Vehicle inspection system

Abstract

An inspection system includes sensors that are selectively coupled to a vehicle during an inspection or maintenance event for the vehicle and a controller that is operable to cause a control system of the vehicle that controls plural operations of the vehicle to initiate a first operation and a different, second operation. The controller determines whether the control system has first sensor information indicative of a state of the vehicle during the first operation. The controller sends a command signal to the control system to direct the control system to change vehicle operations from the first operation to the second operation responsive to determining that the control system lacks the first sensor information. The controller obtains second sensor information from the one or more sensors based on the second operation and determines a condition of components of the vehicle based on the first and second sensor information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inspection system comprising:
 one or more sensors that are selectively coupled to a vehicle during one or more of an inspection event or a maintenance event for the vehicle; and   a controller that is operable to cause a control system of the vehicle that controls plural operations of the vehicle to initiate a first operation and a different, second operation of the plural operations of the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine whether the control system of the vehicle has first sensor information indicative of a state of the vehicle during the first operation of the vehicle; 
 send a command signal to the control system of the vehicle in order to direct the control system of the vehicle to change vehicle operations from the first operation to the second operation of the vehicle responsive to determining that the control system lacks the first sensor information that was requested; 
 obtain second sensor information from the one or more sensors based on the second operation of the vehicle; and 
 determine a condition of one or more components of the vehicle based on the first sensor information and the second sensor information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second operations of the vehicle that are directed by the controller are operations performed by the control system during movement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the condition is indicative of one or more of an operational state, a fault state, or a damaged state of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a health score of the vehicle based on the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to one or more of autonomously or semi-autonomously determine the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the vehicle with the control system during the one or more of the inspection event or the maintenance event for the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to select a responsive action to implement from plural different responsive actions based on the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first sensor of the one or more sensors is configured to determine an operating characteristic of the vehicle, and a second sensor of the one or more sensors is configured to determine an externality characteristic of the first sensor, wherein the externality characteristic is representative of one or more external conditions to which the first sensor is exposed. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to diagnose an operational state of the vehicle based on the operating characteristic of the vehicle and based on the externality characteristic of the first sensor. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 selectively coupling one or more sensors of an inspection system to a vehicle during one or more of an inspection event or a maintenance event for the vehicle;   operably coupling a controller with the one or more sensors of the inspection system wherein the controller is operable to cause a control system of the vehicle to initiate a first operation of the vehicle and a different, second operation of the vehicle;   determining whether the control system of the vehicle has first sensor information indicative of a state of the vehicle during the first operation of the vehicle;   sending a command signal to the control system of the vehicle in order to direct the control system of the vehicle to change vehicle operations from the first operation to the second operation of the vehicle responsive to determining that the control system lacks the first sensor information;   obtaining second sensor information from the one or more sensors based on the second operations of the vehicle; and   determining a condition of one or more components of the vehicle based on the first sensor information and the second sensor information.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second operations of the vehicle that are directed by the controller are operations performed by the control system during movement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining a health score of the vehicle based on the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle is carried out by the controller one or more of autonomously or semi-autonomously. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising selecting a responsive action to implement from plural different responsive actions based on the condition of the one or more of the components of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining, with a first sensor of the one or more sensors, an operating characteristic of the vehicle, and determining with a second sensor of the one or more sensors, an externality characteristic of the first sensor, wherein the externality characteristic is representative of one or more external conditions to which the first sensor is exposed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising diagnosing an operational state of the vehicle based on the operating characteristic of the vehicle and based on the externality characteristic of the first sensor. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a first sensor configured to determine an operating characteristic of a vehicle;   a second sensor configured to determine one or more of an externality characteristic of the first sensor or an externality characteristic of the vehicle, wherein the externality characteristic of the first sensor is representative of one or more external conditions to which the first sensor is exposed, and wherein the externality characteristic of the vehicle is representative of one or more external conditions to which the vehicle is exposed; and   a controller configured to diagnose an operational state of the vehicle based on the operating characteristic of the vehicle and based on the one or more of the externality characteristic of the first sensor or the externality characteristic of the vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is operable to cause a control system of the vehicle that controls operations of the vehicle to initiate one or more of the operations of the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to obtain one or more of the operating characteristics or the externality characteristics responsive to initiating the one or more operations of the vehicle in order to diagnose the operational state of the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a health score of the vehicle based on the operational state of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to one or more of autonomously or semi-autonomously diagnose the operational state of the vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to select a responsive action to implement from plural different responsive actions based on the operational state of the vehicle.