Patent ID: 8552836

Claim:
An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle, the component including at least one component attachment device, said alignment system comprising: at least one sensor target coupled to the component at a first predetermined distance from the at least one component attachment device; a plurality of position detectors, each of said plurality of position detectors coupled to a predetermined location of a corresponding component retention assembly of a plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle, said plurality of position detectors configured to indicate a position of the at least one component attachment device relative to the at least one corresponding component retention assembly on the vehicle; a controller assembly at a first location on the vehicle configured to transmit a signal from the first location towards said at least one sensor target at a second location and receive positional information of said at least one sensor target relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies based on the predetermined location of said plurality of position detectors coupled to said plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle at a third location; wherein the positional information is associated with a reflected signal received at said plurality of position detectors at the third location from said at least one sensor target at the second location, said controller assembly comprising a transmitter configured to transmit an orientation dataset indicative of a position of the component attachment device relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle based on a position of said at least one sensor target with respect to a position of said plurality of position detectors and a position of the at least one component attachment device; and a processing device communicatively coupled to said controller assembly, said processing device programmed to translate the orientation dataset transmitted by the transmitter and cause a set of component positioning signals based on the orientation dataset to be displayed at a user interface.