US4041465A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Scanner-distributor apparatus for matrix system
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
•
Filing: 1976-04-27
•
Granted: 1977-08-09
•
Expires: 1996-04-27
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a wholly electronic system for either testing or changing the state of a bi-stable circuit element such as a crosspoint of a switching matrix under the control of a central processor (CPU). A maximum of 256 groups of 128 points may either have the condition changed (driven) or the condition read (scan) by the apparatus shown under the control of a processor such as a 16-bit CPU. Interfacing between the CPU and the switching matrix is a bi-directional multiplex gating and decoding tree network having at its outer extremities the points. Each point is represented by an address comprised of bits representing word, basket, group and level. By addressing a point and then providing a control indication as to whether the condition of a point is to be read or whether the condition of a point or group of points is to be changed, the points can be readily scanned or driven according to instructions received from the CPU through a logic unit or controller.
Inventors
- 👤 Howard Jeffery Conerly
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/42; H04Q3/54; H04Q3/545; H04Q3/54575; H04Q3/54591
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
227 words
A scanner-distributor system for testing the condition of at least one of a plurality of bi-stable elements of a processor-controlled switching network, and for changing the condition of selected ones of said elements, said system comprising a plurality of drive units each coupled to one of said elements and each individually activatable for changing the condition of the coupled element on activation of the coupled drive unit, and a plurality of scan units each coupled to one of said elements for testing the condition of the element on activation of the coupled scan unit, with each of said elements being represented by a predetermined address word for controlling access to that element, an electronic plural stage multiplexer for accessing each of said drive units and scan units through the use of a multiple bit address word emanating from said processor with each stage of said multiplexer network corresponding to certain bits of address word of a selected element, and logic means for controlling the transmission of a selected address word from said processor through said multiplexer to select the drive unit coupled to the element represented by the selected address word, and said logic means operative to activate a plurality of drive units represented by a predetermined portion of a selected address word to change the condition of all elements having said predetermined portion in their addresses.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
227 words
A scanner-distributor system for testing the condition of at least one of a plurality of bi-stable elements of a processor-controlled switching network, and for changing the condition of selected ones of said elements, said system comprising a plurality of drive units each coupled to one of said elements and each individually activatable for changing the condition of the coupled element on activation of the coupled drive unit, and a plurality of scan units each coupled to one of said elements for testing the condition of the element on activation of the coupled scan unit, with each of said elements being represented by a predetermined address word for controlling access to that element, an electronic plural stage multiplexer for accessing each of said drive units and scan units through the use of a multiple bit address word emanating from said processor with each stage of said multiplexer network corresponding to certain bits of address word of a selected element, and logic means for controlling the transmission of a selected address word from said processor through said multiplexer to select the drive unit coupled to the element represented by the selected address word, and said logic means operative to activate a plurality of drive units represented by a predetermined portion of a selected address word to change the condition of all elements having said predetermined portion in their addresses.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said scan unit includes means activated by a certain portion of said address word for reading the condition of the element coupled thereto for transmission to said processor, and means for activating a plurality of scan units responsive to receipt of a signal in said predetermined portion of said word to transmit over said multiplexer network a signal indication of the condition of the plurality of elements read.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are data transmission means in said logic means operative after activation of a drive unit for transmitting data from said processor over a path through said multiplexer and the element of said activated drive unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
196 words
Apparatus for addressing the crosspoints of a telecommunications switching network operating under the control of a central processor, in which said apparatus comprises a common logic circuit and multiple stage multiplexer, said logic circuit including an input-output bus directed to said processor for the bidirectional transfer of address words and data words, each crosspoint of said network being represented by a multiple bit address word to enable completion of a path through the multiplexer from said logic circuit to a selected crosspoint on transmission of the address representing the selected crosspoint, each said crosspoint having associated therewith a scan unit and a drive unit with one of said units individually operative responsive to a command signal from said logic circuit to an addressed crosspoint to cause operation of the commanded unit, each scan unit operative on a scan command from said logic circuit to read the condition of the associated crosspoint to return a signal indicative of the scanned condition to the logic circuit, and each drive unit responsive to a command signal from the logic circuit to drive the addressed crosspoint to signal transmissive condition to allow the passage of data through the driven crosspoint.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
196 words
Apparatus for addressing the crosspoints of a telecommunications switching network operating under the control of a central processor, in which said apparatus comprises a common logic circuit and multiple stage multiplexer, said logic circuit including an input-output bus directed to said processor for the bidirectional transfer of address words and data words, each crosspoint of said network being represented by a multiple bit address word to enable completion of a path through the multiplexer from said logic circuit to a selected crosspoint on transmission of the address representing the selected crosspoint, each said crosspoint having associated therewith a scan unit and a drive unit with one of said units individually operative responsive to a command signal from said logic circuit to an addressed crosspoint to cause operation of the commanded unit, each scan unit operative on a scan command from said logic circuit to read the condition of the associated crosspoint to return a signal indicative of the scanned condition to the logic circuit, and each drive unit responsive to a command signal from the logic circuit to drive the addressed crosspoint to signal transmissive condition to allow the passage of data through the driven crosspoint.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said crosspoints are grouped and in which said logic circuit controls the enablement of the crosspoints of said group in response to the setting of a predetermined bit of the address word transmitted through the multiplexer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which each of said units optically isolates the respective unit from the associated crosspoint.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which each of said drive units includes means responsive to the drive command signal to the crosspoint associated with it for maintaining the crosspoint in the driven condition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3202767A
Cited
US3420960A
Cited
US3560655A
Cited
US3517123A
Cited
US3651484A
Cited
US3826872A
Cited
US3906163A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-08 | 1981-02-07 | 1981-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-08 | 1985-02-07 | 1985-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-08 | 1989-02-07 | 1989-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |