Abstract: A vehicle measurement station utilizing one or more displacement sensors disposed on each opposite side of an inspection region of a vehicle inspection lane to acquire displacement measurement data along associated measurement axes. At least a portion of the displacement measurement data is associated with the outermost wheel assemblies on an axle of a moving vehicle passing through the inspection region, and utilized to determine one or more vehicle characteristics, such as an axle total toe condition.

Abstract: A turn plate assembly for support of the steered wheels of a vehicle on a precision planar surface. The assembly includes an approach plate establishing a planar surface to within an established measurement tolerance. The approach plate is coupled to a base plate underlying a bearing assembly consisting of a plurality of ball bearings retained between the base plate and an underside of a rotating support disc. An upper surface of the rotating support disc is coplanar with an upper surface of the approach plate. Resting on the upper surface of the rotating support surface, a translational surface or mat is temporarily secured in place by magnetic adhesion. During use, translational forces exerted on the translation surface or mat by a vehicle wheel assembly may overcome the magnetic adhesion, enabling the translational surface or mat to translate relative to the underlying rotating support disc.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for utilizing vehicle wheel assembly surface profile data acquired by a vehicle wheel service system from a non-contact imaging sensor and a projected pattern of optically distinct elements on the vehicle wheel assembly surface to identify one or more features of the vehicle wheel assembly, to receive operator input, and to facilitate the placement of imbalance correction weights onto the vehicle wheel assembly surface.

Abstract: An imaging sensor observes a field of view through which a vehicle passes, at an orientation and position suitable for acquisition of license plate data from a surface of the vehicle. Responsive to the vehicle position, at least one image of a surface of the vehicle including a license plate is acquired and evaluated to extract license plate data. The position of the vehicle for acquisition of the image is established by a trigger in a fixed relationship with the imaging sensor.

Abstract: A method for distance calibration of machine vision optical targets and associated observing imaging sensors using separation distances between discrete surface measurement points. First, a spatial position for each surface point is established from a series of observations by the associated observing imaging sensor of the optical targets mounted to a calibration fixture. Second, measures of a linear separation distance between particular pairs of surface points are identified independently from the machine vision observations. All resulting spatial positions and measurements are conveyed to a processing system configured with a set of software instructions for carrying out distance calibration calculations to establish a set of refined distance calibration parameters associated with each combination of optical target and observing imaging sensor. During subsequent use of the machine vision vehicle service system, the parameters are retrieved and utilized to improve vehicle measurement precision.

Abstract: A vehicle service system configured to modify an ongoing vehicle service procedure in response to changes in vehicle wheel alignment angles which alter the vehicle tracking, thrust line, or thrust angle, in a manner which will affect the operation of an onboard vehicle safety system sensor which is aligned or calibrated relative to a selected characteristic of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle service system having a means for acquiring images of a three-dimensional region of a vehicle wheel assembly tire tread surface. The vehicle service system is configured to process the acquired images to produce a collection of data points corresponding to the spatial position of surface points in the region from which tire tread wear characteristics are identified. The acquired images are further utilized to provide both a graphical and a numerical display to an operator, with the numerical display linked to specifically annotated or indexed points or windows within the graphical display, thereby enabling an operator to quickly identify specific focus points or regions on the tire surface which have been measured at the numerically identified tread depths.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel service system configured to present an operator with an interactive visual display of vehicle service system components and a virtual model of the actual wheel assembly undergoing service. The interactive visual display includes representations of various parameters associated with the wheel assembly and vehicle service system and enables virtual manipulation of the positional relationship of components such as imbalance correction weights and the tire relative to the vehicle wheel rim, providing a visual representation of the resulting effects on the parameters of the vehicle wheel assembly, and enables viewing of various real-time operations from a safe location away from moving components, as well as visualization of operations prior to implementation.

Abstract: A vehicle measurement station utilizing at least one displacement sensor disposed on each opposite side of a sensor region of a vehicle inspection lane to acquire displacement measurement data, associated with a moving vehicle passing through the sensor region. Each displacement sensor is configured to acquire measurement data along at least three discrete and vertically spaced measurement axes. A processing system receives the acquired data for evaluation, identification of outlier data points, and for determining a measurement associated with a characteristic of the moving vehicle, such as vehicle velocity, axle alignment, wheel alignment, or dimensions.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel service system including a plurality of sensors positioned in proximity to a heavy-duty multi-axle vehicle, to measure angles associated with three or more axles of the vehicle without repositioning the mounting of the sensors after initiating a measurement procedure. Additional sensors, associated with a vehicle reference, such as the vehicle frame axis, are disposed to provide vehicle reference measurement data which is communicated to a processing system. The processing system is configured with software instructions to evaluate the measurement data and to determine various vehicle wheel alignment angle measurements and/or necessary vehicle adjustments for each axle relative to the vehicle reference or to a fixed axle having a determined relationship to the vehicle reference.

Abstract: A vehicle measurement station utilizing at least one displacement sensor systems disposed on each opposite side of a sensor region of a vehicle inspection lane to acquire measurement data, associated with a vehicle passing through the sensor region. Each displacement sensor system is configured to acquire measurement data along at least three discrete and vertically spaced measurement axis in response to a trigger signal indicating the presence of a vehicle moving through the inspection lane. A processing system receives the acquired data for evaluation, identification of outlier data points, and for determining a measurement associated with a characteristic of the moving vehicle.

Abstract: A tire changer with a controller includes a with a mount assembly adapted for contacting a wheel assembly to mount the wheel to a rotating spindle. The tire changer controller is configured to regulate the operation of a motor, and which is operatively connected to the rotating spindle to rotate the wheel assembly. A sensor coupled to the controller provides a data representative of the rotational position of the wheel assembly about a rotational axis. The controller is further configured to engage a load roller with the wheel assembly to apply a radial force to a tire mounted on a rim of the wheel assembly during rotation of the wheel, and to regulate the operation of a tire handling means and mount assembly, enabling identification, optional marking, and adjustment of the tire angular mounting position relative to the wheel rim.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel balancer system having a processing system and a spindle shaft upon which a vehicle wheel assembly is mounted for measurement of imbalance characteristics and forces. The processing system is configured with software instructions to evaluate the remaining imbalance present in a vehicle wheel assembly following the application of imbalance correction weights, and to determine if the remaining imbalance is the result of the vehicle wheel assembly having deviated from an expected rotational position during the time between the measurement of the imbalance and the application of the imbalance correction weights. In the event of such a deviation, the processing system is further configured to provide the operator with a suitable warning to evaluate and correct the mounting of the vehicle wheel assembly before proceeding to rebalance or re-measure the vehicle wheel assembly.

Abstract: A drive-over tire tread depth measurement system is configured with environmental protection components for preventing or impeding environmental contaminates from falling through openings in a vehicle support surface or cover plate onto underlying components such as sensor optical windows and adjacent surfaces. The environmental protection components may include air discharge assemblies, movable shields, guards, wipers or deflectors such as drip edges, water-accumulating textured surfaces, flow diverters, and selectively placed flanges or fixed guards which operate cooperatively to displace accumulated contaminates, debris, or liquids from the optical windows and adjacent sensor surfaces. A portion of the vehicle support surface or cover plate is removable to permit access to underlying components.

Abstract: A robotic tire changing machine having a processing system is configured with software instructions to carry out the procedures for tire mounting and demounting, and with software instructions to detect and respond to abnormal operating conditions during a tire mounting or demounting procedure. A specific response to the detection of an abnormal operating condition by the processing system is guided by the software instructions and is associated with the particular state in which the tire changing machine is in and/or the current step of an ongoing tire mounting or demounting procedure. The specific responses may include, but are not limited to, providing a prompt or instruction to an operator, providing a warning to an operator, carrying out one or more additional procedural steps, suspending operations to await an operator action, or limiting movement of articulated components during the tire mounting or demounting procedure.

Abstract: A method for contactless measurements of a vehicle wheel assembly by acquiring a sequence of images as the vehicle wheel assembly moves within a projected pattern of light. Images of the vehicle wheel assembly are acquired and processed to identify the portions of the images corresponding to the wheel assembly, such as by recognition of the wheel rim edge. The identified portion of each image is cropped and a resulting point cloud of data rotational aligned by an optimization procedure to remove the effect of wheel translation and rotation between each image, as well as to identify a center of rotation and amount of rotation for each image which yields a best-fit result. Superimposing the resulting point clouds produces a generated image with a high density of data points on the optimally fit surfaces of the wheel assembly, which can be used to further refine the axis of rotation determination.