Locking and unlocking of memory devices

Claim 1

IN AN INFORMATION-HANDLING SYSTEM, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF REGISTERS EACH CAPABLE OF STORING A PLURALITY OF BITS ASSOCIATED WITH INFORMATION TO BE STORED EACH SAID REGISTER BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO SAID REGISTER FOR STORING A STATUS BIT FOR INDICATING WHETHER OR NOT WRITING OF NEW INFORMATION INTO THE ASSOCIATED REGISTER IS PERMISSIBLE, SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING EACH BIT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY GIVEN SELECTED REGISTER INCLUDING SAID STATUS BIT, FIRST MEANS CONTROLLED BY THE SENSED INDICATION OF SAID STATUS BIT FOR SELECTIVELY PREVENTING THE WRITING IN OF NEW INFORMATION INTO SAID REGISTER, SECOND MEANS CONTROLLED BY THE SENSED INDICATION OF SAID STATUS BIT FOR REWRITING INTO SAID REGISTER THE INFORMATION INITIALLY CONTAINED THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY STORING STATUS BITS IN A SELECTED GROUP OF REGISTERS.