Matrix switcher apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switching data are transmitted in the form of plural blocks (DPP), each of said blocks (DPP) including master/slave discriminating data (M/S) indicating the mode of said transmission/reception means (TR) outputting said block(s).

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said switching data are transmitted in the form of plural blocks (DPP) and wherein the last one of said blocks (DPP) including the last data of the switching data includes continuity discriminating data (P/F) indicating that the block is the last block.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, comprising: a plurality of detection means (10₁ to 10 m , 20₁ to 20 n ) each provided in each of said switcher units, said detection means being operable to detect the presence or absence of information signals supplied to said input terminals (TI₁, TI₂) and the presence or absence of information signals outputted from said output terminals (TO₁, TO₂); and a plurality of discriminating means (31) each provided within each of said switcher units and operable to detect the presence or absence of errors in the switching states of said crosspoint switches (X₁₁ to X₂₂) based on said switching data and the results of detection by said detection means.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of alarm means (40) each provided in each of said switcher units, said alarm means (40) producing alarms on detected error occurrence in the switching states of said crosspoint switches (X₁₁ to X₂₂) based on the results of discrimination by said discriminating means (31).

Claim 6

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: a plurality of input signal format detection means (SI₁, SI₂)each provided in each of said switcher units, said input signal format detection means detecting signal formats of external devices each connected to each of said input terminals (TI, TI₂); a plurality of output signal format detection means (SO₁, SO₂) each provided in each of said switcher units, said output signal format detection means detecting signal formats of external devices each connected to each of said output terminals (TO₁, TO₂); and discriminating means (CNT) provided in each of said switcher units and operable to supply, on the basis of the results of detection by said input signal format detection means and the results of detection by said output signal format detection means, switching inhibit signals to said controlling means to prevent corresponding ones of said crosspoint switches (X₁₁ to X₂₂) from being turned on when said results of detection by said input signal format detection means differ from the results of detection by said output signal format detection means.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said discriminating means comprises alarm means producing alarm when said results of detection differ from each other.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: level detection means (11, 12) for detecting the signal level of said serial busline (SB); comparator means (13) for comparing the signal level detected by said level detection means (11, 12) and a reference level; and alarm means (14, 15, 16) for issuing alarms, on the basis of the results of comparison by said comparator means (13), when said signal level differs from said reference level.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to 7, comprising: level detection means (11, 12) for detecting the signal level of said serial busline (SB); comparator means (13) for comparing the signal level detected by said level detection means (11, 12) and a reference level; and resistance inserting means (17) for inserting a terminal resistance (RX₂) to said serial busline (SB), on the basis of the results of comparison by said comparator means (13), when said signal level differs from said reference level.

Claim 10

Matrix switcher apparatus comprising a plurality of switcher units (MSU₁ to MSU₄) connected in tandem, each switcher unit including a plurality of input terminals (TI, TI₂) and a plurality of output terminals (TO₁, TO₂), said apparatus comprising: a plurality of controlling means (CNT) each provided within each of said switcher units and operable to control the turning on and off of crosspoint switches (X₁₁ to X₂₂) connected to said input terminals (TI₁, TI₂) and said output terminals (TO₁, TO₂); a remote control unit (RCU₁, RCU₂) for outputting switching data; a plurality of transmission/reception means (TR) each provided within said switcher units and said remote control unit for controlling transmission of said switching data between said switcher units and the remote control unit; a serial busline (SB) connected to said transmission/reception means (TR); and a plurality of mode setting means provided in said switcher units and said remote control unit for selectively setting the operating mode of said transmission/reception means (TR) to a master station (MS) mode or a slave station (SS) mode, a first one of said transmission/reception means (TR) set to said master station (MS) mode sequentially polling the remaining ones of said transmission/reception means (TR) set to said slave station (SS) mode for storing switching data outputted from said transmission/reception means (TR) for collectively outputting the stored switching data over said serial busline (SB), said remaining ones of said transmission/reception means (TR) set to said slave station (SS) mode receiving only relevant data from the switching data transmitted over said serial busline (SB) for supplying the received data to said controlling means (CNT).