Custom vehicle wheel aligner

• US 5,909,379 A
• Filed: 09/24/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: O'Mahony, Patrick, Johnson, Norman H. Jr., Dale, James L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalziel, Raymond H.
• Application Number:
  US08/719,013
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 364/551.01, 364/559, 701/29, 701/33
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/275 for testing wheel alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/16 Active or passive device attached to the chassis of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/24 Specially developed for using with trucks or other heavy-duty vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/26 Algorithms, instructions, databases, computerized methods and graphical user interfaces employed by a user in conjunction with the wheel aligner
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/283 Beam projectors and related sensors

Abstract

In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner comprising at least one sensor for generating data indicative of the relative angular orientation of one or more wheels of a vehicle, a computer for calculating alignment values for the vehicle from the data and a video display for displaying the alignment values, the invention is the improvement comprising a digital memory for storing a plurality of vehicle attributes, a computer processor for causing two or more of the attributes to be displayed on the video display, an input device for allowing the operator to select the attributes relating to a subject vehicle, and a digital memory for storing the attributes relating to the subject vehicle which are selected by the operator, whereby a computer model of the subject vehicle is created.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner comprising at least one sensor for generating data indicative of the relative angular orientation of one or more wheels of a vehicle, a computer for calculating alignment values for the vehicle from the data and a video display for displaying the alignment values, the improvement comprising:

means for storing a plurality of vehicle attributes;

means for causing two or more of the attributes to be displayed on the video display;

input means for allowing the operator to select the attributes relating to a subject vehicle;

means for storing the attributes relating to the subject vehicle which are selected by the operator;

whereby a computer model of the subject vehicle is created.

2. The wheel aligner of claim 1, further comprising means for generating a graphical representation of the computer model from one or more of the attributes relating to the subject vehicle and causing the graphical representation to be displayed on the video display.

3. The wheel aligner of claim 1, further comprising means for guiding the operator in the creation of a set of specifications for the subject vehicle.

4. The wheel aligner of claim 1, further comprising means for storing a general set of rules for aligning vehicles and means for determining from the set of rules and the attributes relating to the subject vehicle a set of instructions for guiding the operator through an alignment of the subject vehicle.

5. A method for creating a set of alignment specifications for a subject vehicle, comprising:

prestoring in a digital memory a plurality of vehicle attributes;

prestoring in digital memory alignment specifications for each of one or more of the vehicle attributes;

visually displaying the vehicle attributes;

selecting one or more of the vehicle attributes relating to the subject vehicle; and

generating a set of specifications for the subject vehicle from the prestored alignment specifications corresponding to one or more of the selected vehicle attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

generating a graphical representation of the subject vehicle from the selected vehicle attributes; and

visually displaying the graphical representation of the subject vehicle.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

prestoring in digital memory a general set of rules for aligning vehicles;

determining a set of instructions for guiding the operator through an alignment of the subject vehicle by applying the general rules to one or more of the selected vehicle attributes; and

visually displaying the instructions.