Computer diagnostic with inherent fail-safety

Claim 2

A time-sharing computer system having central and remote input - output means, comprising a central scientific computer facility having central processing means forming a central memory and means for performing various arithmetical and logical operations, and a plurality of peripheral processor means for providing small computer control units for said central processing means with equal power to provide and destroy information and commands for execution in each of said peripheral processor means and said central processing means for connecting said central processing means with said remote input - output means for communications therebetween on a regular, time-sharing job basis, said remote input - output devices, comprising at least one computer for connection to said central processing means on a regular, time-sharing job basis by said peripheral processor means, and at least two of said peripheral processor means forming with a portion of said memory a diagnostic means for diagnosing errors and malfunctions in said communications between said central processing means and said remote input output means for preventing malfunctions in said peripheral processor means exclusively by said central scientific computer facility as a regular job without dedicating said central scientific computer facility to said diagnostic means for quickly and efficiently connecting said central processing means and said remote input - output means for quickly and efficiently providing said time-sharing computer system for providing said communications between said central and remote input - output means for trouble-free operation.

Claim 3

Method of testing and diagnosing the communication and failures of communication between a computer and an input -output means, comprising the active on-line steps of: a. selectively transmitting information between said means and said computer as a first job by means of a first portion of said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first job; and b. recording said selective transmission and said failures of said transmission as part of said first job by means of said first portion of said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first job; said computer again selectively the dedication of c. said first portion of said computer being responsive to said failures for activating a second portion of said computer as a part of said first job for removing said failure without dedicating the entire computer to said first job whereby said first portion of said computer again selectively transmits said information without the dedication of the entire computer to said first job.

Claim 4

Method of testing and diagnosing the communication and failures of communication between a computer and an input -output means, comprising the active on-line steps of: a. selectively transmitting information between said means and said computer as a first job by means of a first portion of said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first job; and b. recording said selective transmission and said failures of said transmission as part of said first job by means of said first portion of said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first job; said computer again selectively the dedication of c. said first portion of said computer being responsive to said failures for activating a second portion of said computer as a part of said first job for removing said failure without dedicating the entire computer to said first job whereby said first portion of said computer again selectively transmits said information without the dedication of the entire computer to said first job.

Claim 5

Method of diagnosing and testing the communication between any device, for generating or receiving input and/or output signals and a computer comprising the active on-line steps of: a. selectively transmitting information between said device and said computer through a portion of said computer; and b. recording said transmissions including failures thereof by means of said portion of said computer; c. said portion of said computer being responsive to said failure for activating another portion of said computer for removing said failure whereby said first portion of said computer again continues said selective transmission of said information without dedicating the entire computer to any of these tasks.

Claim 6

Method of diagnosing and testing the communication between any device, for generating or receiving input and/or output signals and a computer comprising the active on-line steps of: a. selectively transmitting information between said device and said computer through a portion of said computer; and b. recording said transmissions including failures thereof by means of said portion of said computer; c. said portion of said computer being responsive to said failure for activating another portion of said computer for removing said failure whereby said first portion of said computer again continues said selective transmission of said information without dedicating the entire computer to any of these tasks.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 3 in which said failure removal is controlled by said first portion of said computer for the repetition and termination of said method in a predetermined time.

Claim 8

Method of testing the transmissions to and from a computer for diagnosing the failures of communications to and from the computer and another device, such as a remote signal generating and receiving means, comprising the active on-line steps of: a. continuously employing a first portion of said computer to the first task of selectively transmitting said communications between said device and said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first task; b. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the second task of recording said transmissions without dedicating the entire computer to said second task; c. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the third task of recording said failures of communications without dedicating the entire computer to said third task; and d. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the fourth task of activating a second portion of said computer for identifying said failures of said communications without dedicating the entire computer to said fourth task; said first portion of said computer being responsive to said recording of said failures of said communications for repeatedly activating said second portion of said computer foR repeating said task for removing the same without dedicating the entire computer thereto.

Claim 9

Method of testing the transmissions to and from a computer for diagnosing the failures of communications to and from the computer and another device, such as a remote signal generating and receiving means, comprising the active on-line steps of: a. continuously employing a first portion of said computer to the first task of selectively transmitting said communications between said device and said computer without dedicating the entire computer to said first task; b. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the second task of recording said transmissions without dedicating the entire computer to said second task; c. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the third task of recording said failures of communications without dedicating the entire computer to said third task; and d. continuously employing said first portion of said computer to the fourth task of activating a second portion of said computer for identifying said failures of said communications without dedicating the entire computer to said fourth task; said first portion of said computer being responsive to said recording of said failures of said communications for repeatedly activating said second portion of said computer foR repeating said task for removing the same without dedicating the entire computer thereto.

Claim 10

Method of operating a computer until a blockage develops, and then reducing the blockage in an orderly manner for determining what the blockage was and where it was located without tying up the whole computer, said computer having a central processor, a plurality of peripheral processors, and a plurality of data channels connected thereto, comprising the active on-line step of selectively connecting said central processor with at least one of said peripheral processors and a signal generating station by monitoring means responsive to a program for monitoring the peripheral processors, said monitoring means being responsive to an invalid response from said signal generating station for selectively connecting said central processor with another peripheral processor for removing said invalid response.

Claim 11

Method of operating a computer until a blockage develops, and then reducing the blockage in an orderly manner for determining what the blockage was and where it was located without tying up the whole computer, said computer having a central processor, a plurality of peripheral processors, and a plurality of data channels connected thereto, comprising the active on-line step of selectively connecting said central processor with at least one of said peripheral processors and a signal generating station by monitoring means responsive to a program for monitoring the peripheral processors, said monitoring means being responsive to an invalid response from said signal generating station for selectively connecting said central processor with another peripheral processor for removing said invalid response.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 6 in which said second peripheral processor dumps the information in said first peripheral processor in an orderly manner while logging the same for locating the source of said invalid response.

Claim 13

Data processing system, consisting of central processing means having a central processing unit and peripheral processing means for communicating with a plurality of remote input - output means for exclusively, automatically, and non-mentally scheduling and simultaneously self-operating a plurality of regular computer jobs, comprising the diagnosis of failures in the communication between at least one of said peripheral processing means, said central processing unit and one of said remote input - output means while said central processing unit, other of said peripheral processing means, and other of said remote input -output means are in communication for the performance of other regular computer jobs.

Claim 14

Data processing system, consisting of central processing means having a central processing unit and peripheral processing means for communicating with a plurality of remote input - output means for exclusively, automatically, and non-mentally scheduling and simultaneously self-operating a plurality of regular computer jobs, comprising the diagnosis of failures in the communication between at least one of said peripheral processing means, said central processing unit and one of said remote input - output means while said central processing unit, other of said peripheral processing means, and other of said remote input -output means are in communication for the performance of other regular computer jobs.

Claim 15

In a central computer connected to a remote input - output device that is coupled to at least one of a plurality of data channels for communication of binary, electrical, input - output signals between said central computer and said remote device, said central computer having a central processor and peripheral processors for controlling the communication of said binary, electrical, input - output signals in the form of commands and responses between said central processor and said remote input -output device by selectively coupling at least one of said data channels between at least one of said peripheral processors and said central processor, said one of said peripheral processors becoming inoperative to perform its control function for said communication in response to an invalid response from said remote input - output device, the method of analyzing the functional integrity of said remote input - output device coupled to said one of said plurality of data channels, comprising the step of providing for said central processor a first, stored, non-mental program that monitors the state of said first one of said peripheral processors coupled to said one of said data channels, activates a second, stored, non-mental program in said first one of said peripheral processors, for providing checks on the validity of the commands to the remote input - output device and also the validity of the responses of said remote input - output device, and when said first of said peripheral processors becomes inoperative in response to an invalid response from said remote input - output device then couples a second one of said peripheral processes to said one of said plurality of data channels and activates a third, stored, non-mental program in said second one of said peripheral processors for restoring the functional ability of said first one of said peripheral processors, to couple said central processor across said one of said data channels to said remote input - output device for the communication of said commands and response therebetween, whereby said central computer retains its normal functional integrity independent of the functional integrity of said remote input -Output device.

Claim 16

In a central computer connected to a remote input - output device that is coupled to at least one of a plurality of data channels for communication of binary, electrical, input - output signals between said central computer and said remote device, said central computer having a central processor and peripheral processors for controlling the communication of said binary, electrical, input - output signals in the form of commands and responses between said central processor and said remote input -output device by selectively coupling at least one of said data channels between at least one of said peripheral processors and said central processor, said one of said peripheral processors becoming inoperative to perform its control function for said communication in response to an invalid response from said remote input - output device, the method of analyzing the functional integrity of said remote input - output device coupled to said one of said plurality of data channels, comprising the step of providing for said central processor a first, stored, non-mental program that monitors the state of said first one of said peripheral processors coupled to said one of said data channels, activates a second, stored, non-mental program in said first one of said peripheral processors, for providing checks on the validity of the commands to the remote input - output device and also the validity of the responses of said remote input - output device, and when said first of said peripheral processors becomes inoperative in response to an invalid response from said remote input - output device then couples a second one of said peripheral processes to said one of said plurality of data channels and activates a third, stored, non-mental program in said second one of said peripheral processors for restoring the functional ability of said first one of said peripheral processors, to couple said central processor across said one of said data channels to said remote input - output device for the communication of said commands and response therebetween, whereby said central computer retains its normal functional integrity independent of the functional integrity of said remote input -Output device.

Claim 17

The method of claim 9, comprising the step of effecting time based checks on the validity of the responses of said remote input - output device in accordance with the state of said remote input - output device for providing sequential time-based output information on the state of said remote input - output device.