from the one or more menus.

4. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

wherein at least one of the one or more connected automotive maintenance components is a dynamometer, and wherein the one or more software modules include an augmented braking module that applies augmented braking to a vehicle undergoing testing on the dynamometer.

5. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

wherein at least one of the one or more connected automotive maintenance components is a dynamometer, and wherein the one or more software modules include a speed synchronization module to monitor a speed signal from front and rear speed sensors of the dynamometer and alert a user if synchronization between the front and rear speed sensors exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

wherein the one or more software modules include a vehicle position module that calculates a vehicle position in a vehicle maintenance environment.

7. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

wherein the one or more software modules include a vehicle restraint module that controls vehicle restraint equipment of a connected automotive maintenance component.

8. A computer-implemented universal automotive maintenance component controller apparatus, wherein the apparatus serves as the common-core of a modular vehicle maintenance and diagnostic system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

one or more component interfaces operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the one or more component interfaces is configured to interface with a particular automotive maintenance component;

a control application including one or more software modules enabling the processor to control one or more connected automotive maintenance components; and

wherein the one or more software modules include an emergency stop module that enables an emergency shut down of a connected automotive maintenance component.