Patent US3748646A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3748646A
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Voting system
Assignee: Daktronics Inc
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Filing: 1971-06-08
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Granted: 1973-07-24
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Expires: 1991-06-08
Abstract
Abstract A voting system for totaling aye and nay votes and abstentions from a plurality of voting stations. Each station includes an aye and a nay vote switch for casting aye and nay votes respectively. Each vote switch is coupled to a register for storing a vote cast by the switch coupled thereto. Aye and nay multiplexers are respectively coupled to the register coupled to the aye and nay vote switches. The multiplexer sequentially and cyclically passes the contents, vote-cast and vote-not-cast signals, of the registers coupled thereto to an aye vote recording circuit, to a nay vote recording circuit, and to an abstention vote recording circuit. The aye and nay multiplexers operate in synchronism so that an abstaining voting station will simultaneously pass an aye vote-not-cast signal and a nay vote-not-cast signal through the aye and nay multiplexers. The abstention vote recording section treats such simultaneous receipt of aye and nay vote-not-cast signals as an abstention.
Inventors
- 👤 S Schultz
- 👤 R Unruh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:22
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C13/00; H; H04; H04J; H04J3/00; H04J3/02; H04J3/04; H04J3/047
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
482 words
A voting system for totaling aye, nay and abstention votes from a plurality of voting stations, comprising, in combination: a plurality of voting stations, each station including an aye vote switch, a nay vote switch, and an aye and a nay vote register, which registers each have a set and a clear input and have their respective set inputs coupled to the aye and nay vote switches, each of which registers has at least one output and provides an output signal representative of a vote-not-cast in response to an input signal applied to its clear input but which provides an output signal representative of a vote-cast in response to an input signal applied to its set input by actuation of its associated vote switch, and which registers each have their clear input coupled to receive the set input of the other register to insure that at any given time only one of the registers provides a vote-cast output signal; an aye vote counter and a nay vote counter, each of which counters are responsive to a vote-cast signal to increment its count; an abstention vote counter responsive to simultaneous receipt of an aye vote-not-cast and a nay vote-not-cast signal to increment its count; an aye vote multiplexer having a plurlaity of data inputs at least equal in number to the number of voting stations, a votecast output coupled to the aye vote counter, and a vote-notcast output coupled to the abstention vote counter, each aye register being coupled to provide its output signals to an aye vote multiplexer data input, and which multiplexer is responsive to a timing signal to sequentially and cyclically enable its data inputs to pass each aye register vote-cast output signal to the aye vote counter and vote-not-cast signal to the abstention vote counter; a nay vote multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs at least equal in number to the number of voting stations, a votecast output coupled to the nay vote counter, and a vote-notcast output coupled to the abstention vote counter, each nay register being coupled to provide its output signals to a nay vote multiplexer data input, and which multiplexer is responsive to a timing signal to sequentially and cyclically enable its data inputs to pass each nay register vote-cast output signal to the nay vote counter and vote-not-cast output signal to the abstention vote counter; and a control signal generator for generating the timing signal and for providing the timing signal to each of the aye and nay multiplexers to operate the multiplexers in synchronism whereby during each cycle for each voting station vote-not-cast output signals of a voting station aye and nay registers are simultaneously provided to the abstention vote counter or a vote-cast signal from one of the registers is provided to the appropriate aye or nay counter to provide composite counts of all voting station aye, nay and abstention votes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
482 words
A voting system for totaling aye, nay and abstention votes from a plurality of voting stations, comprising, in combination: a plurality of voting stations, each station including an aye vote switch, a nay vote switch, and an aye and a nay vote register, which registers each have a set and a clear input and have their respective set inputs coupled to the aye and nay vote switches, each of which registers has at least one output and provides an output signal representative of a vote-not-cast in response to an input signal applied to its clear input but which provides an output signal representative of a vote-cast in response to an input signal applied to its set input by actuation of its associated vote switch, and which registers each have their clear input coupled to receive the set input of the other register to insure that at any given time only one of the registers provides a vote-cast output signal; an aye vote counter and a nay vote counter, each of which counters are responsive to a vote-cast signal to increment its count; an abstention vote counter responsive to simultaneous receipt of an aye vote-not-cast and a nay vote-not-cast signal to increment its count; an aye vote multiplexer having a plurlaity of data inputs at least equal in number to the number of voting stations, a votecast output coupled to the aye vote counter, and a vote-notcast output coupled to the abstention vote counter, each aye register being coupled to provide its output signals to an aye vote multiplexer data input, and which multiplexer is responsive to a timing signal to sequentially and cyclically enable its data inputs to pass each aye register vote-cast output signal to the aye vote counter and vote-not-cast signal to the abstention vote counter; a nay vote multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs at least equal in number to the number of voting stations, a votecast output coupled to the nay vote counter, and a vote-notcast output coupled to the abstention vote counter, each nay register being coupled to provide its output signals to a nay vote multiplexer data input, and which multiplexer is responsive to a timing signal to sequentially and cyclically enable its data inputs to pass each nay register vote-cast output signal to the nay vote counter and vote-not-cast output signal to the abstention vote counter; and a control signal generator for generating the timing signal and for providing the timing signal to each of the aye and nay multiplexers to operate the multiplexers in synchronism whereby during each cycle for each voting station vote-not-cast output signals of a voting station aye and nay registers are simultaneously provided to the abstention vote counter or a vote-cast signal from one of the registers is provided to the appropriate aye or nay counter to provide composite counts of all voting station aye, nay and abstention votes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
sequentially and cyclically enabling the aye and nay vote multiplexers in synchronism to simultaneously provide aye multiplexer and nay multiplexer outputs respectively representative of the status of the aye and nay vote switches of a voting station; and
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
sequentially and cyclically enabling the aye and nay vote multiplexers in synchronism to simultaneously provide aye multiplexer and nay multiplexer outputs respectively representative of the status of the aye and nay vote switches of a voting station; and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
105 words
A voting system according to claim 1 further comprising: a coincidence gate coupled between each multiplexer and counter, each of which gates when enabled applies a register output signal passed by a multiplexer to a counter but prevents such appliCation when disabled; and double vote inhibit means coupled to receive both the aye and nay vote-cast output signals passed by the aye and nay vote multiplexers and is activated in response to receipt of one or the other or neither of said vote-cast signals to enable the logic gate, but is deactivated by simultaneous receipt of both of said vote-cast signals to disable the gate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
A voting system according to claim 2 wherein the aye and nay vote multiplexers have an equal number of data inputs, wherein there are fewer voting stations than the number of multiplexer data inputs, wherein the inputs not coupled to voting stations of the aye and nay multiplexers are unused inputs and the aye and nay unused inputs correspond to each other in the multiplexing sequence, and in which system during a cycle each of the multiplexer data inputs are enabled, and further comprising: means for effectively applying an artifact vote-cast signal to each unused multiplexer input to effectively provide both an aye and a nay vote-cast signal when each of the unused multiplexer inputs are enabled and thereby disable the logic gates and prevent counting of such artifact vote-cast signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
registering an indication of an abstention in said abstention counter in response to simultaneous receipt at said counter inputs from said multiplexer outputs of aye and nay vote-not-cast signals from aye and nay voting switches of a voting station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
registering an indication of an abstention in said abstention counter in response to simultaneous receipt at said counter inputs from said multiplexer outputs of aye and nay vote-not-cast signals from aye and nay voting switches of a voting station.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
99 words
A voting system according to claim 3 wherein relatively high and relatively low signals are respectively representative of vote-cast and vote-not-cast signals, wherein each multiplexer is provided with an artifact vote input pin for receiving a relatively high potential and which multiplexer includes internal connections which couple a high potential received at said artifact-vote input to provide a vote-cast output signal from the multiplexer when a multiplexer unused input is enabled during the multiplexing sequence, and wherein the means for applying a vote-cast signal is a source of relatively high potential connected to said multiplexer artifact vote input pin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
127 words
A voting system according to claim 2 wherein each multiplexer has n control inputs, where n is an integer number, and has 2n data inputs, each of which data inputs is enabled by a unique set of binary signals received by the control signal inputs, and wherein the control generator has n outputs coupled to the n multiplexer inputs and cyclically provides to the multiplexer via the outputs a series of binary signal sets, each set of which represents one pulse of the timing wavetrain, each pulse corresponding to a count of the multiplexing sequence and consisting of equal length positive and negative going phases, and which sets comprise all possible combinations of n binary signals to enable each multiplexer data input once during each multiplexing sequence.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
156 words
A voting system according to claim 5 wherein each counter continuously provides output signals representative of a count stored therein on n data outputs and is responsive to a re-set signal to clear itself to zero, wherein at least two of said multiplexer data inputs are unused inputs, and further comprising: a count storage register for each counter, which storage register has its inputs coupled to the counter outputs and is responsive to a strobe signal to enable its inputs to receive and store the counter output signals; strobe signal generating means for producing and coupling to the count storage registers a strobe signal in response to a binary signal set corresponding to an unused multiplexer data input; and re-set signal generating means for producing and coupling to the counters a re-set signal in response to a binary signal set following said set for which a strobe signal is produced and corresponding to an unused input.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
A voting system according to claim 2 further comprising for each voting station a duel input AND gate coupled between said logic gates and said double vote inhibit means, which dual input AND has one input coupled to receive a timing wavetrain, and has its other input coupled to receive the output of the double vote inhibit means, the output of which double vote inhibit means when activated satisfies one of the conditions for activating said AND to pass said wavetrain through said AND as said timing signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
356 words
A voting system according to claim 1 which provides for re-opening voting following expiration of a voting period to provide a late voting period, comprising: means for generating a signal representative of and the duration of which corresponds to a normal voting period; means for generating a re-open voting signal the duration of which corresponds to a late voting period; a first OR gate which when active provides an output signal representative of a voting period open, which OR gate has one input coupled to receive and be activated by said signal representative of a normal voting period and another input coupled to receive and be activated by said signal representative of a late voting period; a coincidence gate coupled between each multiplexer and each counter, each of which gates when enabled applies a register output signal passed by a multiplexer to a counter but prevents such application when disabled, and each of which gates has one input coupled to receive said signal representative of a voting period open; and a second OR gate having said aye and nay register outputs of a voting station as its inputs and responsive to either an aye or a nay vote-cast signal to become active; a re-vote inhibit register for preventing during a late voting period the casting of a vote from a station from which a vote was cast during a normal voting period, which register has an input coupled to receive said second OR gate output and is responsive when said output is active to provide an inhibit re-voting signal; and a duel input AND gate one input to which is coupled to receive said re-open voting signal and the other input of which is coupled to receive the output of said re-vote inhibit register, which AND gate is active in response to a said re-open voting signal and the absence of an inhibit re-voting signal to produce as an output signal a said signal representative of a late voting period, but which AND gate is deactivated in response to an inhibit revoting signal to prevent production of a said signal representative of a late voting period.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
140 words
A voting system according to claim 8 for permitting a voter to change his vote as often as he wishes throughout a late voting period: a fourth second dual input AND gate coupled between said OR gate and said revote inhibit register, one input of which second AND gate is the OR gate output and the other of which is coupled to receive the normal voting period signal, a said normal voting period signal conditioning said second AND gate to pass set output of said OR representative of a vote-cast to et said re-vote inhibit register but said fourth NAND being inactive during a late voting period as a result of the absence of a normal voting period signal to prevent setting of said re-vote inhibit register and thus permit changing of the vote cast during a late voting period.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
71 words
A voting system according to claim 8 further comprising double vote inhibit means coupled to receive both the aye and nay vote-cast output signals passed by the aye and nay vote multiplexers and is activated in response to receipt of one or the other of a said vote-cast signals to enable the coincidence gate, but is deactivated by simultaneous receipt of both of said vote-cast signals to disable the coincidence gate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
131 words
A voting system according to claim 8 wherein the aye and nay vote multiplexers have an equal number of data inputs, wherein there are fewer voting stations than the number of multiplexer data inputs, wherein the inputs not coupled to voting stations of the aye and nay multiplexers are unused inputs and the aye and nay unused inputs correspond to each other in the multiplexing sequence, and in which system during a cycle each of the multiplexer data inputs are enabled, and further comprising: means for effectively applying an artifact vote-cast signal to eacH unused multiplexer input to effectively provide both an aye and a nay vote-cast signal when each of the unused multiplexer inputs are enabled and thereby disable the logic gates and prevent counting of such artifact vote-cast signals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
71 words
A voting system according to claim 11 further comprising: double vote inhibit means coupled to receive both the aye and nay vote-cast output signals passed by the aye and nay multiplexers and is activated in response to receipt of one or the other or neither of said vote-cast signals to enable said coincidence gate but is deactivated by simultaneous receipt of both of said vote-cast signals to disable the coicidence gate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
167 words
A voting system according to claim 1 further comprising a coincidence gate coupled between each multiplexer and counter, each of which gates when enabled applies a register output signal passed by a multiplexer to a counter but prevents such application when disabled; and, wherein the aye and nay vote multiplexers have an equal number of data inputs, wherein there are fewer voting stations than the number of multiplexer data inputs, wherein the inputs not coupled to voting stations of the aye and nay multiplexers are unused inputs and the aye and nay unused inputs correspond to each other in the multiplexing sequence, and in which system during a cycle each of the multiplexer data inputs are enabled, and further comprising: means for effectively applying an artifact vote-cast signal to each unused multiplexer input to effectively provide both an aye and a nay vote-cast signal when each of the unused multiplexer inputs are enabled and thereby disable the logic gates and prevent counting of such artifact vote-cast signals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
73 words
A process of registering absention indications in a voting system wherein the status of aye and nay vote switches of each voting station are coupled to the respective inputs of aye and nay vote multiplexers and the aye vote multiplexer and nay vote multiplexer outputs are respectively coupled to the inputs of aye and nay vote counters and to aye vote-not-cast and nay vote-not-cast outputs of an abstention indication counter, the steps comprising:
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A process of registering absention indications in a voting system wherein the status of aye and nay vote switches of each voting station are coupled to the respective inputs of aye and nay vote multiplexers and the aye vote multiplexer and nay vote multiplexer outputs are respectively coupled to the inputs of aye and nay vote counters and to aye vote-not-cast and nay vote-not-cast outputs of an abstention indication counter, the steps comprising:
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a voting system for accumulating aye, nay, and abstention indications, the system including a voting station having an aye vote switch and a nay vote switch and including an aye vote counter, and a nay vote counter, the improvement comprising: an aye vote multiplexer having an input coupled to each aye vote switch, having a vote cast output coupled to the aye vote counter and having a vote-not-cast output coupled to the abstention vote counter; a nay vote multiplexer having an input coupled to each nay vote switch, having a vote cast output coupled to the nay vote counter and having a vote-not-cast output coupled to the abstention vote counter; an abstention vote counter having as its inputs the aye vote multiplexer and nay vote multiplexer vote-not-cast outputs, which abstention vote counter is responsive to simultaneous occurrence of aye and nay vote-not-cast signals at its inputs to increment its count; and a control signal generator for providing a timing signal to the aye vote and nay vote multiplexers to cyclically and sequentially enable the aye vote and nay vote multiplexers in synchronism whereby aye vote-not-cast and nay vote-not-cast signals are simultaneously preseNted to the abstention counter for each voting station from which a vote was not cast.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a voting system for accumulating aye, nay, and abstention indications, the system including a voting station having an aye vote switch and a nay vote switch and including an aye vote counter, and a nay vote counter, the improvement comprising: an aye vote multiplexer having an input coupled to each aye vote switch, having a vote cast output coupled to the aye vote counter and having a vote-not-cast output coupled to the abstention vote counter; a nay vote multiplexer having an input coupled to each nay vote switch, having a vote cast output coupled to the nay vote counter and having a vote-not-cast output coupled to the abstention vote counter; an abstention vote counter having as its inputs the aye vote multiplexer and nay vote multiplexer vote-not-cast outputs, which abstention vote counter is responsive to simultaneous occurrence of aye and nay vote-not-cast signals at its inputs to increment its count; and a control signal generator for providing a timing signal to the aye vote and nay vote multiplexers to cyclically and sequentially enable the aye vote and nay vote multiplexers in synchronism whereby aye vote-not-cast and nay vote-not-cast signals are simultaneously preseNted to the abstention counter for each voting station from which a vote was not cast.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-23 | 1977-01-22 | 1977-07-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-23 | 1981-01-22 | 1981-07-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-23 | 1985-01-22 | 1985-07-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |