Patents by Inventor Patrick C. Pointer

Patrick C. Pointer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Non-contact vehicle orientation and alignment sensor and method
    Patent number: 12270639
    Abstract: A non-contact sensor for determining orientation of an object, such as a tire and wheel assembly of a vehicle, includes a projector assembly having a light emitter, a lens assembly and a mask, with the mask including mask apertures and the light emitter configured to project light through the lens assembly and mask apertures and onto the object, and with the mask apertures creating a light pattern of projected light onto the object. The sensor also includes an imager configured to image reflections of the light pattern from the object, and a processor. The projector assembly and imager are angled with respect to one another, and the processor is configured to process imaged reflections of the light pattern to derive the orientation of the object, such as the alignment orientation of the tire and wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: BPG Sales and Technology Investments, LLC
    Inventors: Frank J. Bretl, David L. Frederic, Patrick C. Pointer, Mark A. Trevisiol, Ben Wahlstrom
  • NON-CONTACT VEHICLE ORIENTATION AND ALIGNMENT SENSOR AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20210333097
    Abstract: A non-contact sensor for determining orientation of an object, such as a tire and wheel assembly of a vehicle, includes a projector assembly having a light emitter, a lens assembly and a mask, with the mask including mask apertures and the light emitter configured to project light through the lens assembly and mask apertures and onto the object, and with the mask apertures creating a light pattern of projected light onto the object. The sensor also includes an imager configured to image reflections of the light pattern from the object, and a processor. The projector assembly and imager are angled with respect to one another, and the processor is configured to process imaged reflections of the light pattern to derive the orientation of the object, such as the alignment orientation of the tire and wheel assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Frank J. Bretl, David L. Frederic, Patrick C. Pointer, Mark A. Trevisiol, Ben Wahlstrom