Vehicle service apparatus and method for performing a vehicle service

A method for performing a service on a vehicle provided with rubber tyred wheels positioned in a workspace, the method comprising the following steps:

• preparing a service structure positioned in the workspace and including at least one displaceable component configured to be displaced relative to the vehicle or to be removably connected to the vehicle;
• preparing a real time locating system, or RTLS, including one or more receivers configured to receive electromagnetic signals and a plurality of emitters, each emitter being disposed at a predetermined, fixed position in the workspace and emitting a succession of electromagnetic signals;
• positioning the at least one displaceable component, spaced from the vehicle or connected to the vehicle;
• connecting the one or more receivers to the at least one displaceable component;
• deriving the position of the at least one receiver in real time through the locating system, based on processing a time interval between at least a first and a second electromagnetic signal emitted by at least one of the emitters so as to generate a location signal representing the position of the displaceable component;
• generating service information for a user, through a processing unit and based on the location signal.

A vehicle service apparatus, for a vehicle provided with rubber-tyred wheels and operatively positioned in a workspace of a repair shop, the apparatus comprising:

• a service structure operatively positioned in the workspace and including a plurality of displaceable components, each displaceable component being displaced relative to the vehicle or removably connected to the vehicle;
• a real-time locating system, RTLS, including:
• a plurality of emitters, each emitter being disposed at a predetermined, fixed position in the workspace for emitting a succession of electromagnetic signals;
• one or more receivers, connected to the displaceable components for receiving electromagnetic signals emitted by the plurality of emitters, the one or more receivers being synchronized with the emitters, so that a processor of the receiver, upon receiving a signal, correlates the signal to one of the emitters,
• wherein the real-time locating system processes a time interval between a first and a second electromagnetic signal sent to the receiver by at least one of the emitters, and
• derives in real time a position of each receiver based on said processing;
• a processing unit, connected to the real-time locating system to receive a location signal representing the position of the displaceable component and programmed to generate service information for a user, based on the location signal.