Method for producing a motor vehicle

• US 7,650,202 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Chan, Thomas, Debnath, Manojkumar, Strohband, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US11/267,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/96, 700/115, 700/116, 700/117, 700/215, 700/221, 700/222, 700/226, 700/242, 700/244, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/10.41, 340/10.1, 340/825.36
• US Class Current: 700/222
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/005 Inspection and final control devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, wherein the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part is assembled from components, wherein at least two components are each connected to at least one transponder in order to transmit an identification information item, wherein an identification information item transmitted by a transponder is received by means of a first antenna, wherein an identification information item transmitted by a transponder is received by means of a second antenna and wherein it is checked whether a component can be installed or is correctly installed, wherein the component is installed or is classified as correctly installed only if at least one identification information item received by means of the first antenna corresponds both to an identification information item received by means of the second antenna and to a predefined identification information item.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, the method which comprises:

providing a plurality of components, wherein at least two components are each associated with a respective transponder configured to transmit an identification information item, and assembling the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from the components;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of a first antenna;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of a second antenna; and

checking whether a respective component can be installed or is correctly installed; and

performing one of the steps of the group of

installing the component only if at least one identification information item received by way of the first antenna corresponds both to an identification information item received by way of the second antenna and to a predefined identification information item; and

classifying the component as being correctly installed only if at least one identification information item received by way of the first antenna corresponds both to an identification information item received by way of the second antenna and to a predefined identification information item.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna is aligned with the component or an installation location thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second antenna is aligned with the component or an installation location thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a main direction of the second antenna is different from a main direction of the first antenna.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a main direction of the second antenna is different from a main direction of the first antenna.

6. The method according to claim 1, which comprises orienting the first antenna and the second antenna with respect to one another such that a main direction of the second antenna encloses an angle of 30°

to 330°

with a main direction of the first antenna.

7. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting an energy signal with the first antenna, wherein the transponder is supplied with energy by way of the energy signal or is excited to transmit the identification information item.

8. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting an energy signal with the second antenna, wherein the transponder is supplied with energy by way of the energy signal or is excited to transmit the identification information item.

9. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting an energy signal with a further antenna, wherein the transponder is supplied with energy by way of the energy signal or is excited to transmit the identification information item.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking whether a component can be installed or is correctly installed also takes into account a frequency of identical identification information items received by way of the first antenna or by way of the second antenna.

11. The method according to claim 1, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received most frequently by way of the first antenna or by way of the second antenna.

12. The method according to claim 1, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times by way of the first antenna or by way of the second antenna.

13. The method according to claim 1, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times per unit of time by way of the first antenna or by way of the second antenna.

14. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises moving the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part to another location.

15. The method according to claim 14, which further comprises:

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, with the first antenna or with a third antenna; and

checking whether the component is correctly installed, and classifying the component as correctly installed only if at least one identification information item received with the first antenna or with the third antenna at a different location corresponds to the predefined identification information item.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the other location is a final check station or an intermediate check station.

17. A method for manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, the method which comprises:

providing a plurality of components, wherein at least two components are each associated with a respective transponder configured to transmit an identification information item, and assembling the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from the components;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of a first antenna;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of a second antenna; and

checking whether a respective component can be installed or is correctly installed; and

performing one of the steps of the group of

installing the component only if the identification information item received by way of the first antenna corresponds to a predefined identification information item received but not to an identification information item received by way of second antenna; and

classifying the component as being correctly installed only if the identification information item received by way of the first antenna corresponds to a predefined identification information item but not to an identification information item received by way of the second antenna.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first antenna is aligned with the component or an installation location thereof.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second antenna is not aligned with the component or an installation location thereof.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second antenna is aligned with a stock room or a component rack.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second antenna is aligned with a component, a motor vehicle, or a motor vehicle part that is not to be checked.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the second antenna is aligned with a stock room or a component rack.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein a main direction of the second antenna is different from a main direction of the first antenna.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are oriented with respect to one another such that a main direction of the second antenna does not intersect a main direction of the first antenna.

25. The method according to claim 17, which comprises transmitting an energy signal with the first antenna, wherein the transponder is supplied with energy by way of the energy signal or is excited to transmit the identification information item.

26. The method according to claim 17, which comprises transmitting an energy signal with a further antenna, wherein the transponder is supplied with energy by way of the energy signal or is excited to transmit the identification information item.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of checking whether a component can be installed or is correctly installed also takes into account a frequency of identical identification information items received by way of the first antenna.

28. The method according to claim 17, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received most frequently by way of the first antenna.

29. The method according to claim 17, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times by way of the first antenna.

30. The method according to claim 17, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if the predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times per unit of time by way of the first antenna.

31. The method according to claim 17, which comprises moving the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part to another location.

32. The method according to claim 31, which comprises:

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of the first antenna or a third antenna;

checking whether the component is correctly installed; and

classifying the component as correctly installed only if at least one identification information item received by way of the first antenna or by way of the third antenna at a different location corresponds to the predefined identification information item.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the other location is a final check station or an intermediate check station.

34. A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, the method which comprises:

assembling the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from components, wherein at least two of the components are each associated with at least one transponder configured to transmit an identification information item;

transmitting an energy signal by way of a first antenna, wherein a transponder is supplied with energy through the energy signal or is excited to transmit an identification information item;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by the transponder, by way of a second antenna; and

checking whether a component can be installed or is correctly installed; and

performing one of the steps of the group

installing the component only if the identification information item received by way of the second antenna corresponds to a predefined identification information item; and

classifying the component as correctly installed only if the identification information item received by way of the second antenna corresponds to a predefined identification information item.

35. The method according to claim 34, which comprises orienting the first antenna and the second antenna with respect to one another such that a main direction of the second antenna encloses an angle of 30°

to 330°

with respect to a main direction of the first antenna.

36. A method for manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, the method comprising:

assembling the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from components, wherein at least two of the components are each associated with at least one transponder configured to transmit an identification information item;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of an antenna;

determining a frequency of identical identification information items received by way of the antenna; and

preforming one of the steps of the group of

checking whether a component can be installed in dependence on the frequency of identical identification information items received by way of the antenna; and

checking whether a component is correctly installed in dependence on the frequency of identical identification information items received by way of the antenna.

37. The method according to claim 36, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if a predefined identification information item corresponds to the identification information item received most frequently by way of the antenna.

38. The method according to claim 36, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if a predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times by way of the antenna.

39. The method according to claim 36, which comprises installing the component or classifying the component as correctly installed only if a predefined identification information item corresponds to an identification information item received at least a specific number of times per unit of time by way of the antenna.

40. A method for manufacturing a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part, the method comprising:

assembling the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from components, wherein at least two of the components are each associated with at least one transponder configured to transmit an identification information item;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of an antenna at a first location;

moving the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle part from the first location to a second location;

receiving an identification information item, transmitted by a transponder, by way of the antenna or a further antenna at the second location; and

checking whether a component can be installed or is correctly installed; and

performing one of the steps of the group of

installing the component only if the identification information item received at the first location corresponds both to the identification information item received at the second location and to a predefined identification information item; and

classifying the component as correctly installed only if the identification information item received at the first location corresponds both to the identification information item received at the second location and to a predefined identification information item.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the first location is an assembly line or a part of the assembly line.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the second location is a final check station or an intermediate check station.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the first location is an assembly line or a part of the assembly line.