Which Alignment Procedure May Be Done Using Self-calibration

What is claimed is: 1. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one primary sensor mountable to a wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angular orientation of the wheel with respect to a reference, the improvement comprising:

first sensor means mountable to the wheel for generating a signal when the wheel is oriented at a first known angle with respect to the reference; and

means responsive to the signal generated by the first sensor means for determining a difference between the angle measured by the primary sensor when the wheel is oriented at the first known angle and the first known angle and determining whether the difference is greater than a certain predetermined amount.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for applying the first difference to measurements made by the primary sensor;

whereby the first difference is used to correct the primary sensor for zero-set calibration.

3. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one primary sensor mountable to a wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angular orientation of the wheel with respect to a reference, the improvement comprising:

first sensor means mountable to the wheel for generating a first signal when the wheel is oriented at a first known angle with respect to the reference;

second sensor means mountable to the wheel for generating a second signal when the wheel is oriented at a second known angle with respect to the reference; and

means responsive to the first and second signals for comparing a first difference between the first and second known angles with a second difference between the angles measured by the primary sensor when the wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles, and for determining whether the second difference is greater or less than the first difference by a certain predetermined amount.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

means for determining a relationship between the first and second known angles and the angles measured by the primary sensor when the wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles and applying the relationship to subsequent outputs from the primary sensor;

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whereby the relationship is used to correct the primary sensor for span calibration.

5. A method of calibrating a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one primary sensor for generating outputs indicative of the angular orientations of a wheel of a vehicle with respect to a reference, comprising the steps of:

recording a first output from the primary sensor when the wheel is oriented at a first known angle with respect to the reference;

recording a second output from the primary sensor when the wheel is oriented at a second known angle with respect to the reference;

calculating a relationship between the first and second outputs and the first and second known angles; and

applying the relationship to subsequent outputs from the sensor;

whereby the subsequent outputs are corrected in accordance with the relationship.

6. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one angle measuring instrument mountable to a first wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angle of the wheel with respect to a reference line extending between the wheel and a second, adjacent wheel, the improvement comprising:

a sensor comprising a reflective means mountable in a vertical plane at a first known angle relative to the rotational centerline the first wheel, a light emitting means mountable on the second wheel in alignment with the reference line, and a light detecting means mountable on the second wheel in vertical alignment with the light emitting means;

wherein light from the light emitting means will be reflected off of the reflective means and back to the light detecting means when the first wheel is oriented at the first known angle with respect to the reference line; and

controller means in electrical communication with the angle measuring instrument and the sensor for determining a difference between the first known angle and the angle measured by the angle measuring instrument when the first wheel is oriented at the first known angle and for determining whether the difference is greater than a certain predetermined amount.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for applying the difference to measurements made by the angle measuring instrument;

whereby the difference is used to correct the angle measuring instrument for zero-set calibration.

8. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one angle measuring instrument mountable to a first wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angle of the first wheel with respect to a reference line extending between the first wheel and a second, adjacent wheel, the improvement comprising:

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a sensor comprising a first reflective means mountable in a vertical plane at a first known angle relative to the rotational centerline the first wheel, a second reflective means mountable in a vertical plane at a second known angle relative to the rotational centerline of the first wheel, a light emitting means mountable on the second wheel in alignment with the reference line, and a light detecting means mountable on the second wheel in vertical alignment with the light emitting means;

wherein light from the light emitting means will be reflected off of the first and second reflective means and back to the light detecting means when the first wheel is oriented respectively at the first and second known angles with respect to the reference line; and

controller means in electrical communication with the angle measuring instrument and the sensor for comparing a first difference between the first and second known angles with a second difference between the angles measured by the angle measuring instrument when the first wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles, and for determining whether the second difference is greater or less than the first difference by a certain predetermined amount.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for determining a relationship between the first and second known angles and the angles measured by the angle measuring instrument when the first wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles and for applying the relationship to subsequent outputs from the angle measuring instrument;

whereby the relationship is used to correct the angle measuring instrument for span calibration.

10. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one angle measuring instrument mountable to a wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angle of the wheel in a vertical reference plane oriented with respect to the rotational centerline of the wheel, the improvement comprising:

sensor means mountable relative to the rotational centerline of the wheel at a first known angle to vertical for generating a signal when the wheel is oriented at the first known angle; and

controller means in electrical communication with the angle measuring instrument and the sensor means for determining a difference between the first known angle and the angle measured by the angle measuring instrument when the first wheel is oriented at the first known angle, as determined by the sensor means, and for determining whether the difference is greater than a certain predetermined amount.

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11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for applying the difference to measurements made by the angle measuring instrument;

whereby the difference is used to correct the angle measuring instrument for zero-set calibration.

12. In combination with a vehicle wheel aligner having at least one angle measuring instrument mountable to a wheel of a vehicle for measuring the angle of the wheel in a vertical reference plane oriented with respect to the rotational centerline of the wheel, the improvement comprising:

a first sensor means for measuring the angle of the wheel in the vertical reference plane;

the first sensor means being mountable relative to the rotational centerline at a first known angle to vertical and being operable to generate a first signal when the wheel is oriented at the first known angle;

a second sensor means for measuring the angle of the wheel in the vertical reference plane;

the second sensor means being mountable relative to the rotational centerline at a second known angle to vertical and being operable to generate a second signal when the wheel is oriented at the second known angle; and

controller means in electrical communication with the angle measuring instrument and the first and second sensors for comparing a first difference between the first and second known angles with a second difference between the angles measured by the angle measuring instrument when the wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles, as determined by the first and second sensors, and for determining whether the second difference is greater or less than the first difference by a certain predetermined amount.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for determining a relationship between the first and second known angles and the angles measured by the angle measuring instrument when the wheel is oriented at the first and second known angles and for applying the relationship to subsequent outputs from the angle measuring instrument;

whereby the relationship is used to correct the angle measuring instrument for span calibration.

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