Multivibrator having astable and bistable operating modes

Claim 1

A MULTIVIBRATOR CIRCUIT HAVING BOTH ASTABLE AND BISTABLE OPERATING MODES, SAID MULTIVIBRATOR CIRCUIT COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND GAIN ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID GAIN ELEMENTS HAVING AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT; MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST FEEDBACK CIRCUIT CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST FEEDBACK CIRCUIT CONNECTING THE SECOND GAIN ELEMENT AND INCLUDING A SECOND FEEDBACK CIRCUIT CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND GAIN ELEMENT TO THE INPUT OF SAID FIRST GAIN ELEMENT FOR ALTERNATELY OPERATING SAID GAIN ELEMENTS IN A FIRST UNSTABLE OPERATING STATE IN WHICH SAID FIRST GAIN ELEMENT IS IN A HIGH CONDUCTIVITY CONDITION AND SAID SECOND GAIN ELEMENT IS IN A LOW CONDUCTIVITY CONDITION AND IN A SECOND UNSTABLE OPERATING STATE IN WHICH SAID SECOND GAIN ELEMENT IS IN THE HIGH CONDUCTIVITY CONDITION AND SAID FIRST GAIN ELEMENT IS IN THE LOW CONDUCTIVITY CONDITION TO PROVIDE THE ASTABLE OPERATING MODE; FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHING ELEMENTS; AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID FIRST SWITCHING ELEMENT AND CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST GAIN ELEMENT TO THE INPUT OF SAID SECOND GAIN ELEMENT FOR PROVIDING A THIRD FEEDBACK CIRCUIT THEREBETWEEN AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID SECOND SWITCHING ELEMENT AND CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND GAIN ELEMENT TO THE INPUT OF SAID FIRST GAIN ELEMENT FOR PROVIDING A FOURTH FEEDBACK CIRCUIT THEREBETWEEN, EACH OF SAID SWITCHING ELEMENTS BEING RESPONSIVE TO A CONTROL SIGNAL DURING A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID OPERATING STATES FOR RENDERING THAT OPERATING STATE STABLE TO PROVIDE THE BISTABLE OPERATING MODE.