Abstract: A transportation drone taxi facility, a taxi drone system operation, with advanced operational and safety features is disclosed.

Abstract: Sloped-for-rain urban sidewalks are horrible for wheelchair users because of the constant veering-off threat caused by gravity. Anybody who tries to self-propel a wheelchair on a city sidewalk for the first time is in for a rude awakening—the user must use one hand to steer by retarding one wheel, and that makes propelling inefficient, difficult and frustrating, to say nothing of the dangerous veering-off threat. Applicant's solution is to provide joining means to couple and uncouple the drive wheels. The joining means, when coupled, causes the two drive wheels to rotate in unison preventing the wheelchair from veering-off so that it travels straight when traversing a sloped surface, and when uncoupled allowing the two drive wheels to rotate at different speeds to allow turning. Joining means comprises: slip-clutch, gear configuration or the like, and may be automatic or user controlled.

Abstract: Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. In one embodiment, the first party transmits unsolicited offers over the open communications network. The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document and whether the unique information was previously read prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Abstract: Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. In one embodiment, the first party transmits unsolicited offers over the open communications network The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document and whether the unique information was previously read prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Abstract: Sloped-for-rain urban sidewalks are horrible for wheelchair users because of the constant veering-off threat caused by gravity. Anybody who tries to self-propel a wheelchair on a city sidewalk for the first time is in for a rude awakening—the user must use one hand to steer by retarding one wheel, and that makes propelling inefficient, difficult and frustrating, to say nothing of the dangerous veering-off threat. Applicant's solution (undiscovered heretofore (centuries)) is to provide joining means to couple and uncouple the drive wheels. The joining means, when coupled, causes the two drive wheels to rotate in unison preventing the wheelchair from veering-off so that it travels straight when traversing a sloped surface, and when uncoupled allowing the two drive wheels to rotate at different speeds to allow turning. Joining means comprises: slip-clutch, gear configuration or the like, and may be automatic or user controlled.

Abstract: Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. In one embodiment, the first party transmits unsolicited offers over the open communications network The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document and whether the unique information was previously read prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Abstract: Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. In one embodiment, the first party transmits unsolicited offers over the open communications network The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document and whether the unique information was previously read prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Abstract: An improved antenna system, method and apparatus for interrogating and locating RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and other RF (Radio Frequency) devices, and various applications therefore and thereof, are disclosed. One embodiment is for reading and locating the physical position of RFID tags (such as is made by Phillips, Siemens's Infineon and Texas Instrument) that may be embedded in gaming chips (RFID gaming chips, such as is made by Gaming Partners International Corp.) used in a casino, TV or movie studio or elsewhere for wagering at table games and other gambling games including Blackjack, Poker, Craps, Baccarat and Roulette, but the invention may be used for various other RFID applications.

Abstract: An improved antenna system, method and apparatus for interrogating and locating RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and other RF (Radio Frequency) devices, and various applications therefore and thereof, are disclosed. One embodiment is for reading and locating the physical position of RFID tags (such as is made by Phillips, Siemens's Infineon and Texas Instrument) that may be embedded in gaming chips (RFID gaming chips, such as is made by Gaming Partners International Corp.) used in a casino, TV or movie studio or elsewhere for wagering at table games and other gambling games including Blackjack, Poker, Craps, Baccarat and Roulette, but the invention may be used for various other RFID applications.

Abstract: A fully automatic table game player tracking system for Blackjack and other casino games wherein players have individual betting positions on the table is disclosed. An individual B&W CCD chip reading turret is placed inches in front of each player's betting position to scan wagered chips using ambient casino lighting. The turret also has a “comp” light to indicate to the player at the beginning of every hand that his bet was read credited for his complimentaries (meals, room, entertainment, etc.), thus delivering to the player extra gaming satisfaction every hand. Patterns of repeated coding around the playing chips' peripheral surface represent with light and dark contrasting colors the dollar value and particular casino issuer of the chips.

Abstract: An improved antenna system, method and apparatus for interrogating and locating RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and other RF (Radio Frequency) devices, and various applications therefore and thereof, are disclosed. One embodiment is for reading and locating the physical position of RFID tags (such as is made by Phillips, Siemens's Infineon and Texas Instrument) that may be embedded in gaming chips (RFID gaming chips, such as is made by Gaming Partners International Corp.) used in a casino, TV or movie studio or elsewhere for wagering at table games and other gambling games including Blackjack, Poker, Craps, Baccarat and Roulette, but the invention may be used for various other RFID applications.

Abstract: Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. Alternatively, the electronic information may be provided to a fax, or the document ordered by telephone and electronically delivered to a PC or fax. The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Abstract: A referenceless self-clocking (n,k) bar code word allows conveyance of information without the need of any start and/or stop code pattern or other reference; a code word pattern is repeated at least in part without space therebetween according to a given n,k coding convention so that any k pair of adjacent data code elements sensed by any sensing means according to the n,k coding convention will consist of n units (e.g., bar code modules), thus allowing the data code elements of the code word to be decoded most accurately without any reference pattern. One application of this coding is on round or cylindrical objects like coins, casino chips and the like, and this coding is also well suited for linear or other coding applications wanting to convey coded information without the use of a start/stop code or reference pattern using n,k coding. This coding may or mayn't include error control, for example, as disclosed herein.

Abstract: A fully automatic table game player tracking system for Blackjack and other casino games wherein players have individual betting positions on the table is disclosed. An individual B&W CCD chip reading turret is placed inches in front of each player's betting position to scan wagered chips using ambient casino lighting. The turret also has a “comp” light to indicate to the player at the beginning of every hand that his bet was read credited for his complimentaries (meals, room, entertainment, etc.), thus delivering to the player extra gaming satisfaction every hand. Patterns of repeated coding around the playing chips' peripheral surface represent with light and dark contrasting colors the dollar value and particular casino issuer of the chips.

Abstract: Bar codes, comprised of black and white stripes, are shown to be a finite topic, and the optimum bar code methodology is binary coded binary, BCB. Binary digits are utilized to represent bar coded messages and each binary digit is immediately complemented, forming two independent but binarily complemented messages in one bar code symbol. BCB represents given information in less space than, e.g., Interleaved 2 of 5 and Code 39, while using the same x width (the width of a module), and BCB is far more versatile and is easier and less expensive to print and scan. BCB avoids misreads more reliably and achieves a dramatically higher first time read rate through use of error correcting bar codes.

Abstract: The new generic bar code decoder system described, with its multistage error correcting, is far more powerful than dedicated reference decode algorithms for popular linear and two dimensional bar codes. For example: the 1-7 and 2-8 EAN and UPC character substitution problems are 100% solved (because EAN and UPC become 100% self-checking with the new decoder); the ink spread tolerance improves, especially for EAN, UPC, Code 128 and Code 16K; far greater levels of random systematic edge noise are tolerated and decoded; even many spike edge errors greater than 0.50X module can be corrected; and, generous levels of acceleration are tolerated. These are all the ways bar code scanning data gets distorted. Using this new generic decoder system, the ultimate linear binary coded binary bar code with error correcting, BCB, also described, performs dramatically better than any other, despite being more compact.

Abstract: The new generic bar code decoder system described, with its multistage error correcting, is far more powerful than dedicated reference decode algorithms for popular linear and two dimensional bar codes. For example: the 1-7 and 2-8 EAN and UPC character substitution problems are 100% solved (because EAN and UPC become 100% self-checking with the new decoder); the ink spread tolerance improves, especially for EAN, UPC, Code 128 and Code 16K; far greater levels of random systematic edge noise are tolerated and decoded; even many spike edge errors greater than 0.50.times. module can be corrected; and, generous levels of acceleration are tolerated. These are all the ways bar code scanning data gets distorted. Using this new generic decoder system, the ultimate linear binary coded binary bar code with error correcting, BCB, also described, performs dramatically better than any other, despite being more compact.

Abstract: Bar codes, comprised of black and white stripes, are shown to be a finite topic, and the optimum bar code methodology, binary coded binary, BCB, is disclosed. Binary digits are utilized to represent bar coded messages and each binary digit is immediately complemented, forming two independent but binarily complemented messages in one bar code symbol. BCB represents given information in less space than, e.g., Interleaved 2 of 5 and Code 39, while using the same x width (the width of a module), and BCB is far more versatile and is easier and less expensive to print and scan. BCB avoids misreads more reliably and achieves a dramatically higher first time read rate through use of applicants' error correcting bar codes. Methods of representing any size character set most efficiently in one number are disclosed as are continuous bar code forms. Optimum error detecting and correcting techniques for binary coding are also disclosed using applicants' sub-pile method of reverse engineering coding questions.