Priority interrupt monitoring system

Claim 1

IN A MONITORING SYSTEM INCLUDING PROGRAM MEANS FOR PROVIDING DIFFERENT PROGRAM ROUTINES EACH OF WHICH, BY VARIOUS BASIC STEPS EFFECT IN SEQUENCE, CARRIERS OUT A DIFFERENT FUNCTION, THE IMPROVEMENT IN A POLARITY INTERRUPT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING SAID ROUTINES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PREDETERMINED PRIORITY LEVELS ASSIGNED TO THE RESPECTIVE ROUTINES, SAID PRIORITY INTERRUPT SYSTEM COMPRISING: RESPECTIVE SIGNALING MEANS FOR GENERATING INTERRUP DEMAND SIGNALS WHICH CALL FOR OPERATION OF SAID PROGRAM ROUTINES; INTERRUPT REGISTER MEANS HAVING FOR EACH PRIORTY LEVEL AND A BIT STORAGE MEANS FOR STORING A MARKER INDICATING THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AN INTERRUPT DEMAND SIGNAL FOR THE LEVEL INVOLVED AND AN R BIT STORAGE MEANS FOR STORING A MARKER INDICATING THE CURRENT ACTIVITY OR INACTIVITY OF A PROGRAM ROUTINE HAVING THE PRIORITY LEVEL INVOLVED; MEANS FOR SETTING AN R BIT MARKER IN THE R BIT STORAGE MEANS OF A GIVEN PRIORITY LEVEL WHEN THE PROGRAM ROUTINE OF THE PRIORITY LEVEL HAS BEEEN ACTIVATED AND FOR REMOVING THE R BIT MARKER WHEN THE ROUTINE IS COMPLETED, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF AN INTERRUPT DEMAND SIGNAL FOR A PRIORITY LEVEL AND THE ABSENCE OF CORRESPONDING A AND R BIT MARKERS IN SAID INTERRUPT REGISTER MEANS FOR SETTING AN A BIT MARKER IN THE A BIT STORAGE MEANS FOR THE PRIORITY LEVEL INVOLVED; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE BASENCE OF AN INTERRUPT DEMAND SIGNAL AND THE PRESENCE OF AN R BIT MARKER FOR A GIVEN PRIORTIY LEVEL FOR REMOVING THE CORRESPONDING A BIT MARKER ONCE THE ROUTINE INVOLVED IS ACTIVATED; PRIORITY STATUS SCANNING MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY EXAMINING THE INFORMATION IN SAID A AND R BIT STORAGE MEANS OF SAID INTERRUPT REGISTER MEANS IN THE ORDER OF HIGHEST PRIORITY FIRST, SAID PRIORITY STATUS SCANNING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF AN A BIT MARKER AND THE ABSENCE OF AN R BIT MARKER FOR INTERRUPTING THE PROGRAM ROUTINE IN PROGRESS, MEANS FOR STORING INFORMATION ON THE POINT OF THE INTERRUPTED ROUTINE AT WHICH THE INTERRUPTION TOOK PLACE AND INITIATING OPERATION OF THE HIGHER PRIORITY LEVEL ROUTINE, AND MEANS OPERATIVE AFTER COMPLETION OF THE HIGHER PRIORITY LEVEL ROUTINE FOR RESUMING THE INTERRUPTED PROGRAM AT THE POINT OF INTERRUPTION THEREOF.