Apparatus and method for measuring and compensating steering-angle sensitive alignment measurements
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G06F-019/00
G06F-017/30
G06F-017/10
출원번호
US-0245836
(2005-10-07)
등록번호
US-7328124
(2008-02-05)
발명자
/ 주소
Voeller,David A.
출원인 / 주소
Hunter Engineering Company
대리인 / 주소
Polster, Lieder, Woodruff & Lucchesi, L.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
19
초록▼
A method for measuring and compensating steered-angle sensitive wheel alignment angle and distance measurements for the effects of steering a wheel from a straight ahead position, thereby enabling an operator to carry out a vehicle wheel alignment angle adjustment without having to maintain a wheel
A method for measuring and compensating steered-angle sensitive wheel alignment angle and distance measurements for the effects of steering a wheel from a straight ahead position, thereby enabling an operator to carry out a vehicle wheel alignment angle adjustment without having to maintain a wheel in a straight-ahead steered condition during an alignment angle or distance adjustment, or to require the operator to continually return the wheel to the straight-ahead steered condition to acquire updated measurements of an alignment angle or distance currently being adjusted.
대표청구항▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A method for utilizing a determined relationship between a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and a steering angle of a steered vehicle wheel during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure, comprising: acquiring a first set of vehicle measurements, said first set
The invention claimed is: 1. A method for utilizing a determined relationship between a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and a steering angle of a steered vehicle wheel during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure, comprising: acquiring a first set of vehicle measurements, said first set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a first steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; acquiring a second set of vehicle measurements, said second set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a second steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; determining a relationship between the steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel and said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement by utilizing said first and second sets of vehicle measurements; generating a current representation of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement for a preferred steering-angle responsive to a current steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel and said determined relationship, wherein said preferred steering-angle is different from said current steering-angle; and adjusting a vehicle component utilizing said generated current representation, said adjustment altering a vehicle wheel alignment parameter. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement is a vehicle wheel alignment distance measurement. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement is a vehicle wheel alignment angle. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first steering angle of said steered vehicle wheel is selected from a set of angles including a 0�� toe angle, an angle aligned parallel with a vehicle thrust line, and an angle aligned parallel with a vehicle center line. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement is a camber alignment angle. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement is a live caster alignment angle. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining said relationship includes resolving a trend line calculation representative of a relationship between said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and said steering angle of said steered vehicle wheel, utilizing said acquired set of vehicle measurements. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said trend line calculation is an nth order polynomial equation of the type Y=C1+C2X+CnXn-1, where X represents the steering-angle of said steered vehicle wheel, Y represents the steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement, and Cn represents a constant. 9. A method for representing a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement to facilitate altering a vehicle wheel alignment parameter during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure, comprising: acquiring a set of vehicle measurements, said set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a first steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel, and at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a second steering-angle different from said first steering-angle; calculating, from said set of vehicle measurements, an amount of change in said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement associated with said change from said first steering-angle to said second steering-angle; and utilizing said change in said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and said at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at said first steering-angle, to determine a relationship between said steering-angle and said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement; and conducting at least a portion of a vehicle wheel alignment procedure at a current steering-angle of the vehicle wheel, utilizing a representation of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement for a preferred steering angle, said representation generated from said current steering-angle and a current measurement of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle wheel measurement, together with said determined relationship. 10. A method for determining steering-angle deviations for a steering-sensitive alignment angle associated with a current steering-angle of a vehicle wheel during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure, comprising: acquiring a set of alignment angle measurements for the steered vehicle wheel, said set of alignment angle measurements including at least one measure of the steering-sensitive alignment angle at a first steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel, and at least one measure of the steering-sensitive alignment angle at a second steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel which is different from said first steering-angle; calculating, from said set of alignment angle measurements, a relationship between said steering-sensitive alignment angle and the steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; and conducting at least a portion of a vehicle wheel alignment procedure at a current steering-angle of the vehicle wheel utilizing a representation of the steering-sensitive alignment angle for a preferred steering-angle, said representation determined from the preferred steering-angle, the current steering-angle of the vehicle wheel, a current measurement of the steering-sensitive alignment angle, and a deviation of the steering-sensitive alignment angle which is associated with the current steering-angle and which is obtained from said calculated relationship between said steering-sensitive alignment angle and the steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel. 11. A vehicle wheel alignment system for directing the adjustment of a vehicle component, comprising: at least one sensor configured to acquire a set of vehicle measurements, said set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter at a first steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel; a processing unit operatively coupled to said at least one sensor, said processing unit configured with program code to determine a relationship between said steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter at a preferred steering-angle and said at least one measure of the steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter at the first steering-angle; wherein said processing unit is further configured with program code to generate a representation of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter at said preferred steering-angle, based on said determined relationship, a current measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter, and a current steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; and wherein said processing unit is further configured to utilize said representation of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter at said preferred steering-angle to direct adjustments of a vehicle component. 12. A method for conducting at least a portion of a vehicle wheel alignment procedure using a steered vehicle wheel toe angle representation compensated for a toe-out-on-turns effect of vehicle steering and suspension geometry, comprising: acquiring an initial set of vehicle wheel alignment angle measurements for each steered vehicle wheel on a common axle as said steered vehicle wheels are steered; determining a toe angle relationship for each of said steered vehicle wheels from said initial set of vehicle wheel alignment angle measurements; and conducting at least a portion of a vehicle wheel alignment procedure at a current steering angle of one of said steered vehicle wheels, said procedure utilizing a compensated toe angle representation for the current steering angle determined from said current steering angle, said current toe angle measurement, and said toe angle relationship which accommodates the toe-out-on-turns steering-angle effects of the vehicle steering and suspension geometry at the current steering angle. 13. The method of claim 12 for compensating a steered vehicle wheel toe angle representation for a toe-out-on-turns effect of vehicle steering and suspension geometry associated with a pair of steered vehicle wheels, wherein said toe angle relationship is a toe angle trend line. 14. A method for conducting a vehicle wheel alignment procedure at a steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel which differs from a preferred steering-angle using a determined relationship between a calculated steering-angle sensitive parameter of the steered vehicle wheel and a measured steering-angle sensitive parameter of the steered vehicle, comprising: acquiring a first set of vehicle measurements, said first set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of the measured steering-angle sensitive parameter at a first steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; acquiring a second set of vehicle measurements, said second set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of the measured steering-angle sensitive parameter at a second steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; utilizing said first and second sets of vehicle measurements to determine a first relationship, said first relationship being between the steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel and the measured steering-angle sensitive parameter; determining a second relationship utilizing said first relationship, said second relationship being between the calculated steering-angle sensitive parameter and the steering-angle of the steered vehicle wheel; and conducting a vehicle wheel alignment procedure to adjust a vehicle component with the steered vehicle wheel at a steering-angle which differs from the preferred steering-angle, using a representation of the calculated steering-angle sensitive parameter for the preferred steering-angle of the vehicle wheel, said representation determined from said second relationship, a current measurement of said measured steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter, and the current steering-angle of the vehicle wheel. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein said calculated steering-angle sensitive parameter is a calculated steering-axis inclination angle, and wherein said measured steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter is a live caster angle. 16. The method of claim 14 wherein said calculated steering-angle sensitive parameter is a calculated caster angle, and wherein said measured steering-angle sensitive vehicle parameter is a camber angle.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (19)
January Daniel B. (St. Charles County MO), Apparatus for determining vehicle wheel alignment positions and orientations.
Winslow Matthew R. (Arnold MD) Woolverton Douglas E. (Yardley PA) January Daniel B. (St. Peters MO), Appartus and method for adjusting vehicle toe alignment angles.
Kling Michael J. (Mequon WI) Surwillo John M. (Milwaukee WI) Puetz Peter A. (Waukesha WI) Braun Robert T. (Milwaukee WI), Caster and steering axis inclination measurement technique.
Koerner Arthur (3901 Waterview Shelby Township ; Macon County MI 48316), Method and apparatus for determining caster and steering axis inclination angles.
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