Multiplex switching stage and its associated control circuits

Claim 1

AN ELECTRONIC SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TIME DIVISION MULTIPLEX HIGHWAYS, EACH HIGHWAY HAVING SYNCHRONIZED RECURRING TIME SLOTS FOR FORMING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, AN INCOMING BUFFER MEMORY MEANS AND AN OUTGOING BUFFER MEMORY MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID HIGHWAYS, A TIME CONTROLLED PATH STORAGE MEMORY MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING SAID INCOMING AND OUTGOING MEMORY MEANS DURING FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF SAID TIME SLOTS WHEREBY COMMUNICATION IS EXTENDED IN ONE DIRECTION DURING A FIRST HALF OF EACH TIME SLOT AND IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION DURING A SECOND HALF OF EACH TIME SLOT, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID PATH STORAGE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY COUPLING THE INCOMING MEMORY ON ONE OF SAID HIGHWAYS TO THE OUTGOING MEMORY ON ANOTHER OF SAID HIGHWAYS DURING A HALF OF EACH RECURRING TIME SLOT COMMITTED TO SERVE A PARTICULAR CALL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID PATH STORAGE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY COUPLING THE OUTGOING MEMORY ON SAID ONE HIGHWAY TO THE INCOMING MEMORY ON SAID OTHER HIGHWAY DURING THE OTHER HALF OF EACH RECURRING TIME SLOT COMMITTED TO SERVE SAID PARTICULAR CALL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A BLOCKED CALL CONDITION FOR REARRANGING EXISTING PATHS TO REMOVE SAID CONDITION.