US3900705A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
The united states of america as represented by the national aeronautics and space administration office of general counsel-code gp
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
•
Filing: 1973-09-25
•
Granted: 1975-08-19
•
Expires: 1993-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A system for manually and automatically coupling video signals from a plurality of cameras to a monitoring apparatus. The system has a manual mode of operation, a continuous scan mode, a single scan mode and a hold condition. The scanning mode is controlled by a shift register which can be activated at various rates so as to vary the duration that a particular video signal is coupled to the monitoring apparatus. If the system is in the scan mode a push button can be depressed to hold the video signal coupled to the monitoring system until the operator desires to return to the scan cycle. Various logic circuits are utilized in the system for selecting a predetermined scanning sequence, as well as to permit the circuit to be manually operable under control of an operator.
Inventors
- 👤 Ian A Richter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 12:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/222; H04N5/262; H04N5/268
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A SYSTEM FOR MANUALLY AND AUTOMATICALLY COUPLING VIDEO SIGNALS FROM A PLURALITY OF CAMERAS TO A MONITORING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A. A VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT, B. MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID PLURALITY OF VIDEO SIGNALS TO SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT, C. MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID MONITORING APPARATUS TO SAID SWITCHING CIRCUIT, D. MANUAL SELECT MEANS COUPLED TO SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR MANUALLY SELECTING THE COUPLING OF A PREDETERMINED VIDEO SIGNAL TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, E. SCANNING MEANS ACTIVATING SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR SEQUENTIALLY COUPLING SAID VIDEO SIGNALS TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, AND F. MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS AS SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE SEQUENTIALLY COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, AND G. SAID MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNAL ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS INCLUDES I. A SHIFT REGISTER II. MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY TRIGGERING SAID SHIFT REGISTER FOR PRODUCING PULSES AT A FIRST AND SECOND RATE FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF VIDEO SIGNALS CAN BE MONITORED BOTH MANUALLY AND AUTOMATICALLY SEQUENTIALLY WITH THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS BEING SELECTIVELY CONTROLLED.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
206 words
A SYSTEM FOR MANUALLY AND AUTOMATICALLY COUPLING VIDEO SIGNALS FROM A PLURALITY OF CAMERAS TO A MONITORING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A. A VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT, B. MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID PLURALITY OF VIDEO SIGNALS TO SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT, C. MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID MONITORING APPARATUS TO SAID SWITCHING CIRCUIT, D. MANUAL SELECT MEANS COUPLED TO SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR MANUALLY SELECTING THE COUPLING OF A PREDETERMINED VIDEO SIGNAL TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, E. SCANNING MEANS ACTIVATING SAID VIDEO SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR SEQUENTIALLY COUPLING SAID VIDEO SIGNALS TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, AND F. MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS AS SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE SEQUENTIALLY COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, AND G. SAID MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNAL ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS INCLUDES I. A SHIFT REGISTER II. MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY TRIGGERING SAID SHIFT REGISTER FOR PRODUCING PULSES AT A FIRST AND SECOND RATE FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS, WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF VIDEO SIGNALS CAN BE MONITORED BOTH MANUALLY AND AUTOMATICALLY SEQUENTIALLY WITH THE DURATION THAT SAID VIDEO SIGNALS ARE COUPLED TO SAID MONITORING APPARATUS BEING SELECTIVELY CONTROLLED.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a. thumbwheel switches for selectively controlling the sequence that said video signals are coupled to said monitoring apparatus.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a. means for interrupting said scanning means and coupling a selected video signal to said monitoring apparatus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
119 words
The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said manual select means includes: a. a plurality of logic circuits, b. each of said logic circuits including, i. a delay circuit, ii. a flip-flop coupled to said delay circuit, and iii. a first gating circuit, c. means for supplying a signal to said logic circuits for resetting said flip-flops, d. means for supplying said signal to said delay circuit of a selected one of said logic circuits for setting said flip-flop of said selected logic circuit, and e. said first gating circuit of said selected one of said logic circuits coupling said set flip-flop to said video switching circuit for coupling a particular video signal to said monitoring apparatus.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system as set forth in claim 4 further comprising: a. means for supplying a signal to said first gating circuit in each logic circuit for disabling said first gates for preventing manually connecting a predetermined video signal to said monitoring apparatus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system as set forth in claim 4 further comprising: a. a second gating circuit in each logic circuit coupled to an output of said first gating circuit in said logic circuit, and b. means activated by said scanning means for sequentially activating said second gating circuits for sequentially coupling said video signals to said monitoring apparatus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein, saiD scanning means activating said video switching circuit for sequentially coupling said video signals to said monitoring apparatus includes: a. a shift register having a plurality of parallel outputs, b. means for coupling said parallel outputs to said respective second gating circuits, and c. means for sequentially generating signals on said parallel outputs of said shift register for sequentially enabling said second gating circuits.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means for selectively controlling the duration that said video signals are coupled to said monitoring apparatus includes: a. a clock having a plurality of stages, and b. means for selectively coupling said shift register to stages of said clock for varying the rate that said signals are sequentially generated on said parallel outputs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein, said means for interrupting said scanning means includes: a. a push button, and b. circuit means coupled to said push button for stopping said clock when said push button is depressed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-18 | 1979-02-17 | 1979-08-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-18 | 1983-02-17 | 1983-08-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-18 | 1987-02-17 | 1987-08-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |