Abstract: An identification system is disclosed which determines whether the claimed identity of an individual is in fact the true identity. A three dimensional image of a hand is obtained using a digitizing camera and a pair of orthogonal reflecting surfaces. The image is then compared with a previously recorded hand image for the claimed identity. If the images match, within a selectable tolerance, the person is accepted as the correct individual. If they do not match, the person is rejected. Signalling and/or control apparatus responds to the results of the comparison.

Abstract: A non-contacting optical probe incorporates an optical system designed to measure distances between various surfaces which may be internal or external such as exists in molds and the like. A collimated light beam is passed off-center through a first lens and focused to a first point on a first surface coplanar with the focal plane of the lens. When the distance between the first surface and the optical probe carrying the collimated beam changes so that a second surface is presented, this second surface is no longer in the focal plane with the result that a laterally displaced image of the point of interception of the collimated beam with the point of the intersection of the optical axis of the system occurs. This lateral displacement is imaged back through the optical system to a sensing surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for selectively mordanting a dye to preselected areas of a black and white photographic silver image and rapidly removing all traces of the dye from the non-image areas. The system includes novel processing compositions to enable the entire process to be carried out rapidly with a minimum amount of equipment.

Abstract: A reference diffraction pattern is generated by radiating an invariant physical characteristic such as a fingerprint with coherent light, this reference diffraction pattern being converted by a detector into a reference electrical function which is stored. A person to be identified then has a corresponding invariant physical characteristic such as his fingerprint radiated by coherent light to cause generation of a sample diffraction pattern. The frequency domain of the entire sample diffraction pattern is detected simultaneously to provide a sample electrical function. The reference electrical function in storage is then compared with the sample electrical function and if a correlation exists within a given tolerance, it is known that the person from which the sample electrical function is derived corresponds to the person from which the reference electrical function was derived. The invariant physical characteristics may be fingerprints as mentioned, or signatures, or combinations of both.

Abstract: Rather than counting nulls in the diffraction pattern generated by a very narrow line or gap in order to measure its width, the diffraction pattern is optically detected and converted to an analog electrical signal constituting a function of the detected intensities in the diffraction pattern. This function is then converted to a digital form, stored, and then passed to a computer electrically computing the Fourier transform to provide an autocorrelation wave form. This wave form is then plotted in an orthogonal X-Y coordinate system and the break point or extension of a linear segment of the autocorrelation curve relative to the X-axis used to provide a precise measurement of the given width.