Patent ID: 6181993
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: G01B,G01M

Abstract:
A wheel alignment system for vehicles comprising at least four vehicle support wheels which comprises:single means for angle measurement mounted in predetermined relationship to a wheel plane of each of the four vehicle support wheels for collectively providing wheel angle indicative output signals in redundant signal sets, any one of said signal sets containing data sufficient to obtain four wheel alignment angles;said single means for angle measurement comprisingomnidirectional beam projection means mounted on each of a first two support wheels for projecting a plurality of beams in known directions with respect to the wheel plane, anddirectional beam reception means mounted on a second two support wheels for providing receiver output signal indicative of direction of received beams relative to the wheel plane of respective ones of said second two support wheels and of identity of the direction of projection of received beams relative to the wheel plane of respective ones of said first two support wheels; andmeans in communication with said single means for receiving and processing said redundant signal sets and for computing alignment angles for the support wheels.