US3900834A — Memory update apparatus utilizing chain addressing

Claim 1

Independent Claim 258 words

In a system having a programmable control unit for receiving, storing and updating rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of different data items, said unit including a memory for storing information relating to a plurality of different items, information for a given item being stored at one or more memory locations therein, apparatus for effecting the updating of information relating to a given item at all locations in the memory at which information relating to a given item is stored with a single update message to the unit comprising: address table storing means having a plurality of storage locations for storing a table comprised of a plurality of entries, each stored in a different storage location, each of said entries containing a cell address identifying a different item storing memory location and a chain address identifying another storage location storing a table entry; table entry accessing means responsive to an update message relating to the given item for accessing a first table entry from one of said storage locations; updating means responsive to the cell address in an accessed table entry and to said update message for updating the information for the item at the identified memory location; said table entry accessing means including means responsive to the chain address in a previously accessed table entry for accessing the next table entry from the storage location identified by the chain address; said updating means and said table entry accessing means being repetitively operative until all memory locations containing information relating to the given item have been updated.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 258 words

In a system having a programmable control unit for receiving, storing and updating rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of different data items, said unit including a memory for storing information relating to a plurality of different items, information for a given item being stored at one or more memory locations therein, apparatus for effecting the updating of information relating to a given item at all locations in the memory at which information relating to a given item is stored with a single update message to the unit comprising: address table storing means having a plurality of storage locations for storing a table comprised of a plurality of entries, each stored in a different storage location, each of said entries containing a cell address identifying a different item storing memory location and a chain address identifying another storage location storing a table entry; table entry accessing means responsive to an update message relating to the given item for accessing a first table entry from one of said storage locations; updating means responsive to the cell address in an accessed table entry and to said update message for updating the information for the item at the identified memory location; said table entry accessing means including means responsive to the chain address in a previously accessed table entry for accessing the next table entry from the storage location identified by the chain address; said updating means and said table entry accessing means being repetitively operative until all memory locations containing information relating to the given item have been updated.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 17 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said table storing means is a section of said memory.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 54 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein different locations in said memory may store different types of information relating to an item; and wherein said table storing means includes means associated with the entry for storing an indication of the type of information stored for thE item at the corresponding item storing memory location.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 68 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said memory is organized so that the memory locations are grouped into segments with all locations in a given segment storing information of the same type; and wherein the means for storing an indication of information type in said table provides for storage of a single entry for each group of table entries corresponding to the locations of a single segment.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein an update message may contain information of different types relating to the given item; and wherein said updating means is responsive to the information type indication stored with an entry in said table for controlling how the information from the update message is utilized by said updating means to update the information stored at the memory location address indicated by the table entry.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 150 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said information of different types in the update message are contained in separate fields; and including means operative in response to the first field of an update message for causing said first entry accessing means, said updating means and said table entry accessing means to be operative to utilize the information in said first field to selectively update, under control of the information type indications, memory locations containing information relating to the given item; means operative when updating with information from said first field is completed for determining if there are any additional fields in the message; and means responsive to a determination that the updating has not been completed for all of the fields of said update message for causing the operations performed with said first field to be repeated for the next field until all of the fields have been completed.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein each memory location may contain a plurality of fields of information; wherein there is associated with each field of the update message a displacement constant; and including means for utilizing each displacement constant to control the field at a memory location which is updated by the associated update message field.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 90 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including; means for storing a cumulative displacement constant; means operative each time a new field of the update message is detected for adding the displacement constant associated with the field to the stored cumulative displacement constant and for storing the resultant sum in said cumulative displacement constant storing means; and means for adding the stored cumulative displacement constant to the memory location address from each accessed table entry to obtain the memory address of the field to be updated by the update message field.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 106 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said units all of which are connected to have their memories updated by a single update message on a single line; wherein said update message includes, in addition to update information, an indication of units which are to receive the update information and the address of the first entry in said table for the given item for each of said units; said table entry accessing means including means for detecting the address of the unit in the update message, and means responsive to said detection means for storing the corresponding first table entry address.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 20 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said system includes a control computer for generating update messages on said line.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control computer generates update messages on a plurality of lines, the control computer generating a single update message on each line having at least one unit connected thereto with a memory in the unit containing information on a given item when information on the given item is to be updated.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including a memory at said control computer, said memory containing an image of the table stored at each of said units.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 78 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the item which information at a given memory location relates to may be altered; and including means operative when the item for a given memory location is altered for updating the corresponding entry in said table; said means including means at said control computer for generating a table update message; and wherein the table image in the control computer memory is utilized for the generating of said table entry update message.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including a memory at said control computer, said memory containing a dictionary for storing all items to be stored in the system.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 65 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the control computer memory contains a file for storing an entry for each item, said entry containing, for each unit in the system storing information concerning the item, the address of the first table entry at the unit for the item; and wherein said dictionary stores the control computer memory address of the file entry for each item.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including means operative in response to an indication that certain types of information are being updated, for performing selected editing functions on the information stored at the memory location being updated.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said means for performing editing functions includes means for shifting the data stored at the memory location to make room for the update information.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the item which information at a given memory location relates to may be altered; and including means operative in response to the item for a given memory location being altered for updating the corresponding entry in said table.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said table update means includes means operative when a new item is stored at a memory location for making a corresponding table entry and including means for tieing the new table entry into the chain of entries for the given item.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 49 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, including table entry deleting means operative in response to an item being deleted at a given memory location for deleting the corresponding table entry, and chain closing means responsive to the deletion for closing the chain in the table for the deleted item.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 76 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said table entry deleting means and said chain closing means operate to delete only the memory location address portion of the table entry, leaving the chain for the item in tact; and including means operative when a table entry having a deleted memory location address is accessed for bypassing the memory update and utilizing the chain address in the entry to access the next table entry for the item.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said items are stock information items and wherein an update message is generated when a transaction occurs on a stock which causes a change in a stock information item.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 236 words

In a system in which a control computer supplies rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of data items to a plurality of remote utilization units, the improvement comprising: a programmable control unit located in the vicinity of said remote utilization units and coupled between said control computer and said remote utilization units for controlling the supplying of data items information thereto, and storage means in said programmable control unit for storing data item information in a manner such that information concerning a data item is stored at a plurality of different data item addresses of said storage means, said storage means including means providing a common address table storing a plurality of entries identifying data item addresses at which data item information is stored and wherein said providing means includes means For additionally storing chain addresses along with said entries in a manner so that entries corresponding to the same data item are accessible in chain fashion, said programmable control unit including accessing means responsive to the receipt of a single update message from said control computer for accessing the chain of entries in said table corresponding to a data item indicated by said message, said programmable control unit also including updating means responsive to an update message for updating the data item information located at the data item addresses identified by the accessed entries in accordance with updating information contained in the update message.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 236 words

In a system in which a control computer supplies rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of data items to a plurality of remote utilization units, the improvement comprising: a programmable control unit located in the vicinity of said remote utilization units and coupled between said control computer and said remote utilization units for controlling the supplying of data items information thereto, and storage means in said programmable control unit for storing data item information in a manner such that information concerning a data item is stored at a plurality of different data item addresses of said storage means, said storage means including means providing a common address table storing a plurality of entries identifying data item addresses at which data item information is stored and wherein said providing means includes means For additionally storing chain addresses along with said entries in a manner so that entries corresponding to the same data item are accessible in chain fashion, said programmable control unit including accessing means responsive to the receipt of a single update message from said control computer for accessing the chain of entries in said table corresponding to a data item indicated by said message, said programmable control unit also including updating means responsive to an update message for updating the data item information located at the data item addresses identified by the accessed entries in accordance with updating information contained in the update message.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 78 words

The invention in accordance with claim 23, wherein said update message indicates a data item which is to be updated by including in the message the first entry address in the common address table of the chain of entries corresponding to the data item which is to be updated, and wherein said accessing means includes means responsive to said first entry address in said message for accessing the chain of entries corresponding to the thus identified data item.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 112 words

The invention in accordance with claim 23, wherein said update message includes a plurality of field indications identifying a plurality of different updating operations to be performed on an indicated data item, wherein said accessing means includes means operable in response to each of said field indications in said message to access the chain of entries in said table indicated by said message, and wherein said updating means operates during each said accessing of a chain of entries in response to a field indication to perform the particular updating indicated by that field indication on the data item information located at the data item addresses identified by the accessed chain of entries.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 101 words

The invention in accordance with claim 23, wherein the data item information stored at a data item address of said storage means may include a plurality of different types of information relating to a data item, and wherein said providing means includes means for additionally storing control indications along with said entries indicating the types of information relating to a data item stored at the data item addresses identified thereby, and wherein said updating means includes means responsive to said control indications for controlling the updating operations performed at the data item addresses identified by the accessed chain of table entries.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 85 words

The invention in accordance with claim 23, wherein said remote utilization units utilize data information supplied thereto from said programmable control unit in the form of one or more predetermined segments, wherein like information relating to a data item may be contained in one or more segments of the same or different remote utilization units, and wherein said providing means includes means for additionally storing data item information in said storage means of said programmable control unit in storage segments corresponding to said predetermined segments.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 29 words

The invention in accordance with claim 27, wherein said remote utilization units each include a display means for displaying the information contained in one or more of said segments.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 111 words

The invention in accordance with claim 23, wherein the data item information stored at a data item address of each storage means of each programmable control unit may include a plurality of different types of information relating to a data item, and wherein said providing means includes means for additionally storing control indications along with said entries indicating the types of information relating to a data item stored at the data item addresses identified thereby, and wherein said updating means in each programmable control unit includes means responsive to said control indications for controlling the updating operations performed at the data item addresses identified by the accessed chain of table entries.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 103 words

The inVention in accordance with claim 29, wherein said update message provides for identification of a data item which is to be updated in accordance therewith by including in the message the respective first entry address in the common address table of each programmable control unit to which the message is directed of the chain of entries corresponding to the data item which is to be updated, and wherein said accessing means in each programmable control unit includes means responsive to its respective first entry address contained in said message for accessing the chain of entries corresponding to the thus identified data item.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 262 words

In a system in which a control computer supplies rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of data items to a plurality of remote utilization units by sending like update messages thereto, the improvement comprising: a plurality of programmable control units each located in the vicinity of a respective plurality of said remote utilization units and each coupled between said control computer and its respective plurality of remote utilization units for controlling the supplying of data item information thereto, and storage means in each programmable control unit for storing data item information in a manner such that information concerning a data item is stored at a plurality of different data item addresses of each storage means, each storage means including means providing a common address table storing a plurality of entries identifying data item addresses at which data item information is stored therein and wherein said providing means includes means for additionally storing chain addresses along with said entries in a manner so that entries corresponding to the same data item are accessible in chained fashion, each programmable control unit including accessing means responsive to the receipt of a single applicable update message sent to all of said programmable control units by said control computer for accessing the chain of entries in said table corresponding to a data item indicated by said message, each programmable control unit also including updating means responsive to an update message for updating the data information located at the data item addresses identified by the accessed entries in accordance with updating information contained in the update message.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 262 words

In a system in which a control computer supplies rapidly changing information concerning a large plurality of data items to a plurality of remote utilization units by sending like update messages thereto, the improvement comprising: a plurality of programmable control units each located in the vicinity of a respective plurality of said remote utilization units and each coupled between said control computer and its respective plurality of remote utilization units for controlling the supplying of data item information thereto, and storage means in each programmable control unit for storing data item information in a manner such that information concerning a data item is stored at a plurality of different data item addresses of each storage means, each storage means including means providing a common address table storing a plurality of entries identifying data item addresses at which data item information is stored therein and wherein said providing means includes means for additionally storing chain addresses along with said entries in a manner so that entries corresponding to the same data item are accessible in chained fashion, each programmable control unit including accessing means responsive to the receipt of a single applicable update message sent to all of said programmable control units by said control computer for accessing the chain of entries in said table corresponding to a data item indicated by said message, each programmable control unit also including updating means responsive to an update message for updating the data information located at the data item addresses identified by the accessed entries in accordance with updating information contained in the update message.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 76 words

The invention in accordance with claim 31, wherein said update message sent to all of said programmable control units by said control computer includes information indicating the particular programmable control units to which it is directed, and wherein each programmable control unit includes means for determining whether an update message is directed thereto and means responsive to said determining means for causing operation of its respective accessing and updating means in response to the update message.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-08-18	1979-02-17	1979-08-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-08-18	1983-02-17	1983-08-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-08-18	1987-02-17	1987-08-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Memory update apparatus utilizing chain addressing

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