Device and method for testing a vehicle

• US 9,945,758 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beissbarth Automotive Testing Solutions GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wendt, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tran M
• Application Number:
  US14/235,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/045 by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks measuring resonant frequency G01H13/00; measuring strength properties by application of mechanical stress G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00

Abstract

A device for testing a vehicle includes at least one sound recording device, which is designed for recording the sound emitted by a vehicle to be tested, and an evaluation device, which is designed for evaluating the sound recorded by the at least one sound recording device. The device may include at least one image recording device, which is designed for recording at least one image of the vehicle to be tested, and a display device which is designed for representing the source(s) of the recorded sound in at least one image of the vehicle to be tested.

Claims

1. A method for testing a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing a measuring device to be driven over by the vehicle;

detecting, by a plurality of directional microphones in the measuring device, a sound emitted by the vehicle during the drive-over of the measuring device;

recording the detected sound; and

evaluating the recorded sound to detect an abnormal characteristic in the sound and in order to determine a location of an abnormality in the vehicle corresponding to a location on the vehicle from which the sound containing the abnormal characteristic is emitted, wherein the recording of the optical image includes;

recording a plurality of strip-shaped images corresponding to different portions of an undercarriage of the vehicle, and

composing the single image as a combination of the strip-shaped images.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

recording at least one optical image of the vehicle and representing the location of the emitted sound on the vehicle in the recorded optical image.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein each strip-shaped image corresponds to a different portion of the undercarriage that is consecutively exposed to a camera through an opening in the measuring device as the vehicle travels over the opening.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the microphones are located around a perimeter of the opening in the measuring device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the recorded sound with a predefined setpoint sound.

6. A device for testing a vehicle, comprising:

at least one sound recording device designed for recording sound emitted by of the vehicle to be tested, wherein the at least one sound recording device includes a plurality of directional microphones; and

an evaluation device designed for evaluating the recorded sound to detect an abnormal characteristic in the sound and in order to determine a location of an abnormality in the vehicle corresponding to a location on the vehicle from which the sound containing the abnormal characteristic is emitted

at least one image recording device designed for recording at least one optical image of at least one area of the vehicle to be tested, wherein;

the image recording device records a plurality of strip-shaped images corresponding to different portions of an undercarriage of the vehicle, and

the image recording device composes the single image as a combination of the strip-shaped images.

7. The device for testing a vehicle as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

at least one display device designed for representing the location on the vehicle from which the sound is emitted in at least one optical image of the vehicle to be tested.

8. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein each strip-shaped image corresponds to a different portion of the undercarriage that is consecutively exposed to a camera through an opening in the device as the vehicle travels over the opening.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the microphones are located around a perimeter of the opening in the device.