Vehicle Service Group, LLC

Robert Elliott

Steven H Taylor

Gerry Lauderbaugh

Darian Smith

Jason T Stewart

Austin Deuerling

Doug Brown

Doug Spiller

Mahendra Kumar Pradhan

John E Uhl

Kevin S Katerberg

Ron Schneider

Chetan Gundurao

Prasad Rao Boddu

Libu George

Mahendran Krishnan

Phaneesh Guruswamy

Sameer Saxena

David G Porter

Douglas J Brown

Mark A Bordwell

Michael A Swartz

David P Porter

Matthew Webster

Kirk Dawson

Michael Hill

Mark Bordwell

Bryan Averill

Jason Stewart

David Porter

Brain Kelley

An automation system uses cameras and sensors to identify a set of vehicle wheels within a lift area, then virtualizes the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the lift posts. Lift arms extending from the lift posts are moved to a first position that places a profile camera near the predicted position of lift points, and image analysis is used to positively identify the lift points. The lift arms are then moved to a second position that places an adapter camera below the identified lift points, and image analysis is used to confirm safe positioning below the lift point. Captured images and feedback from image analysis are used to improve and refine the system's ability to identify wheels, profile view lift points, and plan view lift points. The system may be integrated with lift arms allowing for automated rotation, extension, and elevation of lift adapters.

Intelligent vehicle lift network with distributed sensors

Conventional vehicle lifts typically operate at a standard speed that is statically configured for the system, which may result in vehicles that are below the weight rating for the lift being raised at the standard speed while the lift motor is capable of safely raising at greater speeds. A set of lift controls may be configured to determine the load on the motor by a vehicle of an unknown weight during operation at a standard lift speed and use such information to determine a potential speed that the motor may raise the vehicle at while staying within safe operational levels for the motor. One or more of a magnitude of electrical power drawn, a pressure generated by a hydraulic lifting, or a sensed vehicle weight may be used to provide an indication of load on the motor and/or a higher potential speed.

Load-sensing vehicle lift

An automation system uses cameras () and sensors () to identify a set of vehicle wheels within a lift area (), then virtualizes the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the lift posts (). Lift arms () extending from the lift posts are moved to a first position that places a profile camera near the predicted position of lift points, and image analysis is used to positively identify the lift points. The lift arms are then moved to a second position that places an adapter camera below the identified lift points, and image analysis is used to confirm safe positioning below the lift point. Captured images and feedback from image analysis are used to improve and refine the system's ability to identify wheels, profile view lift points, and plan view lift points. The system may be integrated with lift arms allowing for automated rotation, extension, and elevation of lift adapters.

A set of lift controls may be configured to determine the load on the motor () by a vehicle of an unknown weight during operation at a standard lift speed and use such information to determine a potential speed that the motor may raise the vehicle at while staying within safe operational levels for the motor. One or more of a magnitude of electrical power drawn, a pressure generating by a hydraulic lifting, or a sensed vehicle weight may be used to provide an indication of load on the motor and/or a higher potential speed.

A vehicle engagement assembly includes a base frame, a lift arm pivotally coupled to the base frame, and a pivot restraint mechanism that can inhibit rotation of the lift arm relative to the base frame about a pivot axis while the pivot restraint mechanism is in a restrained configuration. The base frame includes a first pair of flanges and a web connecting the first pair of flanges. The pivot restraint mechanism includes an arm restraint body and a base frame restraint body. The arm restraint body is associated with the lift arm such that the arm restraint body pivots with the lift arm relative to the base frame. The base frame restraint body is associated with the base frame and includes a rotational stopping surface that engages with the web to thereby transfer a rotational load from the lift arm onto the web in the restrained configuration.

Restraint spline for pivoting arm of vehicle lift

A mobile lift column () is configured to automatically position itself with respect to a vehicle () to be lifted. A proximity and object sensor is used to identify a location of a vehicle and navigate obstructions while advancing to the vehicle. The column includes a set of automatically driven Mecanum wheels () that can be variably controlled to provide precise movement in any direction without rotating the column. A camera () positioned on the column identifies a wheel of the vehicle, and an alignment beam is projected onto the wheel to verify centering on the wheel. Once positioned, the column may operate one of several lift members, including a pair of removable fork adapters (), to extend underneath the vehicle and contact the vehicle lifting points. With at least two columns properly positioned, each mobile column can simultaneously raise its lift member(s) to lift the vehicle to a desired height.

Automated mobile vehicle lift column

An automatic wheel changer robot has a includes a drive assembly, a torque gun, a sensor assembly, and a controller. The drive assembly has a mobile base and two wheel-clamping assemblies, each configured to engage a wheel. The controller generates a set of instructions based, at least in part, on information obtained from the sensor assembly. The drive assembly uses the set of instructions to cooperatively remove respective wheels from respective hubs on a vehicle and/or attach respective wheels to respective hubs on a vehicle. The device may have lidar sensors and Mecanum wheels that the controller is programmed to use to move between respective hubs and wheel storage locations install wheels, replace wheels, rotate tires, and perform similar operations.

Automatic wheel changer robot

An environment association system ('EAS') comprising: a processor and a memory; an object recognition process configured to identify objects within images, the objects including one or more of a vehicle, a vehicle lift, a vehicle repair tool, and an alignment fixture; and an EAS interface configured to communicate with a user device, the user device comprising a camera and a display; wherein the processor is configured to: determine, for at least one object in the set of objects, create a virtual overlay for the image based on the position of the at least one object within the image and a virtual marking associated with the at least one object; and provide the virtual overlay to the user device, wherein the virtual overlay is configured to cause the user device to simultaneously display the image and the virtual overlay via the display. The system provides information about the alignment of lifting points of the object with lifting members.

Augmented reality and wearable technology for vehicle service

An apparatus for operating a vehicle lift comprises at least one lifting assembly, a control unit, and a control pendant. The control pendant is configured to remotely control the motion of the vehicle lift through the control unit and to permit the lifting of a vehicle by the push of a single button on the control pendant and/or positioning of lift features in preparation for lifting a particular vehicle by the push of a single button. A menu screen and a plurality of menu buttons may be used together by a user to select one vehicle profile from a plurality of vehicle profiles. The selected vehicle profile may correspond to the vehicle being lifted and provides specific data with respect to how the at least one lifting assembly and/or the lift features should be moved for the particular vehicle being lifted.

Automatic adapter spotting for automotive lift

An authentication module may be internally or externally installed on a lift control of a vehicle lift and allows new and updated features to be added to the vehicle lift without requiring a connection to a local or cellular network. The authentication module connects to one or more other electrical components of the lift control to allow for the exchange of data. A module containing software and configurations for enabling a feature may be removably attached to the authentication module, which uses the stored configurations to verify and enable the associated feature. The use of enabled features may be persistently tracked by the authentication module even in the absence of an external power source or network connection, and may be disabled by the authentication module if the feature use expires or is exhausted.

Lift system authentication module

A plurality of portable lifts are dynamically configured to form a lift system for raising and lowering of vehicle. Each portable lift is added to the lift system and communicates wirelessly with a centralized control module. Some systems guide the user through a sequenced association of lifts in particular relative positions around the vehicle, while others use automatic position-detection techniques to determine those relative positions without explicit user input. Some systems allow definition of subsystems that can be operated together. Flexible controls may selectively allow operation of individual lifts, pairs or subsystems of lifts, or the full system at once. Controls on each lift may communicate commands for other lifts by way of the centralized control module.

Setup and control of a wireless lift system

An apparatus for operating a vehicle lift comprises at least one lifting assembly, a control unit, and a control pendant. The control pendant is configured to remotely control the motion of the vehicle lift through the control unit. The control pendant is configured to permit the lifting of a vehicle by the push of a single button on the control pendant. To permit lifting of a vehicle with a single button, the control pendant comprises a menu screen and a plurality of menu buttons. The menu screen and the plurality of menu buttons may be used together by a user to select one vehicle profile of a plurality of vehicle profiles. The selected vehicle profile may correspond to the vehicle being lifted. The selected vehicle profile provides specific data with respect to how the at least one lifting assembly should be moved for the particular vehicle being lifted.

Handheld control unit for automotive lift

A lift control interface is operable to control and monitor a lift system. Each lift column in the system has such a lift control interface. The lift control interface allows a user to assign lift columns to a lift system. One or more of the assigned lift columns may be assigned to a column control group. The user may lock the selection of these columns. The status of the assigned, selected, and locked lift columns may appear on every lift control interface in the lift system. The user may govern operation of the selected columns in the column control group from a single control interface, such as any control interface at any of the selected columns. The lift control interfaces may include visual representations showing the relationships between the lift columns and a vehicle, such as with lift column icons being positioned around a vehicle icon.

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Madison, IN, United States of America

Robert Elliott