Patent ID: 7020213

Claim:
A method of selectively providing a desired electric signal path or paths between a plurality of input means such as input terminals and a plurality of output means such as output terminals, which method comprises: (a) providing input select means and output select means capable of manual actuation for selecting any of a plurality of input means and any of a plurality of output means for creation of a signal path therebetween; (b) constantly monitoring the input select means and the output select means to determine whether any of the input means and any of the output means are selected for creation of a signal path therebetween; (c) storing data indicative of whether or not the individual input means and the individual output means are selected at a current sampling moment; (d) storing data indicative of whether or not the individual input means and the individual output means were selected at a previous sampling moment; (e) comparing, at each sampling moment, the data stored at the current and the previous sampling moments in order to determine whether any of the input means and any of the output means are selected for creation of a signal path therebetween; (f) canceling, when any one input means and any one output means are selected for creation of a signal path therebetween, a preexisting signal path, if any, between the selected input means and any unselected output means and between any unselected input means and the selected output means; and (g) creating the desired signal path between the selected input means and the selected output means; (h) whereby each desired signal path can be created to the exclusion of any preexisting signal path between the input means and the output means that might interfere with the creation of the desired signal path.