Method and apparatus for locating a specific location on a vehicle

Abstract

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.