System for public opinion research

Public opinion research system for polling a plurality of participants each having access to a telephone network transmitting signals within a predetermined low frequency band, comprising, in combination, a plurality of selectively operable input means, one for each of said participants, each for furnishing, upon operation, an input signal signifying a selected one of a plurality of predetermined responses, said input signal having a frequency higher than the frequencies in said low frequency band, each of said input means comprising manually operable selector means each having a plurality of selector elements, and conveyor means responsive to the operation of any of said selector elements for furnishing a corresponding input signal, each of said converter means comprising burst furnishing means for furnishing an AC burst having a predetermined frequency and a predetermined burst length in response to operation of each of said selector elements, all of said AC bursts having the same frequency, AC bursts signifying different ones of said predetermined responses having different burst lengths;

• connecting means, comprising filter means having a band pass including the frequencies of said input signals and rejecting all other frequencies, for connecting each of said input means to said communications network in such a manner that each of said input signals is transmitted to a central station of said communications network thereby furnishing a corresponding plurality of response signals at said central station;
• semi-transducer means at said central station, said transducer means comprising a plurality of transducers each having an input connected to a given telephone line, the number of said transducers corresponding in number to the plurality of participants connected to said telephone line, each of sand transducers having a plurality of transducer outputs corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined responses, for furnishing, in response to each of said response signals, a transducer output signal at the one of said transducer outputs corresponding to the burst length of said response signal;
• and summing circuit means at said central station, for summing all response signals signifying each of said predetermined responses, and furnishing a plurality of summing output signals, each signifying the total number of participants selecting a given one of said predetermined responses, said summing circuit means comprising a plurality of counter means corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined responses, each for furnishing a counter output signal signifying the total number of participants connected to said telephone line who have selected a corresponding one of said predetermined responses;
• a private communication line interconnecting said central station and a computation station;
• and parallel-series converter means connected to the output of said counter means for transmitting said counter output signal in series form over said private communication line.

Public opinion research system for polling a plurality of participants each having access to a communication system normally transmitting signals within a predetermined frequency band, comprising, in combination, a plurality of selectively operable input means, one for each of said participants, for furnishing, upon operation, an AC burst having a predetermined frequency outside of said predetermined frequency band and a burst length corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of predetermined responses;

• connecting means for connecting each of said input means to said communications network in such a manner that each of said input signals is transmitted to a central station of said communications network, thereby furnishing a corresponding plurality of response signals at said central station;
• transducer means at said central station, said transducer means having an input connected to said communications network and a plurality of transducer outputs corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined responses, for furnishing, in response to each of said response signals, an output signal at the one of said transducer outputs corresponding to the burst length of said response signal, said transducer means comprising first transducer circuit means for changing each received one of said AC bursts to a corresponding pulse having a pulse width corresponding to said AC burst length, integrator means connected to said first transducer circuit means for furnishing an integrator signal having a peak amplitude corresponding to said pulse width, and a plurality of threshold circuit means each having an input connected to said integrator means and a threshold output, for furnishing a threshold output signal at said threshold output when the amplitude of said integrator signal is a corresponding predetermined amplitude, each of said threshold circuit means comprising flip-flop means having a SET input connected to said integrator means, a Y output for furnishing said threshold output signal and a Y output for furnishing a signal in the absence of said threshold output signal;
• and summing circuit means connected to said threshold circuit means for furnishing a plurality of output signals, each signifying the total number of participants selecting a given one of said predetermined responses.

Public opinion research system for polling a plurality of participants each having access to a telephone network normally transmitting signals within a low frequency band comprising, in combination, a plurality of selectively operable input means, one for each of said participants, each for furnishing, upon operation, an input signal signifying a selected one of a plurality of predetermined responses, said input signal having a frequency higher than the frequencies in said low frequency band, each of said input means comprising a manually operable selector means having a plurality of selector elements and converter means responsive to the operation of any of said selector elements for furnishing a corresponding input signal, said converter means comprising burst furnishing means for furnishing an A.sup.C burst having the same predetermined frequency but a different predetermined burst length in response to operation of each of said selector elements, said burst furnishing means comprising first oscillator means for furnishing an oscillator output signal, AND-gate means having a first input connected to said oscillator means, a second input, and an output for furnishing said input signal in response to the simultaneous presence of signals at said first and second inputs, a plurality of timing elements, timing circuit means for furnishing timing pulses having a pulse width varying in dependence upon the timing element connected thereto, and timing element selector means for connecting a corresponding one of said plurality of timing elements to said timing circuit means in response to the operation of each of said selector elements, said timing element selector means comprising a plurality of relay means corresponding in number to said plurality of timing elements, each of said relay means having a relay coil energized in response to activation of the corresponding one of said selector elements, and a pair of relay contacts connecting the corresponding one of said timing elements to said timing circuit means upon energization of the corresponding relay coil;

• connecting means connecting each of said outputs of said AND-gate means to said communications network in such a manner that each of said input signals is transmitted to a central station of said communications network, thereby furnishing a corresponding plurality of response signals at said central station, said connecting means comprising filter means having a bandpass including the frequency of said input signals, and rejecting all other frequencies;
• and summing circuit means at said central station, for summing all response signals signifying each of said predetermined responses and furnishing a plurality of output signals, each signifying the total number of participants selecting a given one of said predetermined responses.

Public opinion research system for polling a plurality of participants each having access to a telephone network normally transmitting signals within a low frequency band comprising, in combination, a plurality of selectively operable input means, one for each of said participants, each for furnishing, upon operation, an input signal signifying a selected one of a plurality of predetermined responses, said input signal having a frequency higher than the frequencies in said low frequency band, each of said input means comprising a manually operable selector means having a plurality of selector elements and converter means responsive to the operation of any of said selector elements for furnishing a corresponding input signal, said converter means comprising burst furnishing means for furnishing an AC burst having the same predetermined frequency but a different predetermined burst length in response to operation of each of said selector elements, said burst furnishing means comprising oscillator means for furnishing an oscillator output signal for the duration of a timing signal applied thereto, timing circuit means for furnishing said timing signal, varying means interconnected between said selector elements and said timing circuit means for varying the duration of said timing signals to correspond to the selected one of said selector elements, and suppressor means connected to the output of said oscillator means for suppressing the initial portion of said oscillator output signal;

• connecting means for connecting each of said input means to said communications network in such a manner that each of said input signals is transmitted to a central station of said communications network thereby furnishing a corresponding plurality of response signals at said central station;
• and summing circuit means at said central station, for summing all response signals signifying each of said predetermined responses, and furnishing a plurality of output signals, each signifying the total number of participants selecting a given one of said predetermined responses.

Public opinion research system for polling a plurality of participants each having access to a communication system normally transmitting signals within a predetermined frequency band, comprising, in combination, a plurality of selectively operable input means, one for each of said participants, for furnishing, upon operation, an AC burst having a predetermined frequency outside of said predetermined frequency band and a burst length corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of predetermined responses;

• connecting means for connecting each of said input means to said communications network in such a manner that each of said input signals is transmitted to a central station of said communications network, thereby furnishing a corresponding plurality of response signals at said central station;
• transducer means at said central station, said transducer means having an input connected to said communications network and a plurality of transducer outputs corresponding in number to said plurality of predetermined responses, for furnishing, in response to each of said response signals, an output signal at the one of said transducer outputs corresponding to the burst length of said response signal, said transducer means comprising first transducer circuit means for changing each received one of said AC bursts to a corresponding pulse having a pulse width corresponding to said AC burst length, integrator means connected to said first transducer circuit means for furnishing an integrator signal having a peak amplitude corresponding to said pulse width, and a plurality of threshold circuit means each having an input connected to said integrator means and a threshold output, for furnishing a threshold output signal at said threshold output when the amplitude of said integrator signal is a corresponding predetermined amplitude;
• and summing circuit means connected to said threshold circuit means for furnishing a plurality of output signals, each signifying the total number of participants selecting a given one of said predetermined responses.