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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7746456 | Apparatus for contactless 3D wheel alignment, system and method therefor An alignment measuring apparatus for 3D contactless measuring alignment of a wheel of an automotive vehicle, a system formed by several apparatuses for a total wheel alignment of all wheels of an automotive vehicle, and a respective method for carrying out 3D contac... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7710555 | Apparatus and method for determining the orientation of an object such as vehicle wheel alignment An apparatus for determining wheel assembly alignment comprises a contact assembly, a light source, and a light beam receiving assembly. The contact assembly engages the wheel assembly to define a plane of orientation of the wheel assembly and the light source proje... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7684027 | Methods and systems for wheel balancer weight placement aid Methods and systems for facilitating weight placement on a vehicle wheel assembly that includes a tire and a wheel are provided. The method includes determining an imbalance characteristic associated with a plane of the vehicle wheel, determining a correction weight... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7570352 | Laser scanning apparatus with improved optical features Laser scanners are used for determining deformation in vehicle bodies and the like, using a laser scanning apparatus in conjunction with a plurality of coded targets suspended from (or in known relationship to) known reference points on the vehicle to calculate thre... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7518714 | Vehicle service system with variable-lens imaging sensors A optical imaging sensor assembly for a machine-vision vehicle service system comprising a variable lens optical assembly. The variable lens optical assembly is controlled in response to direction from a vehicle service software application to alter an optical chara... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7382913 | Method and apparatus for guiding placement of vehicle service fixtures A machine vision system is configured to facilitate placement of a vehicle service apparatus relative to an associated vehicle. The machine vision system is configured to utilize images of optical targets received from one or more cameras to guide the placement of t... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7369222 | Wheel aligner measurement module attachment system In a vehicle alignment system an optical sensing mechanism is structurally coupled to a vehicle supporting lift for movement in unison with the lift so that the field of view of the sensing mechanism encompasses a wheel of a vehicle positioned on the lift during lif... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7352455 | Laser scanner with parabolic collector An improved laser scanning apparatus (46) for determining frame or unibody alignment or misalignment of a vehicle (40) is provided, which includes a laser assembly (54), a pair of rotatable mirror assemblies (56,58) and laser detectors ( | 04/01/2008 |
| 7346994 | Adaptive cruise control sensor alignment tool and method An alignment tool for vehicular adaptive cruise control detection devices attaches with precision and repeatability to an adaptive cruise control sensor subassembly. Integral to this alignment tool is a low energy visible light laser that can be adjusted to point al... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7328124 | Apparatus and method for measuring and compensating steering-angle sensitive alignment measurements A method for measuring and compensating steered-angle sensitive wheel alignment angle and distance measurements for the effects of steering a wheel from a straight ahead position, thereby enabling an operator to carry out a vehicle wheel alignment angle adjustment w... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7302775 | Power bus and structure for a barrier movement operator A barrier movement operator with improved mounting and power distribution capabilities is disclosed. The disclosed system includes an elongate member mounted from an overhead structure in a substantially horizontal manner. A head end of a barrier movement operator m... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7298468 | Method and measuring device for contactless measurement of angles or angle changes on objects The invention relates to a method for the contactless measurement of angles or angle modifications, distances or lateral displacements in objects. According to said method, an aperture is transilluminated by means of a ray bundle and after being reflected by a dista... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7295297 | Image sensing wheel alignment system An improved image sensing wheel alignment system for calculating vehicle wheel alignments having a detector array for receiving an input image containing vehicle wheel alignment information. An image sensor controller controls the detector array to receive the input... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7265821 | Caster angle measurement system for vehicle wheels An apparatus and method is provided for measuring the caster angle of a steerable wheel assembly without contact with the vehicle. An image capture device, preferably a CCD type video camera or sensor, views a vehicle wheel mounting and steering assembly that is ill... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7230694 | Method for determining an axle geometry and sensor for its execution Method for determining an axle geometry by recording and evaluating a topographical image of a face (6) of a wheel (1) fitted to an axle (2), and a sensor (10) for execution of the method. The method includes projecting light with a codin... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7181083 | System and method for configuring an imaging tool An imaging tool, including a lens, an imager, and a housing component, can be configured using a focus subsystem and an alignment subsystem. The focus subsystem can perform a focus heuristic using a source image to determine the appropriate focus of the lens. The al... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7121011 | Camera technique for adaptive cruise control (ACC) sensor adjustment An image processing type aligner enables proper set-up of one of two adjustment elements used to align an adaptive cruise control sensor or the like mounted on a vehicle. One element, such as a laser beam source, is mounted with the sensor on the vehicle; and the ot... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7120524 | System for measuring points on a vehicle during damage repair A carriage moves back and forth under a vehicle and three cameras or laser fixed along one axis pivot in a common plane, utilizing two cameras at time to locate a target fixed to a reference point on the undercarriage of the vehicle. Triangulation calculations, comb... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7100290 | Method of measuring unilateral flow rate of vehicles The invention makes it possible to measure a lateral displacement amount of a vehicle accurately in a short time on a bench testing machine without damaging a vehicle body and tires. Respective rollers 1F, 1R on which respective wheels WF, WR of... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7075635 | Vehicle measuring system An improved laser scanning apparatus (46) for determining frame or unibody alignment or misalignment of a vehicle (40) is provided, which includes a laser assembly (54), a pair of rotatable mirror assemblies (56,58) and laser detectors ( | 07/11/2006 |
| 7064818 | Method and apparatus for determining geometrical data of a motor vehicle wheel mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation A method and an apparatus for determining geometrical data of a motor vehicle wheel 2 mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation 1, in which in at least two planes 19, 20 which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation 1, the distances o... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7062860 | Method and device for measuring wheel alignment of car An automobile body 2 with a wheel mount 5 vertically movably mounted thereon is supported, and the wheel mount 5 is lifted to an adjusting position which is set so as to be lower than the position that the wheel mount 5 takes when the aut... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7038829 | Magnetic damping for MEMS rotational devices The effectiveness of magnetic damping on a MEMS device rotating in a high magnetic field or field gradient is described and analyzed for three preferred embodiments: (1) a conductive plate rotating about a single axis in a uniform magnetic field; (2) a conductive pl... | 05/02/2006 |
| 6973355 | Accurate positioner suitable for sequential agile tuning of pulse burst and CW lasers A positioning system including a sensor, a drive sequencer and an actuator. The sensor senses the actuator position and provides position signals to drive the sequencer which responsively computes and drives the actuator in open loop moves containing dwell intervals... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6968282 | Self-calibrating, multi-camera machine vision measuring system An apparatus and method for calibrating machine vision measuring systems that have more than one camera are disclosed. A first calibration target is mounted in a fixed relationship to a first camera of the machine vision measuring system. A third camera mounted in a... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6964209 | Sensor mount attachment device The attachment device includes a base plate which is magnetically engaged to an end of a rotating shaft, the plate having a centered collar which is coaxial with the axis of the shaft and is configured to engage a rotatable spindle of a sensor mount to the shaft, wi... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6962209 | Simple, durable and easy-to-use earthworking machine A sod cutter (10) is disclosed including a frame (12) formed by welding the free edges of mount, frame and end plates (46a, 46b 46c) bent relative to one of two side plates (46) to the corresponding edge... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6959253 | Self-calibrating, multi-camera machine vision measuring system An apparatus and method for calibrating machine vision measuring systems that have more than one camera are disclosed. A first calibration target is mounted in a fixed relationship to a first camera of the machine vision measuring system. A third camera mounted in a... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6948230 | Integrated circuit inductors The invention relates to an inductor comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive segments interwoven with a substrate. The inductance of the inductor is increased through the use of coatings and films of ferromagnetic materials such as magnetic metals, alloy... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6931340 | Self-calibrating, multi-camera machine vision measuring system An apparatus and method for calibrating machine vision measuring systems that have more than one camera are disclosed. A first calibration target is mounted in a fixed relationship to a first camera of the machine vision measuring system. A third camera mounted in a... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6925218 | Control techniques and devices for an optical switch array Techniques and systems for controlling an optical switch array based on local and global optical monitoring and feedback controls. Each optical switch element includes a local optical monitoring mechanism to form a local feedback control to lock the switch element a... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6917417 | Method and apparatus for information transfer in vehicle service systems A vehicle service system having a vehicle service computer which is configured for communication with one or more on-board vehicle computers of a vehicle undergoing a vehicle service procedure, to retrieve or access information stored in a memory associated with the... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6829046 | Vehicle measuring system An improved laser scanning apparatus (46) for determining frame or unibody alignment or misalignment of a vehicle (40) is provided, which includes a laser assembly (54), a pair of rotatable mirror assemblies (56,58) and laser detectors ( | 12/07/2004 |
| 6813015 | Adjusting device with an optical regulating device having a reflector The present invention relates to an adjusting apparatus having an optical aimer that includes a reflector for adjusting parts of a motor vehicle, in particular distance warning radar, headlights, or an axle; having an emitting device that emits a collimated beam; an... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6799376 | Method and apparatus for wheel alignment adjustment A wheel alignment adjustment system includes sensing apparatus for sensing alignment characteristics of a vehicle to be aligned, and a memory for storing alignment specifications for a plurality of vehicles and alignment adjustment parts. A fixture is provided to se... | 10/05/2004 |
| 6765664 | Laser scanner with parabolic collector An improved laser scanning apparatus (46) for determining frame or unibody alignment or misalignment of a vehicle (40) is provided, which includes a laser assembly (54), a pair of rotatable mirror assemblies (56,58) and laser detectors ( | 07/20/2004 |
| 6754562 | Method and apparatus for wireless information transfer in vehicle service systems A vehicle service system wherein a computer is configured for active wireless communication over a wireless micro-network with any of a variety of similarly configured external components and devices brought into proximity with the computer, including, but not limit... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6731382 | Self-calibrating 3D machine measuring system useful in motor vehicle wheel alignment Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera al... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6721629 | Four wheel steering alignment process Disclosed is a method for aligning a position sensor in a vehicle with steerable wheels comprising obtaining an absolute position value responsive to a position signal from a handwheel position sensor, obtaining a relative position value responsive to an encoder sig... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6697683 | Accurate positioner suitable for sequential agile tuning of pulse burst and CW lasers A positioning system including a sensor, a drive sequencer and an actuator. The sensor senses the actuator position and provides position signals to drive the sequencer which responsively computes and drives the actuator in open loop moves containing dwel... | 02/24/2004 |
