Importance

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Abstract

A system is disclosed for determining the positions of a set of points on a body and comparing those points to a set of reference points. The system includes a data acquisition apparatus comprised of emitters, receivers, and microprocessor controls. The emitters are mounted at various predetermined positions on the body, for example a vehicle body or frame, and are triggered in an optimal fashion by the microprocessors. Triggering generates a single acoustic burst signal from an emitter. An array of microphones acts as the receiver. After generation of the signal, the microprocessor initializes an external clock which measures the travel time of the signal from the emitter to the receivers. By repeating this process a number of times, data is acquired which yields the three-dimensional coordinates of a given point when processed by a microprocessor. Microprocessors further convert this data into a form that can be used by the overall system to determine the positions of all points measured on the vehicle body or frame. The data is transmitted to an operator display unit where it is plotted graphically. Reference data is inputted into the operator display unit via an optical decoder. This data and a comparision of the two sets of data is displayed. Based on the data comparison, the operator can then determine whether and to what extent repair work or further maintenance work on the automobile body, frame or wheels is necessary.

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First Claim