Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A system for operatively connecting, one at a time, a plurality of stations with a single terminal, said system comPrising a plurality of sequentially arranged control circuits, each of which is associated with a different one of said stations, and means for applying control signals to the control circuits associated with those stations to be connected to said terminal, each of said control circuits comprising means for feeding a first disable signal to its next succeeding control circuit in response to either receiving a first disable signal from its next preceding control circuit or a control signal, each said control circuit disabling its associated station from connecting to said terminal in response to receiving a first disable signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A system for operatively connecting, one at a time, a plurality of stations with a single terminal, said system comPrising a plurality of sequentially arranged control circuits, each of which is associated with a different one of said stations, and means for applying control signals to the control circuits associated with those stations to be connected to said terminal, each of said control circuits comprising means for feeding a first disable signal to its next succeeding control circuit in response to either receiving a first disable signal from its next preceding control circuit or a control signal, each said control circuit disabling its associated station from connecting to said terminal in response to receiving a first disable signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The system as recited in claim 1 wherein each control circuit further comprises means for feeding a second disable signal to its next preceding control circuit in response to receiving a second disable signal from its next succeeding control circuit, and wherein each said control circuit also disables its associated station from connecting to said terminal in response to receiving a second disable signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system as recited in claim 2 wherein the second disable signal feeding means of each control circuit also operates in response to said control circuit receiving a control signal without also receiving a first disable signal from its next preceding control circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system as recited in claim 3 wherein each control circuit includes means for rendering inoperative said first disable signal feeding means in response to said control circuit receiving a second disable signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system as recited in claim 4 wherein all of said control circuits are identical.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system as recited in claim 1 wherein each control circuit further includes means for providing an ON signal in response to said control circuit receiving a control signal when a first disable signal is not received from its next preceding control circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
112 words
The system as recited in claim 6 wherein each control circuit further comprises means for feeding a second disable signal to its next preceding control circuit in response to either receiving a second disable signal from its next succeeding control circuit or a control signal without also receiving a first disable signal from its next preceding control circuit and means for disabling said ON signal providing means and said first disable signal feeding means in response to receiving a second disable signal from its next succeeding control circuit and wherein each said control circuit also disables its associated station from connecting to said terminal in response to receiving a second disable signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said ON signal providing means includes means for inhibiting the providing of an ON signal when said ON signal providing means is disabled within a predetermined short period of time after a control signal is received at its control circuit without a first disable signal being received.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system as recited in claim 6 wherein each of said stations is adapted to transmit data to said terminal when connected to said terminal and further includes a register adapted to store the data to be transmitted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system as recited in claim 9 wherein said stored data is transmitted by said station in response to an ON signal from said station''s associated control circuit.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
98 words
A method for operatively connecting a plurality of sequentially arranged stations to a single terminal so that said stations may, one at a time, transmit data to said terminal where those stations ready to transmit data are conditioned, said method comprising: connecting each station with its next succeeding and its next preceding station so that it is able to individually disable both of said stations from transmitting data to said terminal; and operating each said station to disable its next succeeding station in response to being disabled by its next preceding station or in response to being conditioned.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
98 words
A method for operatively connecting a plurality of sequentially arranged stations to a single terminal so that said stations may, one at a time, transmit data to said terminal where those stations ready to transmit data are conditioned, said method comprising: connecting each station with its next succeeding and its next preceding station so that it is able to individually disable both of said stations from transmitting data to said terminal; and operating each said station to disable its next succeeding station in response to being disabled by its next preceding station or in response to being conditioned.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as recited in claim 11 wherein each saiD station is further operated to disable its next preceding station in response to being disabled by its next succeeding station.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as recited in claim 12 wherein each said station is further operated to disable its next preceding station in response to being conditioned and not disabled by its next preceding station.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as recited in claim 13 wherein each station is further operated to discontinue disabling its next succeeding station in response to being disabled by said next succeeding station.