Circuit arrangement controlling the release of lines in a communication system

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING SWITCHING OPESRATIONS IN A SWITCHING SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY IN TELEPHONE SYSTEM, IN WHICH THE LINES LEADING TO INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS ARE PERIODICALLY SUCCESSIVELY TESTED IN PULSE-WISE FASHION AS TO THE OPERATING CONDITION THEREOF, SO AS TO ASCERTAIN WHERHER THE RESPECTIVE SUBSCRIBER LINE LOOPS ARE CLOSED OR OPEN, WHEREIN CRITERIA PRODUCED IN SUCH TESTING IN THE RESPECTIVE SUBSCRIBER LINE CIRCUITS ARE FED TO SAID CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT AND WHEREIN IN A CRITERFION RECEIVED IS EVALUATED WITH RESPECT TO THE SWITCHING OPERATIONS TO BE EFFECTED; COMPRISING MEANS FOR RECEIVED A CRITERION INDICATING AN OPEN LINE LOOP IN CONNECTION WITH A READ SUBSCRIBER LINE, PRE-STORER MEANS, MEANS FOR STORING THE RECEIVED CRITERION IN SAID PRE-STORER MEANS AT A POINT CORRESPONDING TO THE RESPECTIVE SUBSCRIBER ADDRESS, AS A FUNCTION OF FURTHER INFORMATION TAKEN FROM SAID PRE-STORER, MEANS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE STORAGE OF SUCH A CRITERION IN SAID PRE-STORER MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRECEDING READING OF THE RESPECTIVE SUBSCRIBER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OCCURENCE OF THE CRITERION INDICATING THE OPEN LOOP AND THE STORAGE OF SUCH A CRITERION IN SAID PRE-STORER MEANS RESULTING FROM THE PRECEDING READING OF THE RESPECTIVE SUBSCRIBER, FOR IMPARTING A COMMAND TO EFFECT RELEASE OF THE CORRESPONDING CONNECTION.