Abstract: A telephone controller for connecting a single-line telephone in a local N-line system with other telephones equipped with similar controller comprises N interface units each connecting one telephone line to a dual conductor telephone bus in turn connected to the telephone.

Abstract: A pulse code modulated digital automatic exchange for a telephone network or other communication network has a multiplicity of N input/output ports connected to an input/output system comprising a plurality of multiplexers that each scan a small group of ports in a predetermined cycle; output signals from the multiplexers are converted into M-bit parallel digital data signals and recorded in an input data store at a location identified with the port of origin. The input data store is scanned, by a fully bused synchronous transfer system, in accordance with a predetermined transfer time cycle having at least N fixed transfer time slots, one for each communication port; during the transfer time slot for any port, data recorded in the input store from that port is transferred, via an M-digit parallel data bus, to a location in an output data store associated with another port for which that data is destined.

Abstract: A cash replacement system using consumable transaction cards, each card comprising a body portion bearing multi-digit magnetically recorded validation and identification codes and a transaction portion divided into a plurality of transaction segments bearing the identification code and a denomination code, both magnetically recorded. A card reader senses the validation code and severs one transaction segment from the card for each transaction after checking the denomination and assuring presence of the required segment. Printed indicia on each card enable the user to determine the number and denomination of possible remaining transactions.