Patent ID: 7532742

Claim:
A method for measuring and aligning wheels of a vehicle comprising: using a machine vision alignment apparatus including optical scanning devices and optically scannable targets, said machine vision alignment apparatus performing the steps of prompting a user of the machine vision alignment apparatus to choose between a standard alignment and a two-wheel alignment; conducting a standard alignment based on images of the targets formed with the optical scanning devices if the user chooses a standard alignment; and conducting a two-wheel, two-target alignment procedure using the optical scanning devices based on the images of the targets if the user chooses a two-wheel alignment; wherein the two-wheel, two-target alignment procedure comprises: instructing the user to mount optically scannable targets to two front wheels of the vehicle; obtaining images of the targets on the front wheels using optical scanning devices; prompting the user to choose between a virtual center point and an actual center point for a rear axle of the vehicle; prompting the user to choose between a calculated and a retrieved virtual center point if the user selects the virtual center point; calculating the virtual center point using the images of the targets on the front wheels if the user selects the calculated virtual center point; retrieving a virtual center point from a computer memory device if the user selects the retrieved virtual center point; prompting the user to enter actual measurements of rear wheels of the vehicle if the user selects the actual center point; calculating the actual center point of the rear axle using the actual measurements of the rear wheels; and using the calculated virtual center point or the calculated actual center point of the rear axle of the vehicle and the images of the targets on the front wheels to measure and adjust alignment properties of the front wheels.