Abstract: A method of determining alignment characteristics of a tire and wheel assembly mounted on a vehicle comprises projecting a light plane onto the tire and wheel assembly to form a reference illumination line, receiving a reflected image of the reference illumination line with a photo electric device, and determining a reference distance from the reference illumination line to a noncontact wheel alignment sensor including the photo electric device. The method also includes projecting a plurality of light planes onto the tire and wheel assembly to form a plurality of generally parallel illumination lines, receiving a reflected image of at least some of the generally parallel illumination lines with the photo electric device, and identifying which generally parallel illumination lines are imaged at the receiving step using the reference distance, and determining the orientation of the tire and wheel assembly based on the reflected image of the generally parallel illumination lines.

Abstract: A method of determining alignment characteristics of a tire and wheel assembly mounted on a vehicle comprises projecting a light plane onto the tire and wheel assembly to form a reference illumination line, receiving a reflected image of the reference illumination line with a photo electric device, and determining a reference distance from the reference illumination line to a noncontact wheel alignment sensor including the photo electric device. The method also includes projecting a plurality of light planes onto the tire and wheel assembly to form a plurality of generally parallel illumination lines, receiving a reflected image of at least some of the generally parallel illumination lines with the photo electric device, and identifying which generally parallel illumination lines are imaged at the receiving step using the reference distance, and determining the orientation of the tire and wheel assembly based on the reflected image of the generally parallel illumination lines.

Abstract: A sensor and method of determining the orientation of an object, such as the alignment characteristics of a tire and wheel assembly mounted on a vehicle, includes projecting a plurality of light planes from a first light projector onto a tire and wheel assembly to form a plurality of generally parallel illumination lines on a tire of the tire and wheel assembly, receiving a reflected image of at least some of the illumination lines with a photo electric device reflected from the tire at an angle relative to a projecting angle of the first light projector, and determining a plane defined by spatial coordinates from a selected point located on each illumination line imaged by the photo electric device, with the plane representing the orientation of the tire and wheel assembly.