Abstract: A machine gun unit comprises a machine gun mounted to a support by a mounting permitting pivoting movement of the machine gun relative to the support in azimuth and/or elevation. Angle encoders provide position signals representing angular displacement of the machine gun relative to the support. An aiming system comprises a sensor, for example a CCD sensor, which provides a video signal representing a field of view for the aiming system, a display device for displaying the field of view, a manual input interface, a graphics artifact generator, and a digital signal processor (DSP). The DSP monitors the outputs of the angle encoders and controls the graphics artifact generator to combine the output of the graphics artifact generator with the output of the CCD sensor for display by the display device. Various graphics artifacts can be provided. Masks may be provided for delimiting field of fire. A cursor may be repositioned to reflect superelevation requirements.

Abstract: In an optical fingerprinting system a truncated prism is used. The prism has an imaging surface against which a finger is applied, an illumination surface substantially parallel to the imaging surface and an inclined viewing surface between the imaging and illumination surfaces. Opposite the included viewing surface is another inclined surface that is coated with light absorbent material. The remaining two end surfaces of the prism may also be similarly coated. When a light source is positioned beside the illumination surface light enters the prism and causes an image of the fingerprint to be invisible on the viewing surface. As a finger is rolled on the imaging surface a linear charge coupled device (CCD) may be moved in synchronism to record the whole image.

Abstract: In apparatus, such as a weapon sight, the speed of an object moving relative to a scene is determined by processing a plurality of successive frames of data, each obtained by scanning the scene, and detecting motion of the object relative to the background/foreground features of the scene. Each frame is compared with a reference comprising a different one of the frames and corresponding background features registered. Once the frames are registered, light intensity values of corresponding elements of the frames are subtracted. The registered background features, being stationary, cancel leaving the object features. Displacement of the object features over a predetermined number of frames is used to calculate the crossing speed of the object relative to the background features.

Abstract: A guidance system suitable for use in burying cable uses a previously buried signal-emitting cable to produce a signal along the cable path. A vehicle mounted plow used to plow a second path has a receiver which analyzes signal from the buried cable and determines from it both the lateral direction and the extent of vehicle movement in order to maintain a predetermined lateral spacing of the two paths.