Electroluminescent switching circuit

Claim 1

A SWITCHING CIRCUIT COMPRISING AN ARRAY OF SUCCESSIVE SWITCHING STAGES, EACH OF SAID STAGES INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND ELECTROLUMINESCENT CELLS AND FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH GROUPS OF PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS; SAID FIRST AND SECOND GROUPS OF PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS BEING OPTICALLY COUPLED TO THE FIRST ELECTROLUMINESCENT CELL IN EACH STAGE AND SAID THIRD AND FOURTH GROUPS OF PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS BEING OPTICALLY COUPLED TO THE SECOND ELECTROLUMINESCENT CELL IN EACH STAGE, EACH OF SAID GROUPS INCLUDING 2N-1 PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS WHERE N IS ANY INTEGER GREATER THAN ZERO CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF A GIVEN STAGE IN SAID ARRAY; MEANS CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTING ONE TERMINAL OF EACH OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST GROUP TO ONE TERMINAL OF A CORRESPONDING PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENT IN SAID THIRD GROUP; MEANS CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTING EACH OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS IN SAID SECOND GROUP BETWEEN THE OTHER TERMINAL OF A CORRESPONDING PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENT IN SAID THIRD GROUP AND A COMMON VOLTAGE REFERENCE POINT; MEANS CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTING EACH OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS IN SAID COMMON VOLTAGE REFERENCE POINT; MEANS CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTING THE JUNCTIONS OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS IN SAID FIRST AND THIRD GROUPS TO THE PRECEDING STAGE, ONE-HALF