Snap-on Inc.

Snap-on Technologies, Inc.

Michael J Kling, Iii

Steven W Rogers

George Michael Gill

Michael L Baird

David A Jackson

Brian M Bliven

Jean De Bellefeuille

Alan David Casby

Hoshang Shroff

John C Brennan

Patrick Brendan O'Mahony

Ju Zheng

Gary L Sandusky

Brian McAuliffe

Sanjay R Shetty

Joe Gibbs

Brian O'Sullivan

Yinsong Li

Jean deBelleuille

David Zinkiewicz

Steven Glickman

Anthony Carroll

A system for measuring the relative locations of points on a vehicle includes plural electromagnetic radiation sources adapted to be fixed relative to the vehicle and plural electromagnetic radiation receivers, a processor for determining angles between each receiver and each source, a display device, and a processor program routine for monitoring each receiver and generating a graphical display indicating for each source and each receiver whether or not the source is in the field of view of the receiver. A hand-held probe may have at least one additional electromagnetic radiation source and an indicator to indicate whether or not the probe source is in the field of view of all receivers.

Coordinate measuring system and field-of-view indicators therefor

A system for graphic display of point-to-point distance measurements in an object measuring system includes display of a graphic drawing representing the object and depictions of measured points representing their locations on the object and displays of lines between the points of selected pairs of displayed points to indicate where a distance measurement is taken. For each line there is displayed an indication that the measured distance is (a) within tolerance limits of a standard distance, (b) shorter than the standard distance by a difference greater than a lower tolerance limit or (c) greater than the standard distance by a difference exceeding an upper tolerance limit. There may simultaneously be displayed an alphanumeric table indicating the points, the measured and standard distances and the differences, which table may utilize the same tolerance indication scheme as the graphical representation.

Vehicle collision damage display technique

A network-based method and system for distributing data, such as service data for various types of service processes and models, including software applications, specifications, user's manuals, or parameters, etc, over a data transmission network. A remote service provider maintains a database of the data. The database is updated frequently. The remote service provider maintains a website for authorized users to access the data. Authorized users can access and download desired data by connecting to the remote service provider via the data transmission network. Certain approaches are used to verify a user's identity. In one aspect, a combination of a product code that is specific to a system and a license/activation code that is generated based on the product code is verified. Unless a proper combination exists, the downloaded data cannot be properly accessed. The remote service provider also allows users to purchase a license to access the data online. Therefore, users can access the most updated data without waiting for CD-ROMs containing new software or specifications to arrive.

Network-based method and system for distributing data

Techniques are disclosed for providing a system that has a plurality of devices in which the position of a device of the plurality of devices relative to another device of the plurality of devices is self-calibrated. In one embodiment, the system is a five-camera aligner for use in aligning motor vehicle wheels. In this embodiment, the aligner includes a first camera pod having two alignment cameras and a calibration camera, and a second camera pod having another two alignment cameras and a calibration target. Because the aligner has four alignment cameras and a calibration camera, the aligner is often referred to as a five-camera aligner. For illustration purposes, the first camera pod is herein referred to as the left camera pod and the second camera pod is herein referred to as the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the left camera pod is placed to the left of the aligner, and the right camera pod is placed to the right of the aligner. The two alignment cameras of the left camera pod focus at the two left wheels of the vehicle under alignment, while the two alignment cameras of the right camera pod focus at the two right wheels of the same vehicle. In addition, the calibration camera on the left pod focuses at the calibration target mounted in the right camera pod. In one embodiment, the relative positions of the elements (alignment camera, calibration camera, and calibration target) in each camera pod are pre-calibrated. Consequently, the aligner is fully calibrated when the position of the left camera pod to the right camera pod is measured. Further, the calibration camera is configured such that it periodically measures the position of the left camera pod relative to the right camera pod, rendering the aligner a self-calibrated aligner.

Self-calibrating 3D machine measuring system useful in motor vehicle wheel alignment

The present invention is directed to computerized vehicle servicing and diagnostic systems that communicate with or access remotely located computers via the Internet that have pre-stored data or utilize pre-store data and parameters. The present system provides a navigational framework with two modules, the Menu Mode (random) and the Wizard Mode (sequential). The Menu Mode provides direct access to any required process and Wizard Mode provides a flexible control of process sequences and allows for user modification.

Computerized automotive service system

Growing community of inventors

Delafield, WI, United States of America

Michael J Kling, Iii