Apparatus and method with improved field of view for determining vehicle wheel alignment measurements from three dimensional wheel positions and orientations

A wheel alignment station for determining the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle, said station comprising:

• a predetermined path along which a vehicle whose wheel alignment is to be measured may be driven, said path having an entrance and an exit, the entrance and exit being spaced longitudinally along the predetermined path;
• a set of predetermined optical targets adapted to be mounted to front and rear wheels of a vehicle to be driven along the predetermined path;
• at least a first camera disposed to receive images of said optical target mounted to a front wheel of the vehicle when said vehicle is at a predetermined position along the path;
• at least a second camera disposed to receive images of said optical target mounted to a rear wheel of the vehicle when said vehicle is at a predetermined position along the path, said rear wheel being disposed on the same side of the vehicle as said front wheel, each of said cameras having a field of view;
• the first camera having its field of view directed at the optical target mounted to said front wheel of the vehicle and the second camera having its field of view directed at the optical target mounted to said rear wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle is at the predetermined position along the path;
• computing circuitry operatively connected to said cameras, said computing circuitry being responsive to the images of said targets to determine values of wheel alignment parameters of the vehicle.

A wheel alignment apparatus for determining the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

• a set of predetermined optical targets adapted to be mounted in positions to provide images functionally related to wheel alignment parameters;
• at least one camera disposed to receive images of at least one optical target, said camera having a field of view;
• a computer operatively connected to said at least one camera, said computer being responsive to at least one image of at least one of said targets to determine values of wheel alignment parameters of the vehicle;
• and
• a mechanism to move said at least one camera such that at least one of said optical targets is present in the field of view at first and second positions of the target, said first and second positions of the target being separated vertically.

A wheel alignment apparatus for determining the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

• a set of predetermined optical targets adapted to be mounted to wheels of a vehicle;
• at least one camera disposed to receive images of at least one of said optical targets, each of said at least one video cameras having a field of view;
• a computer responsive to at least one image of at least one of said targets to determine values of wheel alignment parameters of the vehicle;
• and
• a mechanism to alter the position of said at least one camera such that at least one of said targets is present in the field of view at first and second positions of the target, said first and second positions of the target being separated vertically.

A wheel alignment apparatus for determining the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

• a set of predetermined optical targets adapted to be mounted to front and rear wheels of a vehicle;
• at least a first camera disposed to receive images of said optical target mounted to a front wheel of the vehicle;
• at least a second camera disposed to receive images of said optical target mounted to a rear wheel of the vehicle, said rear wheel being disposed on the same side of the vehicle as said front wheel, each of said cameras having a field of view;
• the first camera having its field of view directed at the optical target mounted to said front wheel of the vehicle and the second camera having its field of view directed at the optical target mounted to said rear wheel of the vehicle;
• computing circuitry operatively connected to said cameras, said computing circuitry being responsive to the images of said targets to determine values of wheel alignment parameters of the vehicle;
• and
• a mechanism to move said first and second cameras.