Other

Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation

American Aimers, Inc.

Control Vision Corporation

John Jay Humbard

Joseph Putman

Evan L Hopkins

Gregory Allen Yotz

Ross E Hopkins

Ricardo Salas

Edgar L Barth

Michael G Busby

A vehicle headlight aiming apparatus and method is provided which includes a housing that is vertically and horizontally adjustable along vertical and horizontal tracks. The housing includes a lens for receiving and focusing a headlight beam of a vehicle and forming an image on an internal screen, and a control unit mounted on the housing that is vertically and horizontally pivotable relative to the housing. The housing and the control unit each emit laser beams to configure and measure an alignment of the apparatus to the vehicle. The control unit compensates for an unlevel supporting surface of the apparatus and/or the vehicle and indicates whether the headlight is properly aimed according to a selected aiming standard based on the image, the configuration of the vehicle and the apparatus, and any compensation of any unlevel supporting surface(s) of the apparatus and/or the vehicle.

Method and apparatus for aiming headlights

An aviation navigational system and method for predicting glide range for an aircraft for specific airports and other potential emergency landing locations in proximity to the aircraft. Information is presented to the pilot by complementing a conventional moving map display with symbols centered on each landing location. GPS altitude, airport elevation, and the aircraft's glide ratio are factored into an equation to determine glide range for each airport within proximity to the aircraft. A circular symbol representing the glide range boundary is displayed around each airport. Each circular symbol represents a sectional view of an imaginary inverted cone, having the apex thereof centered on a given landing location. The size and shape of the cone is based on the gliding performance of the aircraft and the altitude differential between the aircraft and the target landing location. As the altitude differential increases the radius of the circle increases. Conversely as the altitude differential decreases, the radius of the circle decreases. As long as the aircraft is anywhere within any one of the three-dimensional inverted cones displayed, as represented by one or more circles on a two dimensional display, it can safely glide to the landing location. This display concept is selectively referred to herein as 'cones of safety.'

Flight management system and method for providing navigational reference to emergency landing locations

An aviation navigational system and method for predicting glide range for an aircraft for specific airports and other potential emergency landing locations in proximity to the aircraft. Information is presented to the pilot by complementing a conventional moving map display with symbols centered on each landing location. GPS altitude, airport elevation, and the aircraft's glide ratio are factored into an equation to determine glide range for each airport within proximity to the aircraft. A circular symbol representing the glide range boundary is displayed around each airport. Each circular symbol represents a sectional view of an imaginary inverted cone, having the apex thereof centered on a given landing location. The size and shape of the cone is based on the gliding performance of the aircraft and the altitude differential between the aircraft and the target landing location. As the altitude differential increases the radius of the circle increases. Conversely as the altitude differential decreases, the radius of the circle decreases. As long as the aircraft is anywhere within any one of the three-dimensional inverted cones displayed, as represented by one or more circles on a two dimensional display, it can safely glide to the landing location. This display concept is selectively referred to herein as &ldquo;cones of safety.&rdquo;

A method and apparatus for locating the edge of a headlamp and for centering a headlight aiming device with respect to a particular location on the headlamp includes an elongated hollow tube having first and second ends, the first end of which has an entrance opening designed to have light from the headlamp incident thereon. The entrance opening of the tube and the length of the tube provide an appropriate field of view such that the light incident upon the entrance opening of the tube travels down the tube and is incident upon a light detection device located at the far end of the tube. The light detection device is connected to signal amplifying circuitry which provides a digitally coded output signal indicative of the intensity of the light from the headlamp. The tube is moved vertically and horizontally from positions outside of the headlamp beam pattern to locations within the headlamp beam pattern and across the plane of the headlamp edge. From the light intensity measurements, the edges of the headlamp can be determined. Once the edges of the headlamp are determined, a particular location on the headlamp, e.g., the centerpoint, can be determined by using e.g., appropriate manufacturer's specifications for the headlamp. The aiming device can then be properly located with respect to the particular location on the headlamp such that aiming of the headlamp can then be performed.

Method and apparatus for locating a specific location on a vehicle

An apparatus and method for aiming vehicle headlights and for visually displaying the illumination patterns of vehicle headlights. The apparatus focuses the light beam on a screen and includes a video sensor for sensing the intensity of the light in each cell of a matrix of cells overlying the focused light beam and for generating an electrical signal for each cell indicative of the position of the cell and the intensity of the light beam in each cell and a computer for comparing at least some of the electrical signals to each other and with established criteria to determine whether the headlight is aimed within a prescribed degree of accuracy. The same apparatus may be used to describe the illumination pattern of a headlight by visually displaying at least some of the electrical signals, i.e. the light intensities and their locations, for example on a printer or CRT. The conformance of headlight aiming and illumination to established standards can be easily determined by including steps in the computer software to apply the applicable criteria. The aiming conformance tests may produce error signals for controlling powered screwdrivers to correct errors in aiming. The apparatus preferably includes a centering indicator for centering the headlight relative to the lens by comparing electrical signals produced by discrete light intensity sensors disposed around the periphery of the lens.

Headlight aiming and light pattern testing apparatus and method

An automatic decorating machine for applying flowable decorative materials to cakes and other food products as well as other articles. Live video images are captured by a video camera and are displayed on a video monitor. The video image can be combined with textual messages composed from alpha-numeric characters and with artwork which can either be composed contemporaneously on site or selected from previously prepared artwork selections. The video image, artwork and text can be edited and combined as desired for display on the monitor to provide a preview of the decorating pattern. The displayed pattern is reproduced on the cake by an X-Y table which moves liquid spray applicators and icing or gel dispensers over the cake and controls the application of food coloring and icing or gel in a manner to reproduce the selected pattern on the cake.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburg, KS, United States of America

John Jay Humbard