Wheel-Mounted Sensor Calibration for Precise ADAS Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle repairs and calibrations, particularly wheel alignment and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) calibration, often suffer from imprecision due to manual methods and user error, leading to potential malfunctions in driver assist features.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle tuning and calibration system comprising sensor packages mounted on wheels and a controller that uses augmented reality interfaces to precisely measure and adjust wheel alignment and sensor calibration, eliminating user error by providing exact positions and orientations for calibration targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used for wheel alignment and ADAS calibration, then the process is simple and requires minimal equipment, but the precision and accuracy of the alignment and calibration are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensor packages as intermediary devices mounted on the vehicle wheels to objectively measure wheel alignment parameters. These sensors act as mediators between the manual adjustment process and the calibration verification, providing precise measurement data without requiring complex expensive alignment equipment in the repair facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical alignment measurement systems with electronic sensor packages that use accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other electronic sensors to measure wheel alignment parameters. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical alignment equipment while achieving higher measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If expensive specialized ADAS equipment is used for sensor calibration, then calibration accuracy is improved, but the cost and complexity of the calibration process increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the manufacturer's calibration system using sensor packages that replicate the measurement and verification functions. Instead of requiring the original expensive manufacturer equipment, the sensor packages provide a functional copy that achieves the same calibration accuracy at lower cost and with greater accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs relatively inexpensive sensor packages that can be easily deployed and removed for calibration purposes, replacing the need for expensive permanent or semi-permanent calibration equipment. These sensor packages represent a cost-effective solution that maintains calibration accuracy without the high overhead of specialized equipment.
3Reliability
If human operators manually place and orient calibration targets, then the process requires minimal automated equipment, but user error leads to improper target placement and calibration failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where sensor packages continuously monitor the position and orientation of calibration targets during the calibration process. The system provides real-time feedback to the operator through a user interface, indicating whether the target is correctly positioned and oriented, thereby eliminating guesswork and reducing user error.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the calibration system to automatically verify and confirm correct target placement through the sensor packages. The system performs self-checks and provides automated confirmation when calibration conditions are met, reducing reliance on operator judgment and minimizing human error in the calibration process.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a vehicle tuning and calibration system and associated methods for diagnosing and correcting issues involving vehicle performance, driving characteristics, and/or driver assist features. The system includes multiple sensor packages with connectors for mounting a different sensor package to a different wheel of a vehicle. Each sensor package includes sensors that generate measurements for a positioning and movements of the wheel onto which that sensor package is mounted. The system also includes a controller that receives the measurements generated by the sensor packages mounted to the different wheels of the vehicle. The controller generates a user interface with visual representations that are derived from the measurements. The visual representations may identify toe, camber, caster, and other alignment issues detected for different wheels, adjustments to correct the detected issues, and positions and orientations at which to place targets relative to the vehicle for vehicle sensor calibration.