Patent Application
20250060285
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle.
The expression “infotainment system” means an information and entertainment system integrated in an instrument panel mounted on the dashboard of a motor-vehicle, comprising, for example, a multimedia system equipped with a responsive touch screen device including various multimedia contents (radio, satellite navigator, digital air conditioning system controls, smartphone interface, etc.).
An apparatus of the type indicated above is, for example, described in the document US 2016/0271801 A1. In fact, this document describes an inspection system for a motor-vehicle, in particular, for testing various components, such as, for example, buttons associated with the steering and a touch screen. This system comprises actuator means for operating the components to be tested, and an ultrasound transducer for detecting the distance of the system from the components to be tested.
The present invention starts from the desire to create an apparatus for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle which allows improvement of the flexibility and efficiency of the execution of the test operations, arranging preliminary calibration operations which are simple and intuitive, and which allow multiple test operations to be performed on the infotainment system that are highly accurate and repeatable.
The object of the present invention is, therefore, that of overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks, producing an apparatus for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle, which has characteristics of high flexibility and efficiency.
An additional object of the invention is that of creating an apparatus for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle which allows a plurality of test operations to be performed on the infotainment system, regardless of the type of motor-vehicle on which the system is mounted, directly in the passenger compartment, without having to set up specific test benches of the infotainment system and/or remove motor-vehicle parts to proceed with the test operations.
A further object of the invention is that of creating an apparatus for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle above which is extremely intuitive for the operators, providing an automatic preliminary calibration system which is particularly simple to implement.
With a view to achieving these objects, the invention relates to a method for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle comprising the following steps:
The invention also relates to an apparatus according to claim 13.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:
In the following description various specific details are illustrated aimed at a thorough understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. The embodiments can be implemented without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments. The reference to “an embodiment” in the context of this description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or characteristic described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as “in an embodiment”, possibly present in different places of this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, particular conformations, structures or characteristics can be combined in a suitable manner in one or more embodiments and/or associated with the embodiments in a different way from that illustrated here, for example, a characteristic here exemplified in relation to a figure may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.
The references illustrated here are only for convenience and do not therefore delimit the field of protection or the scope of the embodiments.
The drawings show, by way of example, an apparatus 1 according to the invention, arranged for automatically testing an infotainment system of a motor-vehicle V. The expression “infotainment system” refers to an information and entertainment system integrated into an instrument panel mounted on the dashboard of a motor-vehicle, comprising, for example, a multimedia system equipped with a touch screen including various multimedia contents (radio, satellite navigator, digital air conditioning system controls, smartphone interface, etc.).
In
In one or more embodiments, the first multi-axis articulated robot 2 comprises a base 20 and a column 21 mounted for rotation on the base about a first vertically directed axis. The first articulated robot 2 has an arm 22 mounted articulated on the column 21 about a second axis directed horizontally; reference 23 indicates a forearm mounted on the aforesaid arm 22. The forearm 23 is articulated about a third axis, which is also directed horizontally; the forearm 23 also has the possibility of rotating about its longitudinal axis. The forearm 23 of the robot 2 is provided at its end with a wrist 24 mounted with the possibility of rotating about two mutually orthogonal axes. According to a per se known technique, each of the six axes of the first robot 2 is controlled by a respective electric motor M. The electric motors M of the robot 2 are controlled in a per se known manner by an electronic control system. A flange 8 is provided at the distal end of the wrist 24 of the first robot 2 for connecting another robotized assembly.
As illustrated in
The mobile parts of the robots 2, 3 are connected to each other by joints of known type, having the respective electric motors, some indicated with M, associated with relative gear reduction transmission. With the aforesaid joints, or rather, with the relative motors M, relative transducers are preferably associated (not indicated) for example, of the encoder or resolver type, for position control. The movements of the robots 2, 3, or rather, the operation of the motors and joints, are managed by an electronic control system, which is preferably located in a remote position with respect to the robots 2, 3 and is connected to the electrical/electronic parts of the latter through the conductors of a wiring.
Of course, the structure and configuration of the robots 2, 3 may be of any known type. For this reason, the construction details, such as for example the motors that drive the movements of the various elements and the electronic control system of the robots are not described or illustrated here, also because elimination of these details in the drawings makes them more ready and easy to understand.
As will be evident from the following description, the second robot 3 is preferably configured to pass through the opening A of the side window B of the motor-vehicle V on which it is intended to proceed with the test operations (
Preferably, the second robot 3 is of the “collaborative” type, being provided at least in part with a sensorized cover that integrates sensor means, which can include contact sensor means, suitable for detecting a contact or an impact between the robot 3 and a foreign body, and/or proximity sensor means, suitable for detecting the presence of a foreign body within a substantially predetermined distance with respect to the manipulator robot, for example comprised between 0 and 15-20 cm. In various preferred embodiments, the cover integrates both contact sensor means and proximity sensor means.
The sensorized cover may comprise a plurality of cover modules which can be composed or assembled together, to form as a whole a sort of body that covers at least part of the mobile structure of the manipulator robot 3.
According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises actuation means 4 mounted on the wrist 34 of the second robot 3, arranged to perform a plurality of actuation operations of the infotainment system of the motor-vehicle V, simulating the action of the operator hand to test the system. In this regard, the actuation means 4 may comprise sensorized/haptic elements or with load cells, arranged to “touch” a capacitive touch screen of the infotainment system, selecting various icons/commands.
In accordance with what is illustrated in
As illustrated in the cross-sectional view 3C, a spring element 7 is arranged within the support arm 15, elastically yielding and arranged axially along the support arm 15, arranged to cooperate with the terminal element 16 during interaction with the infotainment system, so as to accompany the terminal element 16 during the contact steps.
According to the invention, the apparatus 1 is configured to perform test operations, not only of the infotainment system, but also of other components present inside the passenger compartment of the motor-vehicle (dashboard buttons, adjustment sliders, etc.). Also for this reason, the actuation means 4 may vary with respect to what is illustrated in the attached drawings, arranging sensorized elements of different shapes, numbers and sizes.
According to a unique characteristic of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises at least one video camera 5 arranged on board the second articulated robot 3, configured to acquire data inside the passenger compartment of the motor-vehicle V, during a preliminary calibration step of the apparatus 1 and/or during an execution step of the tests on the infotainment system. In one or more embodiments, the video camera 5 may be mounted close to the wrist 34 of the second robot 3, for example, mounted on the supporting body 10, 10′ of the actuation means 4.
In one or more embodiments, the apparatus 1 also comprises at least one marker recognition element 6 arranged at a predetermined position of the motor-vehicle V (
In one or more embodiments, said preliminary calibration step is carried out with the aid of CAD software including the mathematics of the motor-vehicle and of the infotainment system to be tested.
According to the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises an electronic control unit E (illustrated schematically in
According to another characteristic of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises an operation control panel—HMI—arranged to control the various operating steps of the apparatus 1. Preferably, the panel is configured to display various icons that group together the set of operations that can be performed, dividing the operations according to two main sets, in particular control operations of the robot 2, 3 outside the motor-vehicle V and control operations of the robot 2, 3 inside the motor-vehicle V.
According to a unique characteristic of the invention, during operation, the robots 2, 3 can be controlled in a given position prior to entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In this configuration prior to entering the passenger compartment (with the second robot 3 guided into the opening A of the side window), the mobile parts of the robots 2, 3 are oriented so that the second robot 3 presents the chain of articulated elements 32, 33 aligned axially and oriented perpendicularly to the side of the motor-vehicle V, in the direction of the entry point determined by the opening A of the side window B of the motor-vehicle V (configuration shown in
In one or more embodiments, the coordinates of this position prior to insertion into the motor-vehicle V are determined following a preliminary calibration procedure explained below. Of course, before proceeding with the subsequent commands to enter the passenger compartment, an operator must ensure that the side window B of the motor-vehicle V is completely open before proceeding with the further positioning commands.
Once the robot 3 is oriented perpendicular to the side of the motor-vehicle V, an operator may control a subsequent operating position—for example via the HMI panel—wherein the second robot 3 is moved inside the passenger compartment up to a position wherein the actuation means 4 are close to a display D of the infotainment system (
When the apparatus 1 is in the position proximal to the system to be tested, an operator may initiate a command for the execution of a plurality of test operations. The typology of the test operations is already in the memory of the control unit E, according to predetermined or previously customized sets.
As previously indicated, the electronic control unit E is configured to command in sequence:
According to another characteristic of the invention, during the execution of the test operations, the apparatus 1 is configured to acquire data (for example, acquiring photos and/or videos by means of said at least one video camera 5), and to trace the test operations by automatically generating various explanatory reports of the results of the test operations which will be sent to some analyst operators, to evaluate any anomalies in the infotainment system. Such reports may comprise:
The set of preliminary configuration operations—wherein the characteristics of the various components of the apparatus 1 are defined—may comprise the step of specifying the number and type of video cameras that are used during the tests. As previously indicated, a first video camera 5 is arranged on board the second robot 3 and is guided to acquire data during the test steps inside the passenger compartment. In one or more embodiments, the video camera 5 may be mounted close to the wrist 34 of the second robot 3, for example, mounted on the supporting body 10, 10′ of the actuation means 4. Preferably, a second video camera (not shown) may be statically positioned outside the passenger compartment of the motor-vehicle V, to acquire additional data during the test steps (for example the movement of the robotic arms of the robots 2, 3).
According to another characteristic of the invention, the electronic control unit E has a plurality of test-cases in its memory, or rather, a plurality of compositions of actions which the robots 2, 3 will have to execute during a test operating step of the infotainment system. In this regard, the set of preliminary configuration operations may comprise the step of defining a new test case—completely from scratch—comprising a new sequence of operations to be implemented. The step of redefining a new test case may be carried out through an electronic interface without having to reprogram the robots 2, 3. In this regard, the second robot 3 may comprise on-board an acoustic device configured to record the effective reproduction of voice files activated by touching certain icons/commands of the infotainment system.
Still considering the preliminary step wherein the characteristics of the various components of the apparatus 1 are defined (for example, the types of robots 2, 3), an operator may select different sets of preliminary calibrations already performed previously, linked to test cycles already performed previously. Of course, as will be indicated below, an operator may start a calibration step from scratch, in the case of changes relating to the apparatus 1 (for example, the dimensions of the robots 2, 3), and/or to the type of motor-vehicle, and therefore to the reference points of the robots 2, 3 with respect to the position of the system to be tested.
The following description describes the preliminary calibration operations which are carried out prior to the test operations, if the coordinates for operation have not yet been stored.
The preliminary calibration operations make it possible to reconstruct the position in the space of some fundamental points relating to the apparatus 1 and to the vehicle V, necessary for the correct execution of the tests. Once the preliminary calibration operation has been completed, the equipment 1 has in memory the coordinates of the points and the fundamental distances between the robots 2, 3 and the vehicle V, to carry out the test operations on the infotainment system automatically, without the need for manual assistance by an operator.
In one or more embodiments, the preliminary calibration operations comprise the following steps:
In one or more embodiments, the preliminary calibration procedure further comprises the step of collecting a series of images by means of the aforesaid video camera 5, in which the marker 6 is framed in various positions, so as to store the entry point into the motor-vehicle v.
In one or more embodiments, a further step of the calibration procedure may comprise the step of identifying the position of the video camera 5 with respect to a flange of the second robot 3, which connects the actuation means 4 to the wrist 34. This step may be implemented by applying a further marker that can be positioned at will at a point in the space that is easily reachable with the second robot 3, for example, on a planar surface inside the cockpit.
Further calibration steps are indicated below in the description which must be carried out inside the motor-vehicle V, in particular to define the position of the dashboard C of the motor-vehicle V, so as to be able to understand the position of the screen D of the infotainment system. To proceed with these calibration steps inside the passenger compartment, the second robot 3 is manually positioned inside the motor-vehicle V, in a position such as to be able to frame with the video camera 5 a further recognition “marker” calibration element 9 applied to the dashboard C near the screen. Subsequently, the position of the touch screen D is defined by means of an additional temporary marker positioned in the center of the screen (not shown in the drawings). Once the position from the aforesaid markers has been acquired, the calibration operations are terminated, as the positions useful for carrying out the test operations are stored in the memory of the electronic control unit E.
The test operations may comprise:
Thanks to the characteristics described above, the apparatus according to the invention allows a plurality of test operations to be performed on the infotainment system in an extremely intuitive way, regardless of the type of motor-vehicle on which the system is fitted, directly in the passenger compartment, without having to prepare specific test benches of the infotainment system and/or remove automotive parts to proceed with the test operations.
Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of example, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102021000032777 | Dec 2021 | IT | national |
This application is filed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 371 claiming priority benefit to PCT/IB2022/062684 filed Dec. 22, 2022, which claims priority benefit to Italian Patent Application No. 102021000032777 filed Dec. 28, 2021, the contents of both applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2022/062684 | 12/22/2022 | WO |
