Privacy of dictate stations using a recorder and selection of recorders by dictate stations while maintaining privacy

Claim 2

Dictate station apparatus for connection in circuit between a recorder and a dictate control apparatus, comprising: privacy sensing means selectively connected in circuit with the recorder to assume a certain operative condition in response to a recorder signal indicating availability for recording; latching means connected in circuit with said privacy sensing means and operative in response to the occurrence of said certain operative condition to maintain said privacy sensing means in said certain operative condition in the absence of the recorder availability signal; and switching means connected in circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus, said switching means being operatively connected with said latching means to establish an operative circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus in response to said operation of said latching means.

Claim 3

Dictate station apparatus as in claim 1, for connection in circuit between a dictate control apparatus and a plurality of recorders, comprising: separate privacy sensing means selectively connected in circuit with each of said plurality of recorders and operative to assume said certain operative condition in response to signals from the respective recorders indicating availability for recording; separate latching means connected in circuit with each of said separate privacy sensing means, each of said latching means operative in response to the occurrence of said certain operative condition in the respective one of said privacy sensing means to maintain said respective privacy sensing means in said operative condition in the absence of the recorder availability signal; separate switching means connected in circuit between each of said plurality of recorders and the dictate control apparatus, each of said switching means being operatively connected with the corresponding latching means to establish an operative circuit between the corresponding one of said plural recorders and the dictate control apparatus in response to said operative of the corresponding latching means; and interconnective circuit means connected in circuit with each of said latching means and operative in response to said operation of one of said privacy sensing means and said operation of the corresponding one of said latching means to render the remaining privacy sensing means incapable of assuming said certain operative condition.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising: separate remote selection sensing means connected in circuit with each of said privacy sensing means and also in circuit with said interconnective circuit means, each of said remote selection sensing means being operative in response to a certain signal on said interconnective circuit means to render said corresponding privacy means incapable of assuming said certain operative condition.

Claim 5

In an expanded recording and reproducing system including multiple dictate stations and multiple recorders, privacy and selection components and circuits incorporated into overall resulting circuits having circuit branches for each recorder and interrelated circuits between such circuit branches; such essential privacy components in each branch comprising a privacy sensing transistor connected between leads interconnecting a recorder and a dictate station, said privacy sensing transistor operative to switch on only in response to a dictate station being activated and voltages being present at the branch recorder indicating availability for recording; a privacy latching transistor connected in circuit with the privacy sensing transistor to switch on only when the privacy sensing transistor switches on and thereafter operative to supply biasing voltage to the privacy sensing transistor, to thereby latch the privacy sensing transistor on before the voltage of the recorder changes in response to recorder seizure; a recorder switching transistor turned on in response to the privacy latching transistor switching on, whereby said recorder switching transistor establishes circuit in the leads interconnecting the dictate station to the branch recorder terminals; and, such essential selection components in each branch comprising a remote selection sensing transistor and a remote selection latching transistor, said remote selection latching transistor operative only when a recorder is available to be seized through operation of said privacy components and circuits arranged for connection to the recorder directly connected to this particular branch of the system and when the dictate station activated to seek a recorder has not already seized another recorder; said remote selection sensing transistor operative in response to a signal received on the interrelated circuit from the branch interconnected with the already-seized recorder to keep the remote selection sensing transistor from turning on.

Claim 6

In an expanded recording and reproducing system including multiple dictate stations and multiple recorders, privacy and selection components and circuits incorporated into overall resulting circuits having circuit branches for each recorder and interrelated circuits between such circuit branches; such essential privacy components in each branch comprising a privacy sensing transistor connected between leads interconnecting a recorder and a dictate station, said privacy sensing transistor operative to switch on only in response to a dictate station being activated and voltages being present at the branch recorder indicating availability for recording; a privacy latching transistor connected in circuit with the privacy sensing transistor to switch on only when the privacy sensing transistor switches on and thereafter operative to supply biasing voltage to the privacy sensing transistor, to thereby latch the privacy sensing transistor on before the voltage of the recorder changes in response to recorder seizure; a recorder switching transistor turned on in response to the privacy latching transistor switching on, whereby said recorder switching transistor establishes circuit in the leads interconnecting the dictate station to the branch recorder terminals; and, such essential selection components in each branch comprising a remote selection sensing transistor and a remote selection latching transistor, said remote selection latching transistor operative only when a recorder is available to be seized through operation of said privacy components and circuits arranged for connection to the recorder directly connected to this particular branch of the system and when the dictate station activated to seek a recorder has not already seized another recorder; said remote selection sensing transistor operative in response to a signal received on the interrelated circuit from the branch interconnected with the already-seized recorder to keep the remote selection sensing transistor from turning on.

Claim 7

In an expanded recording and reproducing system, as claimed in claim 4, comprising, in addition, a microphone switching transistor in each recorder branch operative to be switched on when privacy sensing and latching transistors are latched for switching on the recorder switching transistor.

Claim 8

Dictate station apparatus for connection in circuit between a recorder and a dictate control apparatus, comprising: privacy sensing transistor means selectively connected in circuit with the recorder to assume a certain operative condition in response to a recorder signal indicating availability for recording; latching transistor means connected in circuit with said privacy sensing transistor means and operative in response to the occurrence of said certain operative condition to maintain said privacy sensing transistor means in said certain operative condition in the absence of said recorder availability signal; and switching transistor means connected in circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus, said switching transistor means being operatively connected with said latching transistor means to establish an operative circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus in response to said operation of said latching transistor means.

Claim 9

Dictate station apparatus for connection in circuit between a recorder and a dictate control apparatus, comprising: privacy sensing transistor means selectively connected in circuit with the recorder to assume a certain operative condition in response to a recorder signal indicating availability for recording; latching transistor means connected in circuit with said privacy sensing transistor means and operative in response to the occurrence of said certain operative condition to maintain said privacy sensing transistor means in said certain operative condition in the absence of said recorder availability signal; and switching transistor means connected in circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus, said switching transistor means being operatively connected with said latching transistor means to establish an operative circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus in response to said operation of said latching transistor means.

Claim 10

Privacy components and circuits, as claimed in claim 6, wherein resistors are connected between the bases and emitters of all said transistor means for their effective temperature stabilization.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein an indicating means is connected in circuit with the recorder to visually present operational stages of recording sequences.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 6, further comprising: switch means connected in circuit between the recorder and said privacy sensing transistor means, said switch means being selectively operable to a first position to establish said selective connection of said privacy sensing transistor means and to a second position to establish a circuit condition preventing said privacy sensing transistor means from maintaining said certain operative condition.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein: said privacy sensing transistor means when selectively connected in circuit with the recorder to receive a recorder busy signal indicating unavailability for recording, being operatively connected to refrain from assuming said certain operative condition, whereby said switching transistor means prevents establishment of An operative circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein: said dictate control apparatus includes audio communication means for selective communication with the recorder and recorder control means for controlling modes of recorder operation; said switching transistor means is operatively connected in circuit between the recorder and the dictate control apparatus to establish said operative circuit for said audio communication means and said recorder control means in response to said operation of said latching transistor means; and said switching transistor means is additionally operative to terminate said operative circuit for said audio communication means and said recorder control means in the absence of said operation of said latching transistor means.

Claim 15

Dictate station apparatus as in claim 6, for connection in circuit between a plurality of recorders and a dictate control apparatus, comprising: separate branch circuit means interconnecting the dictate station with each of the recorders; said dictate station including a recorder selection branch corresponding to each of the recorders, with each of said recorder selection branches interconnected with a particular one of the recorders by a corresponding one of said branch circuits; each of said recorder selection branches including corresponding privacy sensing transistor means, latching transistor means, and switching transistor means operatively disposed to selectively establish an operative circuit between the dictate control apparatus and the recorder correspondingly interconnected with each such recorder selection branch; remote selection sensing means in circuit with a particular recorder selection branch; interrelating circuit means operatively connected between said particular recorder selection branch and at least one other recorder selection branch to receive a signal indicating that operative circuit has been established through said other recorder selection branch between the dictate control apparatus and the recorder interconnected with said other recorder selection branch; and said remote selection sensing means being operative in response to the presence of said signal on said interrelating circuit means to prevent said particular recorder selection branch from establishing operative circuit between the dictate control apparatus and the recorder interconnected with said particular recorder selection branch.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 12, comprising, a dictate control station audio circuit switching transistor means in each recorder selection branch to be switched on when the privacy sensing and latching transistor means of a particular branch are latched for switching on the corresponding switching transistor means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein resistors are connected between bases and emitters of all said transistor means for their effective temperature stabilization.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein an indicating means is connected in circuit with the dictate station to visually present operational stages of recording sequences.