Methods and systems for integrated vehicle sensor calibration and maintenance

• US 10,521,977 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Pitt, Evan M., Nickolaou, James N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzgerald, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Truong D
• Application Number:
  US15/469,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20180276910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 73 137, 7311461, 7311473, 7350412, 701 331, 701 305- 309
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of verifying the health and functionality of at least one vehicle sensor is disclosed herein. The method includes positioning the vehicle within a controlled environment test facility, displaying a predetermined test pattern to the at least one vehicle sensor as the vehicle travels within the controlled environment test facility, receiving sensor data corresponding to a performance condition of the at least one sensor from the at least one vehicle sensor, transmitting the sensor data to a remote processor, and determining a functional condition of the at least one vehicle sensor based on the sensor data.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating at least one vehicle sensor of a vehicle having a controller, the method comprising:

positioning the vehicle within a controlled environment test facility;

receiving, by the controller, a list of sensor calibration tests and preparing, by the controller, a test sequence for the at least one vehicle sensor;

transmitting, by a control system, a set of control signals to at least one movable arm and at least one programmable display of the test facility based on the prepared test sequence;

displaying a predetermined test pattern to the at least one vehicle sensor as the vehicle travels within the controlled environment test facility;

receiving, by the controller, sensor data from the at least one vehicle sensor corresponding to a performance condition of the at least one vehicle sensor based on a response by the at least one vehicle sensor to the predetermined test pattern;

transmitting, by the controller, the sensor data to a remote processor; and

determining, by the controller, a functional condition of the at least one vehicle sensor based on the sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising conveying the vehicle along a dedicated path within the controlled test facility.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising initializing a sensor test procedure by one or more of receiving, by the controller, a control signal triggered by an error code generated by the at least one vehicle sensor, receiving, by the controller, a control signal triggered by a scheduled sensor maintenance interval, and receiving, by the controller, a control signal from a remote operator.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising initializing a sensor test procedure by positioning the vehicle within the controlled environment test facility.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the functional condition of the at least one vehicle sensor based on the sensor data comprises comparing the sensor data with historical sensor data.

6. A system to evaluate at least one vehicle sensor, comprising:

a test system including at least one movable arm and at least one test display configured to display a predetermined test pattern to the at least one vehicle sensor;

a vehicle conveying system;

a control system in communication with the test system, the vehicle conveying system, and the at least one vehicle sensor, the control system comprising a controller configured to

receive a list of sensor calibration tests and prepare a test sequence for the at least one vehicle sensor;

generate one or more control signals based on the prepared test sequence; and

transmit the one or more control signals to the at least one movable arm and at least one test display of the test system based on the prepared test sequence.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one test display is a programmable electronic vision board.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to initialize a sensor test procedure by one or more of receiving, by the controller, a control signal from a remote operator.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle conveying system comprises a first track and a second track parallel to the first track.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the test system further comprises a first side-oriented testing system and a second side-oriented testing system, the first side-oriented testing system comprising a first test display and the second side-oriented testing system comprising a second test display, wherein the first and second test displays are static displays.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the test system further comprises a first movable arm located on one side of the vehicle conveying system and a second movable arm located on the other side of the vehicle conveying system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a first test display is coupled to an end of the first movable arm and a second test display is coupled to an end of the second movable arm.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit one or more control signals to one or more of the first and second movable arms and one or more of the first and second test displays.