PRIVACY AND SEIZURE CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR A REMOTE STATION DICTATING SYSTEM

Each one of a plurality of remote dictating stations in a recording system includes a first semiconductor switch which is biased to become conductive ("on") when it is connected to a first bias source in a central record/playback unit by the closing of a cradle switch when the dictator phone of that station is lifted from its cradle. The turning on of the first semiconductor switch turns on a semiconductor seizure switch which in turn activates a semiconductor motor driver switch. The semiconductor motor driver switch, when activated, energizes a relay which controls the motor of the record/playback unit. When the semiconductor seizure switch becomes conductive, a bias voltage is fed back to the activated remote dictating station to switch on a second semiconductor switch in that dictating station which supplies a bias voltage to maintain the first semiconductor switch in its conductive state. Simultaneously the turning on of the motor driver switch produces a second bias voltage which is opposite in polarity to the voltage from the first bias source and which effectively prevents the first bias source from making the first semiconductor switch in any other remote dictating station conductive and thereby blocks the activation of any other remote dictating station and the seizing of control of the record/playback unit.