Abstract: A mounting system provides an inexpensive and flexible system to suspend a display component from a ceiling. The system further provides a system to suspend multiple display components. An alternate arrangement provides integrated leveling and height adjustment controls. A method of adjusting a viewing angle of the display component is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention provides an interactive multifunction bowling alley system which utilizes a computer adapted to store information concerning selected bowling alley functions. A touch screen device is located at the patron area for at least selected ones of the bowling alley lanes. By permitting the user to make appropriate selections from menus appearing on a monitor of the touch screen device, such selections being made by the user touching appropriate areas on the monitor screen, functions such as automatic scoring, food or beverage ordering, entertainment such as games, problem solving, announcements, payment/charge and the like may be performed. In response to a first menu selection, menus and/or instructions may appear on the monitor relevant to the selected function which a user may utilize in performing the selected function.

Abstract: Pinfall apparatus for the sport of bowling utilizes a digitized video picture of the pins to detect and count pins. A video camera is controlled by a microprocessor to take a "snapshot" of the pins which are illuminated by normal ambient light. The image is then digitized and stored as pixel values. During calibration of the system, additional parameters are stored which define memory addresses that correspond to potential pin locations. In addition, to minimize the effects of noise, a cutoff or threshold value is stored which determines the percentage of memory addresses calculated in accordance with the defined parameters which must be present for a pin to be standing in the predetermined location. The count is stored as a pin count. Later another "snapshot" is taken of pins which remain standing after a ball has been rolled and a pixed count determined as before. If the pixel count is greater than the stored pin count, then a pin is declared standing in the corresponding pin location.