Data transmission and collection systems

Claim 1

A DATA TRANSMISSION AND COLLECTION SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STATIONS OF VARYING PRIORITY FOR THE INPUT OF DATA AT EACH STATION IN THE FORM OF A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SIGNALS EACH OF AT LEAST ONE SERIAL BIT, A PLURALITY OF STATION CONTROL CIRCUITS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH DATA INPUT STATION, MEANS ENABLED BY THE INPUT OF DATA FOR OPERATING THE STATION CONTROL CIRCUITS, A CENTRAL CONTROL CIRCUIT RESPONSIVE TO THE OPERATION OF THE STATION CONTROL CIRCUITS FOR PREVENTING TRANSMISSION OF DATA FROM ANY OF THE STATIONS HAVING A PRIORITY LOWER THAN ONE OF THE STATIONS WHICH IS AWAITING TO TRANSMIT DATA AND FOR PREVENTING SIMULTANEOUS TRANSMISSION OF DATA FROM SAID STATIONS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CENTRAL CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR PRODUCING A SYNCHRONIZING SIGNAL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SYNCHRONIZING SIGNAL FOR PRODUCING A PHASE CONTROLLING SIGNAL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PHASE CONTROLLING SIGNAL FOR DECREASING THE NUMBER OF PARALLEL SIGNALS AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SERIAL BITS OF EACH DECREASED PARALLEL SIGNAL OF THE DATA INPUT STATIONS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PHASE CONTROLLING SIGNAL AND THE DECREASED NUMBER OF PARALLEL SIGNALS FOR RECORDING THE DATA ON TAPE.