Patent EP0054620A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0054620A2
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EP
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Data processing terminal
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1981-09-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-09-16
Abstract
Abstract An intelligent data processing terminal wherein the function controlling information of a program is separated from portions of the sequence of execution controlling information and each are stored in the form of tables. The function controlling information takes the form of a table (65) including a plurality of function specifying entries. The function execution sequence controlling information takes the form of a table of pointers (63). Function controlling entries, each having a plurality of fields for defining, modifying, and specifying the functions and related data to be executed, need not be repetitively duplicated throughout the program. Instead, the shorter pointers to the function table entries can be provided in the sequence table in the sequence in which the functions are to be executed.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Allen Hendrickson
- 👤 George Charles Macauley
- 👤 Donald Lloyd Pierce
- 👤 Robert Wallace Roefer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 19:00
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/0202; G06F3/021; G06F3/048; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
1 A data processing terminal of the type controlled by programmable computing means to effect transactions composed of sequences of predetermined data processing functions, at least some such functions requiring a series of program steps to be performed by said computing means, characterised by a control table store arranged to contain a set of individually accessible coded function control statements, one for each of said predetermined data processing functions, a sequence table store arranged to contain a set of coded pointers, each identifying an associated function control statement, sequence control means adapted to render pointers from said sequence table store effective in sequence to access their associated functions control statements, and decoding logic adapted to decode each function control statement so accessed to cause the series of program steps corresponding to such statement to be performed by said computing means, whereby a transaction is effected by the performance of a sequence of data processing functions determined by the function control statement accessed under the control of said sequence control means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
1 A data processing terminal of the type controlled by programmable computing means to effect transactions composed of sequences of predetermined data processing functions, at least some such functions requiring a series of program steps to be performed by said computing means, characterised by a control table store arranged to contain a set of individually accessible coded function control statements, one for each of said predetermined data processing functions, a sequence table store arranged to contain a set of coded pointers, each identifying an associated function control statement, sequence control means adapted to render pointers from said sequence table store effective in sequence to access their associated functions control statements, and decoding logic adapted to decode each function control statement so accessed to cause the series of program steps corresponding to such statement to be performed by said computing means, whereby a transaction is effected by the performance of a sequence of data processing functions determined by the function control statement accessed under the control of said sequence control means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
106 words
2 A terminal as claimed in claim 1 further characterised by a keyboard arranged to provide input signals to said decoding logic, and a translate table store arranged to contain coded definitions of a plurality of input characters to be received from said keyboard, same of said definitions including a pointer to an entry in said sequence table and others of said definitions including a data code representation of an input character, said decoding logic further comprising logic utilizing said definitions being a pointer to an entry in said sequence table to initiate utilization of said entry and a subsequent sequential entry from said sequence table.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
3 A terminal as claimed in claim 2 wherein said decoding logic further comprises a register for storing a pointer to said sequence table entry, and means for incrementing such pointer to access a next sequential sequence table entry.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
4 A termainal as claimed in claim 3 further characterised by means for displaying guidance messages to an operator of said keyboard, a guidance message table store arranged to contain a plurality of coded guidance messages, wherein said decoding logic including means responsive to a guidance pointer in said sequence table for displaying the guidance message identified by said guidance pointer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
5 A termainal as claimed in any of claims 2-4 wherein said decoding logic means is responsive to a predetermined control statement in said function control statement table to receive a keystroke signal from said keyboard and cause the execution of function specified by another control statement identified by a nonsequential pointer in said sequence table.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
6 A method of controlling a data processing terminal comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal; translating said input signal to a sequence pointer; accessing a sequence table entry identified by said sequence pointer; accessing a function control statement pointed to by said sequence table entry; and executing said function control statement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
6 A method of controlling a data processing terminal comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal; translating said input signal to a sequence pointer; accessing a sequence table entry identified by said sequence pointer; accessing a function control statement pointed to by said sequence table entry; and executing said function control statement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
7 A method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the steps of: incrementing said sequence pointer, and accessing a next sequential sequence table entry identified by such incremented sequence pointer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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