US3737861A — Input/output bus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 133 words

A data processing system having a central control unit and a plurality of classes of input and/or output devices, comprising: a. an input-output bus having a plurality of lines, b. logic means for generating a plurality of traffic states connecting said bus to said central control unit, c. at least one of said traffic states being defined as an input traffic state and at least one of said traffic states being defined as an output traffic state, d. logic means connecting said bus to said input and/or output devices, e. each class of input and output devices being responsive to one or more of said traffic states, and f. selection means for enabling one of said devices of each class for transmission or reception of information or control signals carried by said lines.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 133 words

A data processing system having a central control unit and a plurality of classes of input and/or output devices, comprising: a. an input-output bus having a plurality of lines, b. logic means for generating a plurality of traffic states connecting said bus to said central control unit, c. at least one of said traffic states being defined as an input traffic state and at least one of said traffic states being defined as an output traffic state, d. logic means connecting said bus to said input and/or output devices, e. each class of input and output devices being responsive to one or more of said traffic states, and f. selection means for enabling one of said devices of each class for transmission or reception of information or control signals carried by said lines.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

A data processing system as in claim 1 wherein said logic means for generating a plurality of traffic states is a ring counter.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

A data processing system as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of lines includes at least two groups of lines, said groups being control lines and multifunction lines.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 14 words

A data processing system as in claim 3 wherein said multifunction lines are bidirectional.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 110 words

A data processing system having a central control unit and a plurality oF input-output device control area units comprising: a. an input-output buss connecting said central control unit and said device control area units, and having a plurality of bidirectional multifunction lines and a plurality of control lines forming an array, b. means responsive to actuation of one of said control lines for transmitting data on said multifunction lines between said central control unit and said device control area units, and c. means responsive to actuation of another of said control lines for transmitting commands on said multifunction lines between said central control unit and said device control area units.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 110 words

A data processing system having a central control unit and a plurality oF input-output device control area units comprising: a. an input-output buss connecting said central control unit and said device control area units, and having a plurality of bidirectional multifunction lines and a plurality of control lines forming an array, b. means responsive to actuation of one of said control lines for transmitting data on said multifunction lines between said central control unit and said device control area units, and c. means responsive to actuation of another of said control lines for transmitting commands on said multifunction lines between said central control unit and said device control area units.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 29 words

A data processing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said array terminates with AND function logic to selectively generate various commands or data on said multifunction lines.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 77 words

A data processing system comprising: a. a central control unit, b. a plurality of peripheral devices, c. an input-output bus connecting said central control unit with at least one of said peripheral devices for carrying information therebetween, d. a plurality of device control area units, one for each of said peripheral devices, e. said device control area units each containing synchronous timing means, f. said bus information being asynchronously timed with respect to said synchronous timing means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 77 words

A data processing system comprising: a. a central control unit, b. a plurality of peripheral devices, c. an input-output bus connecting said central control unit with at least one of said peripheral devices for carrying information therebetween, d. a plurality of device control area units, one for each of said peripheral devices, e. said device control area units each containing synchronous timing means, f. said bus information being asynchronously timed with respect to said synchronous timing means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

A data processing system as set forth in claim 7 in which said information carried on said bus remains on said bus until released by said synchronous timing means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a data processing system including a plurality of peripheral devices, a traffic controller comprising: a. an I/O bus including ''''n'''' information signal wires and ''''c'''' control signal wires, the combination of information and control signal wires constituting an array having ''''n'''' rows and ''''c + a'''' columns, wherein ''''a'''' is an interger, b. logic means defining a plurality of traffic states, and c. means responsive to AND conditions of said array and to said logic means for controlling execution of an operation.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 83 words

In a data processing system including a plurality of peripheral devices, a traffic controller comprising: a. an I/O bus including ''''n'''' information signal wires and ''''c'''' control signal wires, the combination of information and control signal wires constituting an array having ''''n'''' rows and ''''c + a'''' columns, wherein ''''a'''' is an interger, b. logic means defining a plurality of traffic states, and c. means responsive to AND conditions of said array and to said logic means for controlling execution of an operation.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

In a system as set forth in claim 9, said traffic controller having four traffic states, traffic states No. 1 (TS1) and traffic state No. 2 (TS2) being essentially input states and traffic state No. 3 (TS3) and traffic state No. 4 (TS4) being essentially output states.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 84 words

A traffic controller as set forth in claim 9 wherein said traffic states are four in number and are defined as follows: TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 IN IN OUT OUT Tape Keyboard Printer Tape Card Communications Communications where tape refers to magnetic or punched tape, communications refers to a communication device such as a modem for transmission or reception of communications, and printer is a line or serial printer; and where IN refers to an input state and OUT refers to an output state.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 58 words

A system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a record-size memory to hold data entered during TS2, which data may be printed during TS3, and released for recording on magnetic tape during TS4; and verified by reading the data from magnetic tape into memory in TS1 to be compared through re-entry of the data during TS2.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 27 words

A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein verifications may be controlled by immediately entering TS1, and other operations may be controlled by immediately entering TS2.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 101 words

In combination: a bus having ''''n'''' data lines and ''''c'''' control lines constituting rows and columns, respectively, of an information array having ''''n'''' rows and ''''c+a'''' columns, where ''''a'''' is an interger, and where each intersection thereof may provide an AND function for addressing or control; a memory; keyboard input means; traffic state control means; a magnetic tape unit; and means for translating thE information array signals into operations for releasing data entered through said keyboard onto said tape and for the reading of information on tape into said memory for verification; all under control of said traffic state control means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 101 words

In combination: a bus having ''''n'''' data lines and ''''c'''' control lines constituting rows and columns, respectively, of an information array having ''''n'''' rows and ''''c+a'''' columns, where ''''a'''' is an interger, and where each intersection thereof may provide an AND function for addressing or control; a memory; keyboard input means; traffic state control means; a magnetic tape unit; and means for translating thE information array signals into operations for releasing data entered through said keyboard onto said tape and for the reading of information on tape into said memory for verification; all under control of said traffic state control means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 11 words

The combination as set forth in claim 14 where ''''n'''' 7.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 11 words

The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein ''''n'''' 9.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 98 words

The combination comprising: a magnetic tape unit; a record memory; a keyboard; an output unit; means for establishing a first traffic state during which time said tape is read into said memory; means for establishing a second traffic state during which time said keyboard is read into said record memory; means for establishing a third traffic state during which time said output unit is caused to operate; and means for establishing a fourth traffic state during which time said record memory is released to said tape unit for recording the information in said record memory onto said tape.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 98 words

The combination comprising: a magnetic tape unit; a record memory; a keyboard; an output unit; means for establishing a first traffic state during which time said tape is read into said memory; means for establishing a second traffic state during which time said keyboard is read into said record memory; means for establishing a third traffic state during which time said output unit is caused to operate; and means for establishing a fourth traffic state during which time said record memory is released to said tape unit for recording the information in said record memory onto said tape.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 86 words

An input-output control device comprising: a bidirectional input-output bus including ''''n'''' data lines and ''''c'''' control lines; a traffic controller for sequentially establishing a plurality of traffic states TS1, TS2, TS3, and TS4, and for establishing signals in response to said traffic states; and logic means for routing said traffic state signals to all devices to be controlled by the use of a control line ADS and a plurality of data lines FO1, FO2, FO3 and FO4 each corresponding respectively to one of said traffic states.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 86 words

An input-output control device comprising: a bidirectional input-output bus including ''''n'''' data lines and ''''c'''' control lines; a traffic controller for sequentially establishing a plurality of traffic states TS1, TS2, TS3, and TS4, and for establishing signals in response to said traffic states; and logic means for routing said traffic state signals to all devices to be controlled by the use of a control line ADS and a plurality of data lines FO1, FO2, FO3 and FO4 each corresponding respectively to one of said traffic states.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 90 words

A keyboard to magnetic tape system comprising: a record memory; first logic means responsive to a data verify control signal for producing a TS1 traffic state signal for controlling the reading of a magnetic tape into said record memory; second logic means for producing a TS2 traffic state signal for all non data verifying operations, said second logic means including logic for controlling the keyboard operation of said system; and third logic means for establishing traffic states TS3 and TS4 to thus provide printing output and tape output operations respectively.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 90 words

A keyboard to magnetic tape system comprising: a record memory; first logic means responsive to a data verify control signal for producing a TS1 traffic state signal for controlling the reading of a magnetic tape into said record memory; second logic means for producing a TS2 traffic state signal for all non data verifying operations, said second logic means including logic for controlling the keyboard operation of said system; and third logic means for establishing traffic states TS3 and TS4 to thus provide printing output and tape output operations respectively.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 91 words

A keyboard to magnetic tape unit having means for reading a magnetic tape and means for recording onto said magnetic tape comprising: a. first logic means for establishing a plurality of traffic states including at least one input state and one output state, b. a bus having ''''n'''' information lines and ''''c'''' control lines, c. at least one of said control lines designating said information lines for use in transmitting data, and d. at least one of said control lines designating said information lines for use in transmitting signals representing operations.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 91 words

A keyboard to magnetic tape unit having means for reading a magnetic tape and means for recording onto said magnetic tape comprising: a. first logic means for establishing a plurality of traffic states including at least one input state and one output state, b. a bus having ''''n'''' information lines and ''''c'''' control lines, c. at least one of said control lines designating said information lines for use in transmitting data, and d. at least one of said control lines designating said information lines for use in transmitting signals representing operations.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 103 words

In a data processing system having at least a central control unit, a keyboard entry device, a tape input/output device, a traffic controller and a record memory, the method of recording and verifying records comprising: a. entering a traffic state TS2 during which a record is entered through said keyboard into said record memory, b. sequencing to TS4 during which said record is transferred to said megnetic tape, c. sequencing to TS1 during which said record is re-entered into memory from said magnetic tape, and d. returning to TS2 to verify the data in said memory by re-entering said record through said keyboard.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 103 words

In a data processing system having at least a central control unit, a keyboard entry device, a tape input/output device, a traffic controller and a record memory, the method of recording and verifying records comprising: a. entering a traffic state TS2 during which a record is entered through said keyboard into said record memory, b. sequencing to TS4 during which said record is transferred to said megnetic tape, c. sequencing to TS1 during which said record is re-entered into memory from said magnetic tape, and d. returning to TS2 to verify the data in said memory by re-entering said record through said keyboard.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-06-04	1976-12-04	1977-06-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-06-04	1980-12-04	1981-06-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-06-04	1984-12-04	1985-06-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Input/output bus

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