Abstract: An automatic bowling scoring system is disclosed including a central manager's console unit linked in parallel over a plurality of communication buses with a plurality of lane score processors having printing and CRT display monitor units. The manager's console sends commands to the score processors, and thereby gains control over the execution sequences followed by this score processor and modifies its functional sequence. In particular, the manager's console is capable of selectivity controlling the display at any lane pair processor, to cause display of locally generated game score information, or supplementary information developed at the manager's console. The manager's console can also cause the transfer of the locally generated game score information appearing on any monitor to be routed over the buses to the manager's console display monitor.

Abstract: An acoustic pin detecting and locating device is disclosed, comprising a linear array of transducers mounted on each kickback wall. A microprocessor sequentially energizes each transducer with a short burst of high frequency pulses; the reflections from standing pins to the transmitting transducer (direct data) and the next adjacent transducer (cross data) are gated into separate a/d converters. The converters are sampled periodically to divide the signal return to each transducer into a plurality of range cells. The direct data and cross data returns to each transducer array from two data fields. Analysis of these two fields provides the information needed for detection of the location of each standing pin. The data return to each transducer after each acoustic burst is peaked by comparing the magnitudes of echo signal returns in adjacent range cells. A string is formed for each significant return, including the x,y coordinate position of the return; the weight of the return and its first and second moments.

Abstract: A dot printer compatible with a bowling scorer system is disclosed wherein game score data is stored for a plurality of bowlers; one character of such data for each bowler is converted to a dot matrix compatible format; and a columnar portion of each converted character is printed for each player, the print operation being repeated until the characters are all printed. The system is uniquely compatible with printing of a game score background grid, whereby certain dot printing elements are energized in printing every column to print the grid's horizontal lines; and all vertical dot elements are concurrently energized at designated intervals between character printings to print vertical lines.

Abstract: An acoustic pin detecting and locating device is disclosed, comprising a linear array of transducers mounted on each kickball wall. A microprocessor sequentially energizes each transducer with a short burst of high frequency pulses; the reflections from standing pins to the transmitting transducer (direct data) and the next adjacent transducer (cross data) are gated into separate a/d converters. The converters are sampled periodically to divide the signal return to each transducer into a plurality of range cells. The direct data and cross data returns to each transducer array form two data fields. Analysis of these fields provides the information needed for detection of the location of each standing pin.

Abstract: An automatic bowling scoring system is disclosed including a central manager's console unit linked in over a plurality of communication buses with a plurality of lane score processors having printing and CRT display monitor units. The manager's console sends commands to the score processors, and thereby gains control over the execution sequences followed by each score processor and modifies its functional sequence. In particular, the manager's console is capable of selectively controlling the display at any lane pair processor, to cause display of locally generated game score information, or supplementary information developed at the manager's console. The manager's console can also cause the transfer of the locally generated game score information on any monitor to be routed over the buses to the manager's console display monitor.