Telephone switching network signalling system

Claim 5

A system as defined in claim 2 wherein: said signalling means includes a plurality of signalling circuits connected to the switching means in the end stages on opposite ends of the network, wherein said signalling circuits include a receiver section, a transmitter section, and timing means for controlling the operation of the transmitter sections and receiver sections of the plurality of signalling circuits so that all transmitter sections simultaneously apply the periodic path finding signal to the plurality of switching means in the end stages and the transmitter and receiver sections receive enabling signals for applying signals to the switching means and receiving signals from the switching means during periods between path finding signals.

Claim 6

A signalling circuit as defined in claIm 3 wherein: said plurality of switching devices comprise relays, and said plurality of switching means comprise a set of make contacts of each of the relays.

Claim 7

A signalling circuit as defined in claim 3 wherein: said transmitter section comprises a plurality of switching circuits, the output of which is connected to the switching means in the stages at opposite ends of the network; said receiver section comprises a plurality of switching circuits, the input of which is connected to the switching means in the stages at opposite ends of said network, and said timing means simultaneously enables a selected switching circuit in each of the transmitters for applying path finding signals to the switching means and sequentially applies enabling signals to selected other ones of said transmitter and receiver switching circuits during the periods between path finding signals.

Claim 8

A signalling circuit as defined in claim 5 wherein: said timing means includes a plurality of output circuits and provides consecutive timing pulses on each of the plurality of output circuits, and wherein selected ones of said output circuits are connected to separate ones of said transmitter switching circuits and wherein selected ones of said output circuits are connected to separate ones of said receiver switching circuits.

Claim 9

A signalling circuit as defined in claim 3 wherein: said transmitter section is coupled to said receiver section in each of said signalling means to inhibit the receiver section when the transmitter section in the same signalling means is transmitting.

Claim 12

A signalling system as defined in claim 8 wherein: said transmitter circuits comprise a plurality of gating circuits responsive to be enabled by a signal from said circuit means to transmit a signal to the make contacts; said receiver circuits comprise a plurality of gating circuits responsive to be enabled by a signal from said circuit means to accept a signal from the make contacts, and said control circuit means includes a plurality of output circuits and applies switching pulses to said output signals in sequence, and circuit means for coupling separate ones of said output circuits to said individual ones of said gating circuits in said transmitter to apply switching signals thereto, and circuit means for coupling separate ones of said output circuits to individual ones of said gating circuits in said receiver circuits to apply switch-ing signals thereto.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use with a switching network, where said network includes a plurality of matrix stages interconnected to provide plural control paths and plural holding paths between circuits connected to opposite ends Of the network, wherein the matrix stages include a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contacts of the relay and includes a control winding, with the control winding of each relay being connected in the control paths and the hold winding of each relay being connected in corresponding holding paths through the series relay contacts, said apparatus comprising: path finding circuit means coupled to said holding path connections to at least one of said stages for detecting free holding path connections; circuit means for periodically enabling said path finding circuit means for a preset period of time, and time division circuit means coupled to said holding paths in the end stages of said network for transmitting signals through completed holding paths during time periods while said path finding means is disabled.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use with a switching network, where said network includes a plurality of matrix stages interconnected to provide plural control paths and plural holding paths between circuits connected to opposite ends Of the network, wherein the matrix stages include a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contacts of the relay and includes a control winding, with the control winding of each relay being connected in the control paths and the hold winding of each relay being connected in corresponding holding paths through the series relay contacts, said apparatus comprising: path finding circuit means coupled to said holding path connections to at least one of said stages for detecting free holding path connections; circuit means for periodically enabling said path finding circuit means for a preset period of time, and time division circuit means coupled to said holding paths in the end stages of said network for transmitting signals through completed holding paths during time periods while said path finding means is disabled.

Claim 15

Signalling apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein: said time division circuit means simultaneously applies a signal to all of said holding paths while path finding circuit means is enabled.

Claim 16

Apparatus for use with a network of switching matrices comprising: a multistage network of switching matrices wherein each stage includes a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contacts of the relay and includes a control winding, wherein control windings are interconnected between stages by control link interconnections to provide a plurality of control paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network and wherein the hold windings are interconnected between stages by holding link interconnections through the series contacts to provide a plurality of corresponding hold paths; path finding circuit means coupled to the holding path link interconnections to at least one of said stages for determining the busy-free condition of holding path link interconnections; control circuit means for periodically enabling said path finding means for a preset period of time, and signalling means coupled to the plurality of holding paths on opposite ends of the network for transmitting signals through completed holding paths during periods while said path finding circuit means is disabled.

Claim 17

Apparatus for use with a network of switching matrices comprising: a multistage network of switching matrices wherein each stage includes a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contacts of the relay and includes a control winding, wherein control windings are interconnected between stages by control link interconnections to provide a plurality of control paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network and wherein the hold windings are interconnected between stages by holding link interconnections through the series contacts to provide a plurality of corresponding hold paths; path finding circuit means coupled to the holding path link interconnections to at least one of said stages for determining the busy-free condition of holding path link interconnections; control circuit means for periodically enabling said path finding means for a preset period of time, and signalling means coupled to the plurality of holding paths on opposite ends of the network for transmitting signals through completed holding paths during periods while said path finding circuit means is disabled.

Claim 18

A signalling system as defined in claim 12 wherein: one end of the holding coil of each of said crosspoint relays is connected to a power source, while the other end is connected to one side of two pairs of make contacts of the same relay, and wherein the said pairs of make contacts are connected in series with the holding path link interconnections.

Claim 19

A signalling apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said signalling means includes: a plurality of separate signalling circuits connected to individual ones of the holding paths at opposite ends of the network, wherein said signalling circuits include a receiver section and a transmitter section, and timing means for controlling the operation of the transmitter sections and receiver sections so that the transmitter and receiver sections receive enabling signals on a time divided multiplex basis for applying signals to the holding paths, and receiving signals from the holding paths, during periods said path finding circuit means is disabled.

Claim 20

Signalling apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein: each transmitter section comprises a plurality of switching circuits, the outputs of which are coupled to a separate holding path; each receive section comprises a plurality of switching circuits, the input of which is coupled to a separate holding path, and said timing means sequentially applies enabling signals to selected ones of said transmitter and receiver switching circuits during the periods said path finding circuit means is disabled.

Claim 21

Signalling apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein: said timing means includes a plurality of output circuits and provides consecutive switching pulses on each of the plurality of output circuits, and wherein selected ones of said output circuits are connected to separate ones of said transmitter switching circuits, and wherein selected ones of said output circuits are connected to separate ones of said receiver switching circuits, the arrangement being such that a transmitter switching circuit and a corresponding receiver switching circuit at the opposite ends of the network receive simultaneous switching pulses.

Claim 22

Signalling apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein: said transmitter section is coupled to said receiver section and each of said signalling means to inhibit its receiver section while the transmitter section in the same signalling means transmits.

Claim 23

Signalling apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said signalling means includes: a plurality of individual signalling circuits connected to separate holding paths in the end stages on opposite ends of the network, each signalling circuit includes a receiver section and a transmitter section, and timing means for controlling the operation of the transmitter sections and receiver sections of the plurality of signalling circuits so that all transmitter sections are simultaneously enabled to apply a periodic path finding signal to the plurality of holding path connections and the transmitter and receiver sections receive enabling signals for applying signals to the holding paths and receiving signals from the holding paths under a time division multiplex arrangement during periods said path finding circuit means is disabled.

Claim 24

Path finding and signalling system for a switching network comprising: a multistage network of switching matrices wherein each stage includes a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contact of the relay and includes a control winding, with the control winding of each relay being interconnected between stages by control link interconnections to provide a plurality of control paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network and with the hold winding of each relay being interconnected between stages by holding link interconnections through the series contacts to provide a plurality of hold paths corresponding to the control paths; a plurality of make contacts, a separate one for each of said crosspoint relays in said network, said make contacts close when the corresponding crosspoint relays are actuated; link interconnection circuit means for interconnecting the plurality of make contacts in each of said stages to provide a plurality of signal paths through the network corresponding to the control and hold paths; path finding means coupled to said link interconnection circuit means periodically detecting the presence of signals in the plurality of signal paths to determine the busy-free condition thereof for completing free control, hold and signal paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network, and signalling means coupled to the plurality of make contacts on opposite sides of the network for periodically applying path finding signals thereto, and for transmitting signals through completed signal paths during the periods between path finding signals.

Claim 25

Path finding and signalling system for a switching network comprising: a multistage network of switching matrices wherein each stage includes a plurality of crosspoint relays arranged to form matrix switches, wherein each relay includes a hold winding connected in series with contact of the relay and includes a control winding, with the control winding of each relay being interconnected between stages by control link interconnections to provide a plurality of control paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network and with the hold winding of each relay being interconnected between stages by holding link interconnections through the series contacts to provide a plurality of hold paths corresponding to the control paths; a plurality of make contacts, a separate one for each of said crosspoint relays in said network, said make contacts close when the corresponding crosspoint relays are actuated; link interconnection circuit means for interconnecting the plurality of make contacts in each of said stages to provide a plurality of signal paths through the network corresponding to the control and hold paths; path finding means coupled to said link interconnection circuit means periodically detecting the presence of signals in the plurality of signal paths to determine the busy-free condition thereof for completing free control, hold and signal paths between circuits connected to opposite ends of the network, and signalling means coupled to the plurality of make contacts on opposite sides of the network for periodically applying path finding signals thereto, and for transmitting signals through completed signal paths during the periods between path finding signals.