Signaling system with signal level differentiation

Claim 2

An electrical communication system for plural pairs of associated spaced-apart signaling and indicating devices, where each signaling device has signaling and nonsignaling states, and each indicating device has indicating and nonindicating states, said system comprising a common transmission medium, transmitter means at one location operatively connected to said medium and to said signaling devices, operable to produce and supply to said medium successive trains of time-spaced electrical indexing pulses, with each such pulse in a train associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and further operable following each indexing pulse to produce and supply to said medium a signaling pulse under circumstances with the signaling device associated with such indexing pulse being then in a signaling state, said transmitter means including an index-pulsing means which produces said indexing pulses, a pulse-responsive indexing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing means which switches successively to different indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses, each of such indexed states being associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and signal-pulsing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing and indexing means, operable following an indexing pulse, and with the signaling device which is associated with the indexed state then occupied by said indexing means in a signaling state, to produce a signaling pulse, and receiver means at another location which is remote from said one location operatively connected to said medium and to said indicating devices, operable to receive the different indexing and singaling pulses conveyed through said medium, and further operable on receiving a signaling pulse to place the indicating means associated with the preceding indexing pulse in an indicating state.

Claim 3

An electrical communication system for plural pairs of associated spaced-apart signaling and indicating devices, where each signaling device has signaling and nonsignaling states, and each indicating device has indicating and nonindicating states, said system comprising a common transmission medium, transmitter means at one location operatively connected to said medium and to said signaling devices, operable to produce and supply to said medium successive trains of time-spaced electrical indexing pulses, with each such pulse in a train associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and further operable following each indexing pulse to produce and supply to said medium a signaling pulse under circumstances with the signaling device associated with such indexing pulse being then in a signaling state, said transmitter means including an index-pulsing means which produces said indexing pulses, a pulse-responsive indexing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing means which switches successively to different indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses, each of such indexed states being associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and signal-pulsing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing and indexing means, operable following an indexing pulse, and with the signaling device which is associated with the indexed state then occupied by said indexing means in a signaling state, to produce a signaling pulse, and receiver means at another location which is remote from said one location operatively connected to said medium and to said indicating devices, operable to receive the different indexing and singaling pulses conveyed through said medium, and further operable on receiving a signaling pulse to place the indicating means associated with the preceding indexing pulse in an indicating state.

Claim 4

An electrical communication system for plural pairs of associated spaced-apart signaling and indicating devices, where each signaling device has signaling and nonsignaling states, and each indicating device has indicating and nonindicating states, said system comprising a common transmission medium, transmitter means at one location operatively connected to said medium and to said signaling devices, operable to produce and supply to said medium successive trains of time-spaced electrical indexing pulses, with each such pulse in a train associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and further operable following each indexing pulse to produce and supply to said medium a signaling pulse under circumstances with the signaling device associated with such indexing pulse being then in a signaling state, said transmitter means including an index-pulsing means which produces said indexing pulses, a pulse-responsive indexing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing means which switches successively to different indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses, each of such indexed states being associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and signal-pulsing means operatively connected to said index-pulsing and indexing means, operable following an indexing pulse, and with the signaling device which is associated with the indexed state then occupied by said indexing means in a signaling state, to produce a signaling pulse, and receiver means at another location which is remote from said one location operatively connected to said medium and to said indicating devices, operable to receive the different indexing and singaling pulses conveyed through said medium, and further operable on receiving a signaling pulse to place the indicating means associated with the preceding indexing pulse in an indicating state.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, wherein said index-pulsing means and said signal-pulsing means are constructed to produce pulses having different respective pulse-height characteristics.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means further comprises for each signaling device a signal-gating circuit operatively connected to the device, to said indexing means and to said signal-pulsing means, the signal-gating circuit for a signaling device supplying an instruction signal to said signal-pulsing means under circumstances with the signaling device in a signaling state and the indexing means occupying the indexed state associated with the signaling device.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3, wherein said signal-pulsing means includes a pair of input terminals with one coupled to said index-pulsing means to note the conclusion of an indexing pulse, and the other coupled to said signal-gating circuit to receive an instruction signal, said signal-pulsing means being constructed to produce a signaling pulse on its said other input terminal receiving an instruction signal following its said one input terminal noting the conclusion of an indexing pulse.

Claim 8

An electrical communication system for Plural pairs of associated spaced-apart signaling and indicating devices, where each signaling device has a signaling and nonsignaling states, and each indicating device has indicating and nonindicating states, said system comprising a common transmission medium, index-pulsing means at one location operatively connected to said medium, operable to produce successive trains of time-spaced indexing pulses with each such pulse associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, a first pulse-responsive indexing means at said one location operatively connected to said index-pulsing means, said indexing means having different indexed states with each associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and being placeable successively in different ones of its said indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses produced by said index-pulsing means, signal-pulsing means at said one location operatively connected to said medium, to said indexing means, and to said index-pulsing means, operable following an indexing pulse, and with the signaling device which is associated with the indexed state then occupied by said indexing means in a signaling state, to produce a signaling pulse, a second pulse-responsive indexing means operatively connected to said medium at another location which is remote from said one location, said second indexing means having different indexed states with each associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and being placeable successively in different ones of its said indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses from said index-pulsing means transmitted over said medium, and output circuit means operatively connected to said medium, to said second indexing means, and to said indicating devices, operable in response to a signaling pulse from said signal-pulsing means transmitted over said medium, and with said second indexing means in the indexed state produced by the last-transmitted indexing pulse, to place the indicating device associated with such indexed state in an indicating state.

Claim 9

An electrical communication system for Plural pairs of associated spaced-apart signaling and indicating devices, where each signaling device has a signaling and nonsignaling states, and each indicating device has indicating and nonindicating states, said system comprising a common transmission medium, index-pulsing means at one location operatively connected to said medium, operable to produce successive trains of time-spaced indexing pulses with each such pulse associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, a first pulse-responsive indexing means at said one location operatively connected to said index-pulsing means, said indexing means having different indexed states with each associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and being placeable successively in different ones of its said indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses produced by said index-pulsing means, signal-pulsing means at said one location operatively connected to said medium, to said indexing means, and to said index-pulsing means, operable following an indexing pulse, and with the signaling device which is associated with the indexed state then occupied by said indexing means in a signaling state, to produce a signaling pulse, a second pulse-responsive indexing means operatively connected to said medium at another location which is remote from said one location, said second indexing means having different indexed states with each associated with a different associated signaling and indicating device, and being placeable successively in different ones of its said indexed states in response to successive indexing pulses from said index-pulsing means transmitted over said medium, and output circuit means operatively connected to said medium, to said second indexing means, and to said indicating devices, operable in response to a signaling pulse from said signal-pulsing means transmitted over said medium, and with said second indexing means in the indexed state produced by the last-transmitted indexing pulse, to place the indicating device associated with such indexed state in an indicating state.

Claim 10

The system of claim 5, wherein said index-pulsing means is constructed to produce indexing pulses having one pulse-height characteristic, and said signal-pulsing means is constructed to produce signaling pulses having another pulse-height characteristic which differs from said one characteristic.

Claim 11

The system of claim 6 which further comprises at said other location a pulse-height discriminator circuit operatively connected to said medium, constructed to determine whether a pulse transmitted over said medium has either of said two different pulse-height characteristics.

Claim 12

The system of claim 7, wherein said discriminator circuit includes a reference voltage producer responsive to indexing and signaling pulses transmitted over said medium to produce a reference voltage having a level related to the pulse-height characteristics of such pulses, and comparing circuit means operatively connected to said medium and to said reference voltage producer for comparing the pulse-height characteristic of a pulse transmitted over said medium with the level of said reference voltage.

Claim 13

In a time-sharing electrical communication system including a common transmission medium, and transmitter means connected to said medium for producing and supplying thereto successive trains of time-spaced indexing pulses, and intermediate such pulses, and in accordance with information to be conveyed over the system, signaling pulses related to such information, with said indexing and signaling pulses having different respective maximum voltage levels, receiver means remove from said transmitter means comprising a reference voltage producer operatively connected to said medium responsive to received pulses to produce a reference voltage having a level related to the average voltage level of such pulses, comparing circuit means operatively connected to said medium and tO said reference voltage producer for determining, by comparison with said reference voltage, which of said different maximum voltage levels a pulse from said transmitter has, and a voltage divider circuit interposed electrically between and coupled to said reference voltage producer and to said comparing circuit means, said voltage divider circuit producing from said reference voltage two different sub-reference voltages whose respective levels are substantially directly proportional to that of said reference voltage, one of said sub-reference voltages having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of the pulses having the greatest maximum level and above the maximum voltage level of the other pulses, and the other sub-reference voltage having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of said other pulses.

Claim 14

In a time-sharing electrical communication system including a common transmission medium, and transmitter means connected to said medium for producing and supplying thereto successive trains of time-spaced indexing pulses, and intermediate such pulses, and in accordance with information to be conveyed over the system, signaling pulses related to such information, with said indexing and signaling pulses having different respective maximum voltage levels, receiver means remove from said transmitter means comprising a reference voltage producer operatively connected to said medium responsive to received pulses to produce a reference voltage having a level related to the average voltage level of such pulses, comparing circuit means operatively connected to said medium and tO said reference voltage producer for determining, by comparison with said reference voltage, which of said different maximum voltage levels a pulse from said transmitter has, and a voltage divider circuit interposed electrically between and coupled to said reference voltage producer and to said comparing circuit means, said voltage divider circuit producing from said reference voltage two different sub-reference voltages whose respective levels are substantially directly proportional to that of said reference voltage, one of said sub-reference voltages having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of the pulses having the greatest maximum level and above the maximum voltage level of the other pulses, and the other sub-reference voltage having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of said other pulses.

Claim 15

The system of claim 9, wherein said comparing circuit means includes at least three input terminals, with one connected to said voltage divider circuit to be supplied said one sub-reference voltage, another connected to said voltage divider circuit to be supplied said other sub-reference voltage, and the third operatively connected to said medium to follow pulses transmitted thereover.

Claim 16

The system of claim 10, wherein said comparing circuit means includes a first comparing circuit operatively connected to said one and third input terminals effective to produce an output signal on the voltage level at said third input terminal exceeding that at said one input terminal, a second comparing circuit operatively connected to said other and third input terminals effective to produce an output signal at a predetermined time interval after the voltage level at said third input terminal exceeds and remains greater than that at said other input terminal, and inhibit means operatively interconnecting said first and second comparing circuits inhibiting the production of an output signal by said second comparing circuit with production of an output signal by said first comparing circuit.

Claim 17

In a receiver including an input terminal for receiving electrical pulses where such pulses may have either of two different maximum voltage levels, a reference voltage producer operatively connected to said input terminal responsive to pulses received thereby to produce a reference voltage having a level related to the average pulse-height of such pulses, comparing circuit means operatively connected to said input terminal and to said reference voltage producer for determining, by comparison with said reference voltage, which of said two different maximum voltage levels a pulse received by said input terminal has, and a voltage divider circuit interposed electrically between and coupled to said reference voltage producer and to said comparing circuit means, said voltage divider circuit producing from said reference voltage two different sub-reference voltages whose respective levels are substantially directly proportional to that of said reference voltage, one of said sub-reference voltages having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of the pulses having the greater maximum voltage level and above the maximum voltage level of the other pulses, and the other sub-reference voltage having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of said other pulses.

Claim 18

In a receiver including an input terminal for receiving electrical pulses where such pulses may have either of two different maximum voltage levels, a reference voltage producer operatively connected to said input terminal responsive to pulses received thereby to produce a reference voltage having a level related to the average pulse-height of such pulses, comparing circuit means operatively connected to said input terminal and to said reference voltage producer for determining, by comparison with said reference voltage, which of said two different maximum voltage levels a pulse received by said input terminal has, and a voltage divider circuit interposed electrically between and coupled to said reference voltage producer and to said comparing circuit means, said voltage divider circuit producing from said reference voltage two different sub-reference voltages whose respective levels are substantially directly proportional to that of said reference voltage, one of said sub-reference voltages having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of the pulses having the greater maximum voltage level and above the maximum voltage level of the other pulses, and the other sub-reference voltage having a level which is below the maximum voltage level of said other pulses.

Claim 19

The receiver of claim 12, wherein said comparing circuit means includes at least three input terminals, with one connected to said voltage divider circuit to be supplied said one sub-reference voltage, another connected to said voltage divider circuit to be supplied said other sub-reference voltage, and the third operatively connected to said input terminal to follow pulses received thereby.

Claim 20

The receiver of claim 13, wherein said comparing circuit means includes a first comparing circuit operatively connected to said one and third input terminals effective to produce an output signal on the voltage level of said third input terminal exceeding that at said one inpUt terminal, a second comparing circuit operatively connected to said other and third input terminals effective to produce an output signal a predetermined time interval after the voltage level at said third input terminal exceeds and remains greater than that at said other input terminal, and inhibit means operatively interconnecting said first and second comparing circuits inhibiting the production of an output signal by said second comparing circuit with production of an output signal by said first comparing circuit.