Abstract: A memory holds calibration data that are applied to compensate imperfections in a printhead-carriage guide rod, improving alignment between marks printed with different heads. Commonly heads and a carriage encoder are spaced from the rod at different distances, which interact with rod deviation to form dot-placement errors (DPE) that vary along the rod. The memory holds a single offset value, best a weighted composite of (a) an average of maximum and minimum deviations from straightness, and (b) median deviation, along the rod; or as the carriage moves on the rod the system steps or interpolates between successive offsets, or uses a continuous corrective-offset function. Separate offsets may be stored for adjacent-head pairs. The memory is best a digital unit holding just a few data bits, but may be a mechanical cam or linkage, compensation network or other analog circuit, polynomial coefficients, or codestrip with unequally spaced graduations. A custom strip is used with no further intervention.

Abstract: Activity or craft apparatus and method for simply, inexpensively, and generally instantaneously creating a thin lithophane-like pictorial work that provides a picture or image when light passes through the work from the rear. The work is formed by compressing a formable translucent material. The illustrated apparatus includes a contoured forming surface that is a reverse image of the contoured recessed picture-providing front surface of a desired lithophane-type pictorial work. The translucent material is compressed against the forming surface to form the material into a thin panel that has, at the interface with the forming surface, the contoured recessed picture-producing front surface. In one form the forming surface is mounted on a stamp. The stamp may be hand held or maybe mounted on a press or the like. Thickness limiting stops may be provided to control and limit the final thickness of the compressed finished work.

Abstract: An apparatus for implementing a game having a deterministic component and a non-deterministic component wherein a player uses the game through at least one player interface unit. Each player interface unit generates a player record indicating player-initiated events. A random number generator provides a series of pseudo-random numbers and a rules library stores indexed rules for one or more games. An interface registry stores mapping records where the mapping records are used to associate the player-initiated events to pre-selected rules in the rules library. A control means is coupled to the player interface to receive the output of the player interface unit, coupled to the interface registry, the rules library, and the random number generator.

Abstract: It is first determined whether any printing element of a printhead has failed. If so, functions of the failed element are reassigned to other elements. Some aspects of the invention do this in such a way as to maintain essentially single-pass operation. Ordinarily the reassigned functions are applied to control operation of the head or heads, to print images on a print medium, and functions of the apparatus and method are effected automatically by program instructions—in nonvolatile memory. One approach to the reassignment includes removing from service all printing elements between the failed element and a nearer end of the head, inclusive—and then preferably operating all remaining in-service elements as a shorter printhead. If the printhead operates in conjunction with a print-medium advance mechanism, then also preferably each operation of that mechanism is shortened to correspond to a height of the shorter head.

Abstract: Method as well as apparatus makes and breaks electrical connections between at least one electrical cable connector and an electronics module that has at least one corresponding panel connector. A rack receives and holds the module. A cable-connector holder, formed in the rack, receives and holds the cable connector(s) in positions aligned with the panel connector(s) when the electronics module is held in the rack. Each cable-connector holder easily and quickly engages, or disengages from, a corresponding cable connector. The rack itself provides only a mechanical intermediary, not an electrical intermediary, between the panel connectors and cable connectors. Preferably there are numerous cable connectors, with corresponding cable-connector holders and panel connectors. In this case the rack includes a device for quickly and easily disengaging the electronics module from the rack, and all the cable connectors from panel connectors, essentially simultaneously.

Abstract: Spaced pins support and align the strip. Apertures in the strip engage the pins with no fastening. The strip—best a transparent member and glued strength member—is end-mounted and -tensioned. Ideally the apertures are slots to constrain the strip as to only one dimension, and spaced (ideally about 30 cm on centers) to facilitate cutting various-size strips (e. g. for spans of roughly 91½, 106½, 152½ and 183 cm) from common, preapertured stock. The strip is longer than a meter; the invention is progressively more valuable for 1¼ m or longer strips. At least one pin is placed to keep fundamental oscillation of the strip, due to environmental vibration, from moving the strip out of position. The invention can take the form of the strip only, for use with the pins; or a printer with encoding system having the strip and pins—and a sensor responsive to the encoder to control printing; or a method of preparing a system for use.

Abstract: Bidirectional scanning printheads discharge color-ink drops at ultrahigh resolution while scanning in each direction, to form color swaths on a print medium. The heads are at least partially aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the medium, so that the swaths at least partly overlap in that direction. An advance mechanism intermittently steps the print medium longitudinally, to enable displacement of successive swaths. A control system alternates (1) one full reciprocation of the heads, to discharge drops while scanning each way across the medium, with (2) each step of the advance mechanism. Preferably the heads print, while scanning each way, a respective generally fixed nonzero fraction of the total amount of each secondary color to be printed. In this way the overall appearance of each secondary is essentially consistent and partway between two appearances respectively produced by scanning two ways. This invention avoids the long-printzone drawbacks associated with full-height-staggered heads.

Abstract: An apparatus for implementing a game having a deterministic component and a non-deterministic component wherein a player uses the game through at least one player interface unit. Each player interface unit generates a player record indicating player-initiated events. A random number generator provides a series of pseudo-random numbers and a rules library stores indexed rules for one or more games. An interface registry stores mapping records where the mapping records are used to associate the player-initiated events to pre-selected rules in the rules library. A control means is coupled to the player interface to receive the output of the player interface unit, coupled to the interface registry, the rules library, and the random number generator.

Abstract: A catamaran-type sailboat with a steering mechanism preferably located at the level of the catamaran deck. This steering mechanism may include a rotatable or generally linearly moveable pad or element. The pad is usually actuated by foot, leaving the users hands free to operate a sail, but it can also be actuated by hand. The movement of the pad is generally simultaneously transferred to rudders at the rear of each catamaran hull by a push-pull cable unit, thereby steering the sailboat. An elastic band attached to the pad keeps the steering mechanism self-centered when not in use. When the user wishes to maneuver the sailboat, he simply moves the pad in the proper direction with his foot or hand.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing a dynamic gas-inflated object such as a figure with legs, a torso and head, and a pair of arms. The figure performs generally repetitive movements such as dance-like undulations in a manner that appears to keep time with music. The figure is hollow and connected to a continuous generally constant input flow of air or other gas under pressure. The figure is provided with at least two spaced-apart outlets or vents to allow a continuous discharge of generally all of the air being introduced into the figure. In operation, the figure tends to cycle between extending generally upright, then, as more air is discharged, destabilizing and moving to a contorted or bent position, then, as more air flows in, to extending, etc. The figure may be designed for extensive movement e.g., dancing, or for a narrower range of movements. In a preferred form, the outlets are generally at the top of the head and at the ends of the arms.

Abstract: Laser lines at 635 nm or longer (ideally 647 nm) are preferred for red, giving energy-efficient, bright, rapid-motion images with rich, full film-comparable colors. Green and blue lines are used too—and cyan retained for best color mixing, an extra light-power boost, and aid in speckle suppression. Speckle is suppressed through beam-path displacement—by deflecting the beam during projection, thereby avoiding both absorption and diffusion of the beam while preserving pseudocollimation (noncrossing rays). The latter in turn is important to infinite sharpness. Path displacement is achieved by scanning the beam on the liquid-crystal valves (LCLVs), which also provides several enhancements—in energy efficiency, brightness, contrast, beam uniformity (by suppressing both laser-mode ripple and artifacts), and convenient beam-turning to transfer the beam between apparatus tiers.

Abstract: A wobble-absorbing magnetic bearing for a drive system that applies force from a driving mover to move a driven object; said bearing comprising: a driving bearing element having a first surface; a driven bearing element having a second surface that faces the first surface along a drive direction; rolling elements disposed between the first and second surfaces to: enable the driving and driven bearing elements to move substantially freely, relative to each other, along at least one direction transverse to the drive direction.

Abstract: Surface relief of a finger is read using an optical-fiber prism unit, with fiber terminations at one end to contact the surface, and at the other for light passages along fibers from the first. Light enters where NA<0.5 and fiber diameter is constant with longitudinal position. The device is in a 1.4-2 L case, with a battery or power unit, converter to form a corresponding data array for verifying, digital signal processor to do the verifying, and output to indicate or implement a decision. The optical fiber prism unit has a substantially circular cylindrical wall defining a longitudinal axis, fused optical fibers parallel to the longitudinal axis, a traverser face for output of a skin pattern image from the prism and a generally elliptical angled face for contacting such a skin pattern.

Abstract: A rotary-arm drive includes a wobble-absorbing magnetic bearing (WAMB). One end of the arm engages a load-carrying surface. The other end rotates with a power-carrying rotary shaft. The arm transmits power at least one way between surface and shaft. The WAMB is between the first end of the arm and the surface.As to one aspect of the invention, the WAMB directly transmits force mechanically, but absorbs mismatched motion, between end and surface. Preferably the bearing has at least two elements (more preferably rolling elements, ideally balls) fastened to neither the end nor the surface.As to a second aspect, the drive is a traveling antirotation module. The first end rides on a fixed guideway that defines the surface; the other is fixed to a mechanical element forming the shaft and travels, carrying the arm, along a drive direction and is subject to undesired rotation about the axis. Thus the arm and its engagement with the guideway help restrain the element against rotation.

Abstract: A game for play by one or more players. The illustrated game includes a selection surface for each player. Each surface faces a player area where the associated player would position herself to observe the surface. A liquid discharge mechanism is selectively operable to direct a liquid discharge toward the player areas. The selection surface has a plurality of sites or locations. At the start of each game, a group or some but not all of the sites on a selection surface are predetermined, but the player associated with that surface does not know which sites have been predetermined. The players may take turns selecting sites on their surfaces with the objective of selecting the predetermined sites. As one player makes selections, the discharge mechanism is directed toward the other player's play area, and when a predetermined selection is successfully selected, the opposing player may receive a liquid discharge or spray.

Abstract: The system provides electricity to operate any of a multiplicity of device and most typically receives power from a source and passes power to any of the devices. The system also accepts electronic-device identification information for any particular one of such devices. The system also has one or more programmed digital electronic microprocessors that use the identification information to select power parameters--for passage of power from the source to the powered device. The system activates its own power-passing capability to apply power to each device according to the power parameters selected by the microprocessor.

Abstract: Several aspects: (1) a wobble-absorbing magnetic bearing ("WAMB") has driving/driven surfaces, and magnetically clamped between them e. g. balls for free motion in one or more directions. A groove (preferably V-) in at least one surface guides the balls to limit motion as to one degree of freedom so the bearing transmits torque. (2) a WAMB system for a precision drive that transmits torque through a wobble absorber to move an object, guarded from transmitted-torque effects. Motion due to torque is best shunted to a passive surface using a partially floating member moved laterally by the motion, balls between floater and surface, and a magnet to clamp floater against surface, through the balls. (3) a torque-transmitting WAMB has unmagnetized bearing surfaces, with balls between for free motion of the surfaces in one direction; a magnet separate from all the surfaces and balls clamps the balls firmly between the surfaces.

Abstract: In one form of game the player observes and must quickly respond to the rapidly changing conditions of one or more visually observed displays such as lights to avoid being sprayed by a liquid discharge. The games is so constructed that to effectively play the game the player must generally continuously observe the condition of the lights; to do so the player must maintain her face in position to be sprayed. In another preferred embodiment, the visually observed display is a screen such as a LCD on which changing action images appear. The player interacts by controlling a portion of the images in response to the action of other of the images and in accordance with the predetermined manner of play of the game. When she is not successful, she receives a spray.