Method and apparatus for wheel alignment audit

A method for auditing motor vehicle wheel alignment comprising:

• rotating a motor vehicle mounted wheel at a test station;
• passively sensing physical cartesian relationships of said motor vehicle wheel as it rotates and generating a responsive signal for each sensed relationship;
• calculating a measurement for at least one of said conditions from said responsive signal;
• processing statistical process control techniques including identifying a tested vehicle wheel's compliance with a predetermined level of standard deviation;
• calculating a first output for communicating a particular vehicle compliance condition at a production line work station;
• and
• determining a production analysis for selecting said predetermined level of standard deviation.

A wheel alignment auditor for motor vehicle production comprising:

• a passive test station on a production line for serially addressing each of the production vehicles;
• a non-contact sensor for passively detecting physical cartesian relationships of caster, camber and toe-in, and generating a representative signal for each of said detected physical relationships;
• a computer controlled calculator for determining measurements from said representative signals;
• a processor for statistical process control techniques to generate statistical data responsive to said measurements for identifying compliance with a predetermined level of standard deviation;
• an adjuster for realigning production specifications in response to identification of a threshold of compliance outside a predetermined level of compliance;
• and
• feedback control to a remote station off-line from said production line for repair of selected motor vehicles from production.

A wheel alignment auditing apparatus for an installed motor vehicle wheel for monitoring conditions of caster, camber and toe-in comprising:

• a test station positioned for serially addressing each of a plurality of motor vehicles proceeding from a production line, said test station having at least one rotator for rotating said vehicle wheels in said test station;
• at least one sensor for passively detecting physical cartesian relationships of at least one wheel on said each motor vehicle, and generating a representative signal;
• a programmed computer control for calculating measurements for at least one of said conditions from said representative signal;
• and
• a programmed analyzer for processing statistical process control (SPC) techniques to generate statistical data responsive to said measurements for identifying wheel alignment compliance with a predetermined level of standard deviation;
• wherein said at least one sensor comprises a LIDAR light source sensor.

A wheel alignment auditing apparatus for an installed motor vehicle wheel for monitoring conditions of caster, camber and toe-in comprising:

• a test station positioned for serially addressing each of a plurality of motor vehicles proceeding from a production line, said test station having at least one rotator for rotating said vehicle wheels in said test station;
• at least one sensor for passively detecting physical cartesian relationships of at least one wheel on said each motor vehicle, and generating a representative signal;
• a programmed computer control for calculating measurements for at least one of said conditions from said representative signal;
• and
• a programmed analyzer for processing statistical process control (SPC) techniques to generate statistical data responsive to said measurements for identifying wheel alignment compliance with a predetermined level of standard deviation;
• wherein said at least one sensor comprises a microwave sensor.

A wheel alignment auditing apparatus for an installed motor vehicle wheel for monitoring conditions of caster, camber and toe-in comprising:

• a test station positioned for serially addressing each of a plurality of motor vehicles proceeding from a production line, said test station having at least one rotator for rotating said vehicle wheels in said test station;
• at least one sensor for passively detecting physical cartesian relationships of at least one wheel on said each motor vehicle, and generating a representative signal;
• a programmed computer control for calculating measurements for at least one of said conditions from said representative signal;
• and
• a programmed analyzer for processing statistical process control (SPC) techniques to generate statistical data responsive to said measurements for identifying wheel alignment compliance with a predetermined level of standard deviation;
• wherein said at least one sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor.