Abstract: A lead acid electric storage battery uses conventional lead-acid secondary battery chemistry. The battery may be a sealed battery, an unsealed battery or a conventional multi-cellbattery. It has 12 to 25 cells in a single case. The case is less than 12 inches long and may be less than 6 inches long. The battery has a set of positive battery grids (plates) which are constructed with a core of thin titanium expanded metal having a thickness preferably, for start batteries etc. in the range 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm and most preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. The grid cores are of a titanium alloy containing a platinum group metal. The cores are coated with hot melt dip lead and are not lead electroplated. The grid cores expand and contract, with temperature changes, much less than conventional lead grids.

Abstract: A method and system to prevent auto theft from parking areas, such as airport parking lots, includes a ticket dispenser, at an entry gate, which issues a numbered ticket to each driver. The driver is advised to carry the ticket with him and not to leave it in the car. At the same time the ticket is issued, the a part of its license plate number, is automatically determined and entered into computer memory, in association with the ticket number. At the exit, the ticket is presented by the driver, read by a ticket reader, and its associated license plate data is retrieved from computer memory. Also at the exit, part of the license plate of the car is again automatically obtained and compared with the license plate data retrieved from the computer memory. In the event of a mismatch, a warning signal is generated.

Abstract: A method and system to prevent auto theft from parking areas, such as airport parking lots, includes a ticket dispenser, at an entry gate, which issues a numbered ticket to each driver. The driver is advised to carry the ticket with him and not to leave it in the car. At the same time the ticket is issued, the color of the car, or its length or part of its license plate number, is automatically determined and entered into computer memory, in association with the ticket number. At the exit, the ticket is presented by the driver, read by a ticket reader, and its associated data (car color, length or license number) is retrieved from computer memory. Also at the exit, the car's color, length or part of its license plate is again automatically obtained and compared with the data retrieved from the computer memory. In the event of a mismatch, a warning signal is generated.

Abstract: A method and system to detect and identify a target vehicle displaying a switched or invalid license plate includes a license plate reader to read the plate number carried by a target vehicle in its area. A pair of spaced laser beams measures the speed and length of the traveling vehicle. The read license plate numbers are compared with a data base of registered vehicles to obtain the length of the vehicle registered for that plate. If the registered length differs from the measured length, the plate may be illegally on the target vehicle.

Abstract: A method of traffic control is disclosed which includes the steps of measuring the speed of a vehicle, automatically reading the license plate of the vehicle, automatically, in a computer system, matching the license plate number to information about the owner of the vehicle, and displaying the name of the owner of the vehicle.

Abstract: An optical system for cameras and projectors includes a reflective convex mirror for a wide-angle view, for example, a sector of one fourth of a sphere to obtain a view of 180.degree.. The optical system further includes a front face reflecting mirror to change the optical path 90.degree., a first focusing lens, a fiber optic bundle and a second focusing lens. The fiber optic bundle has one face in the form of an annulus or sector of an annulus and the opposite face of rectangular shape so that an annular shaped image may be converted into a non-distorted image of rectangular form.