Patent ID: 6968282

Claim:
A wheel alignment method using a machine measuring system that has a first measuring device and a second measuring device, wherein the first measuring device and the second measuring device are image-capturing devices, the method comprising the steps of: mounting a first calibration target in a first fixed predetermined relationship to the first measuring device of the machine measuring system, wherein the first measuring device is configured to generate a positional parameter of a first wheel of a vehicle; mounting a third measuring device in a second fixed predetermined relationship to the second measuring device of the machine measuring system, wherein the second measuring device is configured to generate a positional parameter of a second wheel of the vehicle, and the third measuring device is an image-capturing device configured to repeatedly measure a relative position between the third measuring device and the calibration target; storing a reference value that represents a reference position of the first calibration target relative to the third measuring device; repeatedly determining a relative measuring-device position value representing the position of the first measuring device relative to the second measuring device based on a position of the first calibration target relative to the third measuring device; calculating alignment parameters of the vehicle based on the relative measuring-device position value, the first fixed predetermined relationship, the second fixed predetermined relationship, the positional parameter of the first wheel, and the positional parameter of the second wheel; and periodically comparing the reference value with a new measurement of the relative position between the third measuring device and the calibration target.