Automotive service equipment expert system

• US 5,602,733 A
• Filed: 05/19/1995
• Issued: 02/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FMC Corporation
• Inventors: de Bellefeuille, Jean O. W., Rogers, Steven W., Dale, James L. Jr., Casby, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/444,447
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/550, 364/554, 364/580, 364/551.01, 395/905, 371/15.1, 371/17
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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: G01B 2210/26 Algorithms, instructions, databases, computerized methods and graphical user interfaces employed by a user in conjunction with the wheel aligner
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/22 and converting vibrations due to imbalance into electric variables
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24086 Expert system, guidance operator, locate fault and indicate how to repair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24103 Graphical display of proces as function of detected alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32001 Computer assisted machining, signals guide operator to manual machine object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33002 Artificial intelligence AI, expert, knowledge, rule based system KBS
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45019 Balancing wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49073 Adapt machining parameters so as to keep temperature constant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An automotive service equipment system for measuring vehicle or vehicle component characteristics is disclosed which includes an expert system so that operators at all skill levels may operate the system efficiently and relatively error free. Such systems as vehicle wheel aligners, vehicle wheel balancers and vehicle brake lathes are described in conjunction with a corresponding expert system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing expert guidance to an operator relating to adjustment of a wheel alignment condition existing in an automotive suspension through operation of an automotive service equipment wheel alignment system providing automotive suspension condition indicative outputs comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to procedures for adjustment of the wheel alignment condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and said automotive suspension condition indicative outputs and for producing instruction signals for guidance of adjustment of the wheel alignment condition;

a system controller connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying expert guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals;

means for storing identity of and occurrence of system procedural errors committed by an operator of the automotive service equipment wheel alignment system;

and means for identifying and for communicating to the operator corrective action and procedural changes to avoid said system procedural errors.

2. Apparatus for providing expert guidance to an operator of a brake disc lathe relating to adjustment of a brake disc condition through operation of a brake disc lathe system providing brake disc condition outputs, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to procedures for adjustment of the brake disc condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and said brake disc condition outputs and for producing instruction signals relating to guidance of adjustment of the brake disc condition;

a system controller connected to receive said instruction signals; and

means connected to said system controller for displaying expert guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals;

wherein the brake disc lathe has a cutting tool, motor means for turning the lathe, and means for moving the cutting tool across the surface of a brake member, comprising means for sensing the temperature of the cutting tool and providing a temperature signal coupled to said inference engine, whereby said instruction signals cause said system controller to regulate the speeds of said motor means and said means for moving the cutting tool to maintain the temperature of the cutting tool below a predetermined temperature.

3. Apparatus for use with an automotive service equipment system for measuring and providing outputs relating to an alignment condition for an automotive support wheel, wherein the system is subject to operation by operators having various levels of skill and is further subject to erroneous operation by operators having lesser levels of skill, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to adjustment of the wheel alignment condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and the system outputs, so that instruction signals are produced relating to guidance of adjustment of the wheel alignment condition;

a system controller connected to the automotive service equipment system and further being connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment to obtain an efficient adjustment of the wheel alignment condition during said adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals and to minimize adjustment operating procedure errors for substantially all operator skill levels and

means for storing identity of and occurrence of said adjustment operating procedure errors and for providing adjustment operating procedure error statistics, and wherein said means for displaying comprises means for receiving said instruction signals and said adjustment operating procedure error statistics and for displaying corrective action and adjustment operating procedure changes based thereon.

4. Apparatus for providing expert guidance to an operator relating to adjustment of a wheel unbalance condition existing in a vehicle support wheel discovered through operation of an automotive service equipment wheel balancer system providing wheel unbalance indicative outputs, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to procedures for adjustment of the wheel unbalance condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and the wheel unbalance indicative outputs and for producing instruction signals for guidance of adjustment of the wheel unbalance condition;

a system controller connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying expert guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals; and

means for storing identity of and occurrence of system procedural errors committed by an operator of the automotive service equipment wheel balancer system, and means for identifying and for communicating to the operator corrective action and procedural changes to avoid said system procedural errors.

5. Apparatus for providing expert guidance to an operator of a brake disc lathe relating to adjustment of a brake disc condition through operation of a brake disc lathe system providing brake disc condition outputs, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to procedures for adjustment of the brake disc condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and said brake disc condition outputs and for producing instruction signals relating to guidance of adjustment of the brake disc condition;

a system controller connected to receive said instruction signals; and

means connected to said system controller for displaying expert guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals; and

means for storing identity of and occurrence of system procedural errors committed by an operator of the brake disk lathe system, and means for identifying and for communicating to the operator corrective action and procedural changes to avoid the system procedural errors.

6. Apparatus for use with an automotive service equipment system for measuring and providing system outputs relating to a wheel unbalance condition in a vehicle support wheel assembly wherein the system is subject to operation by operators having various levels of skill and is further subject to erroneous operation by operators having lesser levels of skill, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to adjustment of the wheel unbalance condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and the system outputs, so that instruction signals are produced relating to guidance of adjustment of the wheel unbalance condition;

a system controller connected to the automotive service equipment system and further being connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying guidance messages and operator prompts to obtain guidance for efficient adjustment of the wheel unbalance condition and to minimize adjustment operating procedure errors for substantially all operator skill levels; and

means for storing identity of and occurrence of said adjustment operating procedure errors and for providing operating procedure error statistics, and wherein said means for displaying comprises means for receiving said instruction signals and said operating procedure error statistics and for displaying corrective action and operating procedure changes based thereon.

7. Apparatus for use with an automotive service equipment system for measuring and providing system outputs relating to a brake disc condition in a vehicle brake disc wherein the system is subject to operation by operators having various levels of skill and is further subject to erroneous operation by operators having lesser levels of skill, comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to adjustment of the brake disc condition;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and the system outputs, so that instruction signals are produced relating to guidance of adjustment of the brake disc condition;

a system controller connected to the automotive service equipment system and further being connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying guidance messages and operator prompts to obtain guidance for efficient adjustment of the brake disc condition and to minimize adjustment operating procedure errors for substantially all operator skill levels; and

means for storing identity of and occurrence of said adjustment operating procedure errors and for providing operating procedure error statistics, and wherein said means for displaying comprises means for receiving said instruction signals and said operating procedure error statistics and for displaying corrective action and operating procedure changes based thereon.

8. A system for providing expert guidance to an operator of an automotive service equipment system relating to apparatus for measuring characteristics on a vehicle, such apparatus providing braking system characteristic indicative outputs comprising:

knowledge base means for providing rules relating to procedures for adjustment of the braking system characteristic;

inference engine means for operating on said knowledge base rules and said braking system characteristic indicative outputs and for producing instruction signals relating to guidance of adjustment of the characteristic of the braking system;

a system controller connected to receive said instruction signals;

means connected to said system controller for displaying expert guidance messages and operator prompts for guidance of adjustment in accordance with said instruction signals; and

means for storing identity of the occurrence of automotive service equipment system procedural errors committed by an operator, and means for identifying and for communicating to the operator corrective action and procedural changes to avoid said procedural errors.