Zone speaker relay system

Claim 2

A zone speaker switching system comprising: a plurality of zone speaker switching assemblies, each of said assemblies having a speaker buss, a plurality of audio signal busses and switching means for selectively coupling a predetermined one of said plurality of audio signal busses to said speaker buss; and a first means for interconnecting said switching means in a first one of said plurality of switching assemblies to said switching means in a second one of said plurality of switching assemblies, said switching means in said second assembly including means responsive to a signal from said first assembly for selectively coupling a predetermined one of said plurality of audio signal busses in said second assembly to said speaker buss in said second assembly.

Claim 3

A switching system according to claim 1 further comprising: a second means for interconnecting said switching means in said first one of said plurality of said switching assemblies to said switching means in a third one of said plurality of switching assemblies, said switching means in said third one of said plurality of switching assemblies including means responsive to a signal appearing on said second interconnecting means for selectively coupling a predetermined one of said plurality of audio signal busses in said third assembly to said speaker buss in said third assembly.

Claim 4

A switching system according to claim 1 wherein each of said switching means in said plurality of switching assemblies comprises: a first switchbank coupled to a first and a second one of said plurality of audio signal busses; a second switchbank coupled to said first switch-bank and to a third one of said plurality of audio signal busses; a third sWitchbank coupled to said second switchbank and to a fourth one of said plurality of audio signal busses; and a first, a second, and a third means for switching said switchbanks for selectively coupling said first, said second, and said third one of said plurality of audio signal busses to said speaker buss.

Claim 5

A switching system according to Claim 3 wherein each of said switchbanks comprise: a plurality of normally open and normally closed signal paths and further comprising means for coupling said first one of said plurality of audio signal busses to said speaker buss through said normally closed signal paths of each of said switchbanks.

Claim 6

A switching system according to claim 4 further comprising means for coupling said second one of said audio signal busses to said speaker buss through said normally open signal paths of said first switchbank and said normally closed signal paths of said second and said third switchbanks.

Claim 7

A switching system according to claim 5 further comprising means for coupling said third one of said audio signal busses to said speaker buss through said normally open signal paths of said second switchbank and said normally closed signal paths of said third switchbank.

Claim 8

A switching system according to claim 6 further comprising means for coupling said fourth one of said audio signal busses to said speaker buss through said normally open signal paths of said third switchbank.

Claim 9

A switching system according to claim 7 wherein each of said switchbanks has a first and a second state of operation, and further comprising: a means for coupling said first switchbank of said first one of said switching assemblies to said first and said second switchbank of said second one of said switching assemblies for changing said second switchbank in said second one of said switching assemblies from its first state of operation to its second state of operation when said first switchbank in said second one of said switching assemblies is changed from its first state of operation to its second state of operation after said first switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies is in its second state of operation for coupling said third one of said audio signal busses to said speaker buss in said second one of said switching assemblies.

Claim 10

A switching system according to claim 8 further comprising means for coupling said first switchbank of said first one of said switching assemblies to said first switchbank in said third one of said switching assemblies for changing said first switch-bank in said third one of said switching assemblies from its first state of operation to its second state of operation when said first switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies is changed from its first state of operation to its second state of operation.

Claim 11

A switching system according to claim 9 wherein said third switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies further comprises: means for coupling said second switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies to said second switch-bank in said second and said third one of switching assemblies and means for changing the state of operation of said third switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies for decoupling said second switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies from said second switchbank in said third one of said switching assemblies for preventing a change of state of operation of said second switchbank in said third one of said switching assemblies when said first switchbank in said first one of said switching assemblies is in its second state of operation.

Claim 12

A switching system according to claim 10 wherein each of said switchbanks are relay controlled switchbanks.

Claim 13

A zone speaker switching system comprising: a first means for selectively coupling a first and a second audio signal buss to a first speaker buss; a second means for selectively coupling said first and said second audio signal busses to a seCond speaker buss; and a third means for selectively coupling said first and said second audio signal busses to a third speaker buss; said first, said second, and said third coupling means including means responsive to a control signal for automatically coupling said first audio signal buss to said first speaker buss and said second audio signal buss to said third speaker buss when said second audio signal buss is coupled to said second speaker buss.

Claim 14

A zone speaker switching system comprising: a first means for selectively coupling a first and a second audio signal buss to a first speaker buss; a second means for selectively coupling said first and said second audio signal busses to a seCond speaker buss; and a third means for selectively coupling said first and said second audio signal busses to a third speaker buss; said first, said second, and said third coupling means including means responsive to a control signal for automatically coupling said first audio signal buss to said first speaker buss and said second audio signal buss to said third speaker buss when said second audio signal buss is coupled to said second speaker buss.

Claim 15

A switching system according to claim 12 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means comprise relay controlled switching means.

Claim 16

A switching system according to claim 12 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means further comprise: a means reponsive to a control signal for automatically coupling said first audio signal buss to said first and said second speaker busses when said first audio signal buss is coupled to said third speaker buss.

Claim 17

A switching system according to claim 14 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means comprise relay controlled switching means.

Claim 18

A switching system according to claim 12 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means further comprise: a means responsive to a control signal for automatically coupling said second audio signal buss to said second and said third speaker busses when said second audio signal buss is coupled to said first speaker buss.

Claim 19

A switching system according to claim 16 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means comprise relay controlled switching means.

Claim 20

A switching system according to claim 12 further comprising: a third audio signal buss; and means coupled to said responsive means for automatically simultaneously coupling said third audio signal buss to said first, said second and said third speaker busses.

Claim 21

A switching system according to claim 18 wherein said first, said second and said third coupling means comprise relay controlled switching means.

Claim 22

A zone speaker switching system comprising: a first speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a first speaker zone; a second speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a second speaker zone adjacent said first speaker zone; a third speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a third speaker zone adjacent said second speaker zone; a first and a second audio signal buss; a first source of audio signals including timing means responsive to a first indicator signal originating from said second speaker zone coupled to said first and said second audio signal busses for generating a first audio signal for a first predetermined length of time; means reponsive to said first indicator signal for selectively coupling said first audio signal buss to said first and said second speaker busses and said second audio signal buss to said third speaker buss for transmitting said first audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses for said first predetermined length of time; means for generating a first control signal upon the termination of said first audio signal; a second source of audio signals including means responsive to said first control signal coupled to said first and said second audio signal busses for transmitting a second audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses for a second predetermined length of time; means for generating a second control signal upon the termination of said second audio signal; a third audio signal buss; and means responsive to said second control signal for coupling said third audio signal buss to said first, said second and said third speaker busses for sequentially transmitting said first, said second and a third audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses.

Claim 23

A zone speaker switching system comprising: a first speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a first speaker zone; a second speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a second speaker zone adjacent said first speaker zone; a third speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a third speaker zone adjacent said second speaker zone; a first and a second audio signal buss; a first source of audio signals including timing means responsive to a first indicator signal originating from said second speaker zone coupled to said first and said second audio signal busses for generating a first audio signal for a first predetermined length of time; means reponsive to said first indicator signal for selectively coupling said first audio signal buss to said first and said second speaker busses and said second audio signal buss to said third speaker buss for transmitting said first audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses for said first predetermined length of time; means for generating a first control signal upon the termination of said first audio signal; a second source of audio signals including means responsive to said first control signal coupled to said first and said second audio signal busses for transmitting a second audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses for a second predetermined length of time; means for generating a second control signal upon the termination of said second audio signal; a third audio signal buss; and means responsive to said second control signal for coupling said third audio signal buss to said first, said second and said third speaker busses for sequentially transmitting said first, said second and a third audio signal over said first, said second and said third speaker busses.

Claim 24

A zone speaker switching system according to claim 20 further comprising: means responsive to said first indicator signal for inhibitiNg the generation of a second alarm signal in response to a second indicator signal while said first and said second audio signal busses are coupled to said first, said second and said third speaker busses.

Claim 25

A zone speaker switching system according to claim 21 further comprising: means responsive to said second control signal for inhibiting the transmission of a second alarm signal generated in response to a second indicator signal to said first, said second and said third speaker busses while said third audio signal buss is coupled to said first, said second and said third speaker busses.

Claim 26

A zone speaker switching system according to claim 22 wherein said first source of audio signals includes means for generating a first audio alarm signal and said second source of audio signals includes a source of a first pre-recorded audio message coupled to said first audio signal buss and a source of a second pre-recorded audio message coupled to said second audio signal buss for sequentially transmitting said first audio alarm signal and said first audio message over said first and said second speaker busses and said first audio alarm signal and said second audio message over said third speaker buss.

Claim 27

A zone speaker switching system according to claim 23 further comprising: a fourth speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a fourth speaker zone adjacent said first speaker zone; a fifth speaker buss for coupling to a speaker in a fifth speaker zone adjacent said third speaker zone; means responsive to a second indicator signal coupled to said first and said second audio signal busses for generating a second alarm signal for a third predetermined length of time; and means reponsive to said second indicator signal for selectively coupling said first audio signal buss to said fourth speaker buss for sequentially transmitting said second alarm signal and said first pre-recorded audio message over said fourth speaker buss if said second indicator signal originates from said fourth speaker zone and said second audio signal buss to said fifth speaker buss for sequentially transmitting said second alarm signal and said second pre-recorded audio message over said fifth speaker buss if said second indicator signal originates from said fifth speaker zone.