Data multiplexing system

Claim 1

A MULTIPLEXING SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING DATA BETWEEN A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM AND A PLURALITY OF ADDRESSABLE PERIPHERAL UNITS, INCLUDING A STORAGE FOR DATA AND INSTRUCTIONS WHEREBY THE LATTER PERFORMS OPERATIONS ON SAID DATA WITHIN SAID DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM, EACH INSTRUCTION OF SAID INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDING GROUPS OF SIGNAL BITS FOR ADDRESSING A DESIGNATED PERIPHERAL UNIT FOR THE TRANSFER OF DATA BETWEEN THE DESIGNATED PERIPHERAL UNIT AND THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM, COMPRISING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID GROUPS OF SIGNAL BITS FOR SELECTING STORAGE ADDRESS LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED WITH SAID PERIPHERAL UNIT, SAID STORAGE ADDRESS LOCATIONS CONTAINING A UNIT CONTROL WORD AND COMMAND CONTROL WORDS FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTIVITY OF A DESIGNATED PERIPHERAL UNIT, SAID UNIT CONTROL WORD INCLUDING CONTROL SIGNAL BITS, SPECIFYING UNIT ACTIVITY, DERIVED FROM A CURRENT COMMAND CONTROL WORD, AND ADDRESS BITS REPRESENTING THE ADDRESS OF A SUCCEEDING COMMAND CONTROL WORD; STATUS TESTING MEANS FOR TESTING SAID UNIT CONTROL WORD FOR STATUS BITS INDICATING WHETHER THE DESIGNATED PERIPHERAL UNIT IS AVAILABLE OR NOT AVAILABLE FOR DATA TRANSFER, AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE STATUS BIT SIGNIFYING UNIT AVAILABILITY TO CAUSE TRANSFER OF THE CONTROL SIGNAL BITS FROM THE CURRENT COMMAND CONTROL WORD INTO SAID UNIT CONTROL WORD TO GOVERN THE ACTIVITIES OF SAID PERIPHERAL UNIT DURING DATA TRANSFER; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID CONTROL SIGNAL BITS FOR EFFECTING THE SPECIFIED UNIT ACTIVITY; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CONTROL SIGNAL BITS IN SAID UNIT CONTROL WORD UPON COMPLETION OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE DESIGNATED PERIPHERAL UNIT AS SPECIFIED BY SAID CURRENT COMMAND CONTROL WORD, FOR UPDATING THE UNIT CONTROL WORD WITH ADDRESS BITS, AND CONTROL SIGNAL BITS DERIVED FROM A COMMAND CONTROL WORD SUCCEEDING SAID CURRENT CONTROL WORD.