Method and apparatus for determining the position of an object

Details Method and apparatus for determining the position of an object Method and apparatus for determining the position of an object

1987-08-31

1990-02-06

Buczinski, Stephen C.

Optics: measuring and testing

Angle measuring or angular axial alignment

With photodetection remote from measured angle

3320318, 3320319, 3320320, 33288, 356150, 250214B, G01B 1126, G01C 2106

Patent

active

048984647

ABSTRACT:
A system and method are provided using a photodetector array for producing an output signal which is compensated for the effects of ambient light, photodetector bias, and the like, wherein the output signal contains information indicative of the position of the object. The preferred embodiment is useful for vehicular wheel alignment and includes left and right wheel units for coupling to respective left and right steerable wheels of a vehicle, and a central microcomputer and CRT display operably coupled with each wheel unit. Each preferred wheel unit includes a photodetector array operably connected to a wheel unit microcomputer and a laser beam source directing a laser beam toward the array of the other wheel unit. In use, the central microcomputer turns each laser off and on, whereupon the wheel unit microcomputers store corresponding sets of data and produce respective output signals indicative of the impingement location of each laser beam on the respective arrays which signals are compensated for the effects of ambient light, detector bias, and the like.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3901604 (1975-08-01), Butler
patent: 4138825 (1979-02-01), Pelta
patent: 4274735 (1981-06-01), Tamura et al.
patent: 4319838 (1982-03-01), Grossman et al.
patent: 4336658 (1982-06-01), January et al.
patent: 4500201 (1985-02-01), Lill

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