US3824334A — Data communications network

Claim 1

Independent Claim 166 words

Apparatus for establishing communication between a data transmitting device and one or more data receiving devices, comprising: transmit selecting means for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined data transmitting devices to transmit data; receive selecting means for selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined data receiving devices to receive said data; data transmit means interconnected between said transmit and receive selecting means for providing a transmission path between said selected data transmitting device and each of said selected data receiving devices; data receive means for receiving the data transmitted by said selected data transmitting device and for supplying said data transmit means with the transmitted data; and control means coupled to said transmit and receive selecting means for regulating said transmit and receive selecting means so as to assure the proper selection of a data transmitting device capable of transmitting data and the proper selection of data receiving devices capable of receiving data, said control means being adapted to indicate an erroneous selection.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 166 words

Apparatus for establishing communication between a data transmitting device and one or more data receiving devices, comprising: transmit selecting means for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined data transmitting devices to transmit data; receive selecting means for selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined data receiving devices to receive said data; data transmit means interconnected between said transmit and receive selecting means for providing a transmission path between said selected data transmitting device and each of said selected data receiving devices; data receive means for receiving the data transmitted by said selected data transmitting device and for supplying said data transmit means with the transmitted data; and control means coupled to said transmit and receive selecting means for regulating said transmit and receive selecting means so as to assure the proper selection of a data transmitting device capable of transmitting data and the proper selection of data receiving devices capable of receiving data, said control means being adapted to indicate an erroneous selection.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 88 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises: status detecting means for determining which of said plurality of predetermined data receiving devices are capable of receiving data and for enabling the selection by said receive selecting means of one or more of those data receiving devices that are capable of receiving data; and enable signal means for generating an enabling signal that is transmitted to said selected one of said plurality of predetermined data transmitting devices to enable said selected data transmitting device to transmit data.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 47 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said status detecting means includes inhibit means for inhibiting the transmission of data to a data receiving device that is not capable of receiving data and means for indicating the selection by said receive selecting means of such data receiving device.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 90 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control means further comprises: data detecting means for detecting the transmission of data by one of said predetermined data transmitting devices; means coupled to said data detecting means for preventing the transmission of said enabling signal during said transmission of data; and end of transmission detecting means for detecting the termination of said transmission of data and for establishing a quiescent condition for said control means, thereby permitting a subsequent selection of one or more data receiving devices by said receive selecting means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 71 words

The apparatus of claim 4 further including a plurality of visual indicating means associated with said plurality of predetermined data receiving devices and coupled to said status detecting means for providing first indications when data receiving devices are not capable of receiving data, second indications when data receiving devices are capable of receiving data and third indications when the selection of data receiving devices by said receive selecting means is enabled.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 71 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said transmit selecting means comprises selective switching means for establishing an electrical connection between said data receive means and said data transmit means and for establishing an electrical connection between said enable signal means and said selected data transmitting device; said selective switching means supplying an energizing signal to said visual indicating means for providing a fourth indication when a data transmitting device is selected.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 72 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said receive selecting means comprises: activatable switch means connected between each of said plurality of predetermined data receiving devices and said data transmit means; activating means coupled to said activatable switch means and responsive to said status detecting means for activating said activatable switch means, said activating means being inhibited by said inhibit means; and energizable means for selectively producing energizing signals for said activating means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 49 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said data receive means includes a plurality of status signal receiving means corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined data receiving devices for receiving status signals from said data receiving devices representing that said data receiving devices are capable of receiving data.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 84 words

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said status detecting means comprises a plurality of gating means corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined data receiving devices, each of said gating means being coupled to an energizable means and a status signal receiving means for applying a selectively produced energizing signal to an activating means when a status signal is received, said gating means being inhibited from applying said selectively produced energizing signal to said activating means when said status signal is not received.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 74 words

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said data transmit means comprises transmit wave shaping means coupled to each of said activatable switch means for shaping the data signals to be received by said data receiving devices such that said data signals are compatible with the communications medium extending between said transmit wave shaping means and said data receiving devices, and for simultaneously applying each shaPed data signal to each of said activatable switch means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said data receive means further includes a plurality of receive wave shaping means correspnding in number to said data transmitting devices, each of said receive wave shaping means being coupled to said selective switching means for shaping the data signals received from said data transmitting device such that said shaped data signals are compatible with said transmit wave shaping means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 177 words

In a facsimile communication system including a plurality of remote facsimile transceivers capable of transmitting and receiving facsimile information and a local facsimile transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving facsimile information, apparatus for establishing communication channels therebetween, comprising: transmit selecting means for selecting said local facsimile transceiver or one of said remote facsimile transceivers to transmit facsimile information; receive selecting means for selecting one or more of said local and remote facsimile transceivers to receive said facsimile information; transmit means interconnected between said transmit and receive selecting means for providing a transmission path between a facsimile transceiver selected to transmit and each of said facsimile transceivers selected to receive; receive means for receiving the facsimile information transmitted by said facsimile transceiver selected to transmit and for supplying said transmit means with said facsimile information; and control means coupled to aid local facsimile transceiver and said transmit and receive selecting means for monitoring the operating conditions of said local and remote facsimile transceivers and for regulating said transmit and receive selecting means in accordance with the monitored conditions.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 177 words

In a facsimile communication system including a plurality of remote facsimile transceivers capable of transmitting and receiving facsimile information and a local facsimile transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving facsimile information, apparatus for establishing communication channels therebetween, comprising: transmit selecting means for selecting said local facsimile transceiver or one of said remote facsimile transceivers to transmit facsimile information; receive selecting means for selecting one or more of said local and remote facsimile transceivers to receive said facsimile information; transmit means interconnected between said transmit and receive selecting means for providing a transmission path between a facsimile transceiver selected to transmit and each of said facsimile transceivers selected to receive; receive means for receiving the facsimile information transmitted by said facsimile transceiver selected to transmit and for supplying said transmit means with said facsimile information; and control means coupled to aid local facsimile transceiver and said transmit and receive selecting means for monitoring the operating conditions of said local and remote facsimile transceivers and for regulating said transmit and receive selecting means in accordance with the monitored conditions.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 92 words

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said control means includes: status detecting means for determining which of said local and remote facsimile transceivers admit of data receiving modes adapted to receive facsimile information and for enabling the selection by said receive selecting means of one or more of those facsimile transceivers admitting of a data receiving mode; and enable signal means for generating an enabling signal that is transmitted to the local or remote facsimile transceiver selected by said transmit selecting means to enable said selected facsimile transceiver to transmit facsimile information.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said status detecting means includes means for inhibiting the simultaneous selection of a given facsimile transceiver to transmit and receive facsimile information.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said control means further includes means for indicating when a local or remote facsimile transceiver not admitting of said data receiving mode is selected to receive facsimile information.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 94 words

The apparatus of claim 15 including a visual indicating means associated with each of said local and remote facsimile transceivers and coupled to said status detecting means for providing a first indication when said associated facsimile transceiver does not admit of said data receiving mode, a second indication when said associated facsimile transceiver admits of said data receiving mode and a third indication when said status detecting means enables the selection by said receive selecting means of said associated facsimile transceiver or when said associated facsimile transceiver is selected by said transmit selecting means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 123 words

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said receive selecting means comprises: a plurality of first manually operable switch means, each of said first manually operable switch means being associated with a corresponding one of said local and remote facsimile transceivers for producing a first select signal upon the manual operation thereof; a plurality of activatable switch means, each of said activatable switch means being associated with a corresponding one of said remotE facsimile transceivers for establishing a connection between said associated facsimile transceiver and said transmit means; and a plurality of activating means, each of said activating means being associated with a corresponding one of said activatable switch means and selectively responsive to a first select signal for activating said activatable switch means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 59 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said receive means includes a plurality of status signal receiving means, each of said status signal receiving means being associated with a corresponding one of said remote facsimile transceivers for receiving a status signal from said associated remote facsimile transceiver representing that said associated remote facsimile transceiver admits of said data receiving mode.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 69 words

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said status detecting means includes a plurality of gating means, each of said gating means being associated with a corresponding one of said remote facsimile transceivers and coupled to a status signal receiving means and a first manually operable switch means for supplying a first select signal to an activating means when a status signal is received from said associated remote facsimile transceiver.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 73 words

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said status detecting means further includes additional gating means coupled to said first manually operable switch means associated with said local facsimile transceiver and responsive to signals generated by said local facsimile transceiver representing that said local facsimile transceiver admits of said receive mode for supplying a first select signal to local facsimile transceiver enable means whereby said local facsimile transceiver is enabled to receive facsimile information.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 91 words

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said transmit selecting means comprises a plurality of second manually operable switch means, each of said second manually operable switch means being associated with a corresponding one of said local and remote facsimile transceivers for producing a second select signal upon the manual operation thereof and for establishing an electrical connection between said receive means and said transmit means, each of said second manually operable switch means further establishing an electrical connection between said enable means and an associated facsimile transceiver upon said manual operation.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 131 words

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said enable signal means comprises: enable signal generating means for generating said enabling signal; enable signal gating means coupled to said enable signal generating means for gating said enabling signal to each of said second manually operable switch means associated with a remote facsimile transceiver when facsimile information is not transmitted by said transmit means; and local facsimile gating means coupled to said second manually operable switch means associated with said local facsimile transceiver and to said local facsimile transceiver and responsive to signals generated by said local facsimile transceiver representing that said local facsimile transceiver admits of a transmit mode for supplying a second select signal to said local facsimile transceiver enable means whereby said local facsimile transceiver is enabled to transmit facsimile information.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 52 words

The apparatus of claim 22 further including means for coupling each of said second manually operable switch means to a corresponding one of said visual indicating means for supplying a corresponding visual indicating means with a second select signal in accordance with said manual operation of said second manually operable switch means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 77 words

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said means for inhibiting the simultaneous selection of a given facsimile transceiver to transmit and receive facsimile information comprises means for supplying a corresponding one of said plurality of gating means and said additional gating means included in said status detecting means with the second select signal produced by thE manual operation of a second manually operable switch means to inhibit the operation of said corresponding gating and additional gating means.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 70 words

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said control means further includes: facsimile information detecting means coupled to said transmit means for detecting the transmission of facsimile information by a transmitting facsimile transceiver; and inhibit means coupled to said enable signal gating means and responsive to a detected transmission of facsimile information for inhibiting said enable signal gating means from gating said enable signal to a second manually operable switch means.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 62 words

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said facsimile information detecting means includes: end of message means for detecting the termination of facsimile information transmission; and reset means responsive to the termination of facsimile information transmission for resetting each of said operated first manually operable switch means to a quiescent condition at a predetermined time subsequent to the termination of facsimile information transmission.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 26 wherein each remote facsimile transceiver is coupled to said receive means and to an activatable switch means by telephone lines.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of establishing communication between a plurality of data transceivers, comprising the steps of: selecting one of said data transceivers to transmit data information; determining which of said data transceivers admits of a data receiving mode capable of receiving data information; selecting one or more of said data transceivers to receive data information; indicating the selection of a data transceiver not capable of receiving data information; supplying the data transceiver selected to transmit data information with an enabling signal to commence data information transmission; and relaying the data information transmitted from said data transceiver selected to transmit to those data transceivers selected to receive and capable of receiving data information.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of establishing communication between a plurality of data transceivers, comprising the steps of: selecting one of said data transceivers to transmit data information; determining which of said data transceivers admits of a data receiving mode capable of receiving data information; selecting one or more of said data transceivers to receive data information; indicating the selection of a data transceiver not capable of receiving data information; supplying the data transceiver selected to transmit data information with an enabling signal to commence data information transmission; and relaying the data information transmitted from said data transceiver selected to transmit to those data transceivers selected to receive and capable of receiving data information.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 28 wherein said step of determining which of said data transceivers admits of a data receiving mode comprises the steps of: selectively receiving status signals from said data transceivers representing that said data transceivers admit of said data receiving mode; detecting each of said received status signals; and indicating the detection of each of said received status signals.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 71 words

The method of claim 29 wherein said step of selecting one or more of said data transceivers to receive data information comprises the steps of: generating energizing signals for each data transceiver selected to receive data information; combining each energizing signal with an associated one of said received status signals to produce activating signals; and establishing transmission paths to said data transceivers selected to receive in response to said activating signals.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 73 words

The method of claim 30 wherein said step of indicating the selection of a data transceiver not capable of receiving data information comprises the steps of: providing a first indication when an energizing signal is generated in the absence of a detected status signal associated with the data transceiver selected to receive data information; and providing a second indication when a single data transceiver is simultaneously selected to transmit and receive data information.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 83 words

The method of claim 31 wherein said step of selecting one of said data transceivers to transmit data information comprises the steps of: establishing a data receiving path from said data transceiver selected to transmit to enable the receipt of data information therefrom; inhibiting the production of an activating signal associated with said data transceiver selected to transmit if said data transceiver selected to transmit is also selected to receive; and providing an indication of the selection of saiD data transceiver to transmit.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 65 words

The method of claim 32 wherein said step of relaying data information comprises the steps of: receiving data information from said data transceiver selected to transmit via said established data receiving path; modifying said received data information in accordance with the transmission characteristics of said transmission path; and transmitting said modified data information to said data transceivers selected to receive via said established transmission paths.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-07-15	1978-01-14	1978-07-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-07-15	1982-01-14	1982-07-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-07-15	1986-01-14	1986-07-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Data communications network

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