Abstract: The present invention provides an amusement ride having a self-propelled electric powered ride vehicle capable of maximum acceleration of about 0.3 to as much as about 1.1 G's in either direction using a unique pinch wheel drive system, and including an on board vehicle controller and peripheral equipment for controlling the vehicle. The pinch wheel drive system, which compresses driven wheel motor packages against a tractive surface, generates compression using a system which is independent of the vehicle's weight and motion. A master controller is provided for ride systems having multiple self-propelled vehicles on the same track for communicating with and coordinating the movement of the ride vehicles. This allows precise control of multiple ride vehicles to allow faster dispatch and shorter intervehicular spacings by implementing a floating zone control.

Abstract: A system and method for launching projectiles, such as fireworks projectiles, which explode in the air into a pyrotechnic display. The projectile includes a shell constructed from a binding agent and an explosive additive which explodes the shell into small particles. The explosive additive, which may be nitrocellulose, causes the exploded particles to be rapidly burned and consumed to form lightweight, inert flakes that fall harmlessly to the ground. The projectile is aimed and launched by a launcher using a compressed gas to rapidly expel the projectile from a launching tube. Once in the air at a predetermined location in the sky, an electronic fuse inside the projectile operates to detonate the projectile into its intended pyrotechnic display. The fuse is extremely accurate and enables detonation of the projectile at precise altitudes. An electronic control system controls launching and detonation of the projectiles in a precise and repeatable manner.

Abstract: An identification system including an exemplar fingerprint on an identification card which is to be compared using autocorrelation with a fingerprint of the presenter of the card. Additionally, waveforms generated during the autocorrelation step are compared with similar waveforms taken at the time the card is issued and recorded in a read only memory within the card. This latter comparison assures that the exemplar has not been tampered with.

Abstract: A computerized data-bearing card which includes an internal microcomputer chip which includes a random access memory, a read-only memory and a programmable read-only memory, and which is constructed so that digitized data may be read from and written into the microcomputer by an independent reader/writer unit. Communication between the card and the reader/writer unit is by means of interactive photoelectric transducers provided in the card and the reader/writer unit. The circuitry within the card is electrically energized by electromagnetic induction from the reader/writer unit, thereby obviating any need for internal batteries, electrical connections to external power supplies and electric switches. Clock signals from the microcomputer are also supplied to the reader/writer unit by interactive photoelectric transducers.

Abstract: This color copying system scans the original with a raster input scanner to generate digital signals representing red, green and blue, and prints at a raster output scanner which uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. In addition, under color removal is used, that being defined as the removal of a certain amount of ink from all three colors, and the addition of an equivalent amount of black ink. The first step is to convert the input scanner colors into the color being printed during the current revolution of the printing drum. This requires the solution of three equations, each of which use three look-up RAM tables. In addition, the amount of under color removal must also be calculated before the amount of ink for the dot being printed is known. This requires an additional table look-up. Finally, for the black cycle, the amount of black ink must be calculated, requiring another table.

Abstract: A circuit for correcting the write power of a laser raster output scanner as it scans across the write drum. During calibration, a piece of glass reflects part of the beam into a photo multiplier tube, the output of which is converted into a digital signal. This is compared to a reference signal. The difference for each segment of the scan is stored in RAM and also is converted back to an analog signal to modulate an acousto-optic modulator in the laser optics to correct the write power. After the system has settled to a point where the write power at the drum does not vary across the scan, the glass may be removed and the system operates using the corrections stored in RAM.

Abstract: A device employing the optical autocorrelation method for automatically comparing the fingerprint of an individual with a previously identified exemplar utilizes a pair of multifaceted mirrors rotating about mutually perpendicular axes to sweep an image of the fingerprint over the surface of the exemplar in a raster. To maintain the image in focus, a pair of independent identical relay lens systems are positioned in the light path and arranged symmetrically with respect to a common intermediate image plane. The mirrors are positioned so that as they rotate their reflective facets coincide successively with the aperture stop locations of the respective lens system. To compensate for possible angular misalignment of the fingerprint and the exemplar, novel independent optical means are provided for effectively rotating the image about the principal axis of the light path.