US 12,013,232 B2 · Non-contact inspection system for multi-axle heavy-duty vehicles

Abstract

A heavy-duty vehicle measurement system utilizing displacement sensor modules disposed in housings on opposite sides of a vehicle inspection lane to acquire a set of displacement measurements associated with a moving heavy-duty vehicle. Displacement data along one or more measurement axes is acquired independently by each of the displacement sensor module to measure corresponding distances between the sensor module and points on a surface of the passing heavy-duty. A processing system is configured to receive and evaluate the set of displacement measurements, together with known parameters of the measurement system, to identify heavy-duty vehicle features, such as configuration, body panels, wheel assemblies, and tire surfaces, and to calculate heavy-duty vehicle parameters such as velocity, wheel rim or tire dimensions, axle relative orientations (scrub angles) and wheel assembly spatial orientations.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A non-contact vehicle inspection system configured to measure one or more parameters associated with one or more heavy-duty vehicles in motion through an inspection lane, each having at least a first steerable axle together with a plurality of additional axles, comprising:

a plurality of sensor modules disposed on opposite lateral sides of said inspection lane, said sensor modules configured to acquire measurement data representative of displacements between a plurality of laser emitters and points on said passing heavy-duty vehicles illuminated by said laser emitters;
a processing system configured to receive said acquired measurement data from said plurality of sensor modules, said processing system configured with software instructions to evaluate said received measurement data representing displacements to determine a relative thrust angle in relation to an axis of said inspection lane for each axle in at least a pair of said additional axles;
and
wherein said processing system is further configured with software instructions to determine from said relative thrust angles, a representation of a tandem scrub angle between at least said one pair of said additional axles associated with said passing heavy-duty vehicle.

1 more element

A non-contact vehicle inspection system configured to measure one or more parameters associated with one or more heavy-duty vehicles passing through an inspection lane, each having at least a first steerable axle together with a plurality of additional axles, comprising:

a plurality of sensor modules disposed on opposite lateral sides of said inspection lane, said sensor modules configured to acquire measurement data representative of displacements between a plurality of laser emitters and points on said passing heavy-duty vehicles illuminated by said laser emitters;
a processing system configured to receive said acquired measurement data from said plurality of sensor modules, said processing system configured with software instructions to evaluate said received measurement data to determine an orientation of an outermost wheel assembly on each identified axle;
wherein said processing system is configured with software instructions to determine from said received measurement data, a representation of a tandem scrub angle for at least one pair of said additional axles associated with said passing heavy-duty vehicle according to:
SCRUB1-2=TA1−TA2
where TA1 is the thrust angle for axle 1, and TA2 is the thrust angle for axle 2;
wherein said axle thrust angles for said pair of axles are calculated according
T
⁢
A
1
=
tan
-
1
[
D
1
⁢
L
-
D
2
⁢
L
T
⁢
C
1
⁢
L
-
2
⁢
L
]
+
tan
-
1
[
D
1
⁢
R
-
D
2
⁢
R
T
⁢
C
1
⁢
R
-
2
⁢
R
]
2
⁢
T
⁢
A
2
=
tan
-
1
[
D
3
⁢
L
-
D
4
⁢
L
T
⁢
C
3
⁢
L
-
4
⁢
L
]
+
tan
-
1
[
D
3
⁢
R
-
D
4
⁢
R
T
⁢
C
3
⁢
R
-
4
⁢
R
]
2
where for a first axle in said pair, D1L, and D2L are displacement measurement to the leading and trailing points of a left outermost wheel assembly, TC1L-2L is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said left outermost wheel assembly, D1R and D2R are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a right outermost wheel assembly, and TC1R-2R is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said right outermost wheel assembly;
and
for a second axle in said pair, D3L, and D4L are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a left outermost wheel assembly, TC3L-4L is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said left outermost wheel assembly, D3R and D4R are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a right outermost wheel assembly, and TC3R-4R is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said right outermost wheel assembly.

117 more elements

A system for assessing axle orientations associated with a moving heavy-duty vehicle having at least one steer axle and at least two non-steer axles, the system comprising:

a stationary apparatus for generating, while the heavy-duty vehicle is moving through an inspection lane, output signals indicative of displacements from fixed laser emitters to first and second points on the outer surfaces of each outermost wheel assembly on the steer axle and non-steer axles of the heavy-duty vehicle;
and
a control system coupled to receive the output signals from the stationary apparatus and configured with software instructions to determine, from said received output signals, a tandem scrub angle for at least the two non-steer axles based on said output signals;
wherein said control system is configured to determine said tandem scrub angle according to:
SCRUB1-2=TA1−TA2
where TA1 is the thrust angle for axle 1, and TA2 is the thrust angle for axle 2
wherein said axle thrust angles for said pair of axles are calculated according to:
T
⁢
A
1
=
tan
-
1
[
D
1
⁢
L
-
D
2
⁢
L
T
⁢
C
1
⁢
L
-
2
⁢
L
]
+
tan
-
1
[
D
1
⁢
R
-
D
2
⁢
R
T
⁢
C
1
⁢
R
-
2
⁢
R
]
2
⁢
T
⁢
A
2
=
tan
-
1
[
D
3
⁢
L
-
D
4
⁢
L
T
⁢
C
3
⁢
L
-
4
⁢
L
]
+
tan
-
1
[
D
3
⁢
R
-
D
4
⁢
R
T
⁢
C
3
⁢
R
-
4
⁢
R
]
2
where for a first axle in said pair, D1L, and D2L are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a left outermost wheel assembly, TC1L-2L is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said left outermost wheel assembly, D1R and D2R are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a right outermost wheel assembly, and TC1R-2R is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said right outermost wheel assembly;
and
for a second axle in said pair, D3L, and D4L are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a left outermost wheel assembly, TC3L-4L is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said left outermost wheel assembly, D3R and D4R are displacement measurements to the leading and trailing points of a right outermost wheel assembly, and TC3R-4R is the longitudinal separation between the leading and trailing points on said right outermost wheel assembly.

118 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non-contact inspection system for multi-axle heavy-duty vehicles

Life of this patent

Non-contact inspection system for multi-axle heavy-duty vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16