Feedback control monitor for stored program data processing system

Claim 2

In a stored program data processing machine which returns to perform certain routine tasks after performing various other classes of work and which stores the requests to perform each of the various classes of work in hoppers, the improvement comprising means for measuring the time it takes the machine to return to performing said routine tasks and means controlled by said measuring means for selecting a variable number of workrequesting items to be taken from any of said hoppers at any one time by said machine.

Claim 3

In a stored program data processing machine according To claim 1, the improvement wherein said means for measuring said time comprises periodically incremented counter means, said counter means being reset each time said machine commences to perform said routine tasks.

Claim 4

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 2, said machine having means for interrupting the processing of certain of said classes of work to perform work of higher priority, the improvement comprising means operative during an interval controlled by said interrupt means for activating said counter means.

Claim 5

In a stored program data processing machine having a plurality of logic means each operative to process a respective class of work, a plurality of hoppers for storing entries requesting the performance of a respective type of work by said logic means and means for interrupting the processing of work by said logic means in any of said classes to perform work of a higher priority, the improvement comprising counter means incremented by said interrupt means and reset by a first one of said plurality of logic means operative during a first class of work, and means controlled by said counter means for selecting a non-zero number of work requesting entries to be taken from a particular one of said hoppers by another of said plurality of logic means.

Claim 6

In a stored program data processing machine having a plurality of logic means each operative to process a respective class of work, a plurality of hoppers for storing entries requesting the performance of a respective type of work by said logic means and means for interrupting the processing of work by said logic means in any of said classes to perform work of a higher priority, the improvement comprising counter means incremented by said interrupt means and reset by a first one of said plurality of logic means operative during a first class of work, and means controlled by said counter means for selecting a non-zero number of work requesting entries to be taken from a particular one of said hoppers by another of said plurality of logic means.

Claim 7

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 4, the improvement wherein said means for regulating the number of said entries to be taken from said particular hopper comprises means for counting the number of entries taken from said hopper during a predetermined time interval, and means for counting the number of said entries taken from said hopper during a particular operation of said another of said logic means.

Claim 8

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 4, the improvement wherein said counter means includes clock means and a plurality of register means, means for registering the time of said clock each time said first one of said plurality of logic means is operative.

Claim 9

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 6 wherein said counter means includes a memory cell for storing a representation of a predetermined time interval, and means for comparing the contents of at least one of said register means with said memory cell.

Claim 12

In a stored program data processing machine having a memory unit and a central control processor, said processor having a plurality of sequentially enabled logic circuits for accepting and processing a plurality of work-requesting items of data from said memory unit, the improvement comprising means for ascertaining in the absence of any overload the occupancy of said processor and means controlled by said occupancy ascertaining means for regulating the time rate at which at least one of said logic circuits accepts its respective plurality of said data items to be processed to avoid an occupancy level indicative of an overload.

Claim 13

In a stored program data processing machine having a memory unit and a central control processor, said processor having a plurality of sequentially enabled logic circuits for accepting and processing a plurality of work-requesting items of data from said memory unit, the improvement comprising means for ascertaining in the absence of any overload the occupancy of said processor and means controlled by said occupancy ascertaining means for regulating the time rate at which at least one of said logic circuits accepts its respective plurality of said data items to be processed to avoid an occupancy level indicative of an overload.

Claim 14

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 9, the improvement wherein said means for ascertaining the occupancy of said machine comprises means for measuring the elapsed time between the successive enablings of a particular one of said logic circuits.

Claim 15

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 1, the improvement wherein said means controlled by said measuring means selects a lesseR number of items to be taken from one of said hoppers as said time for returning to perform said routine tasks increases and selects a greater number of said items as said time decreases.

Claim 16

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 11, the improvement wherein said measuring means computes an average of a plurality of the most recent times taken by said machine to return to performing said routine tasks.

Claim 17

In a stored program data processing machine according to claim 11, the improvement further comprising means for inhibiting for a predetermined time interval any change in the number of said items selected by said means for selecting said variable number of items.

Claim 18

The method of operating a stored program data processing machine according to claim 8 wherein said timing is performed by periodically interrupting said processing of all of said items to increment a counter to record the time of said interrupt, and by resetting said counter whenever a particular one of said logic circuits is enabled to accept its respective items of data to be processed.

Claim 19

The method of operating a stored program data processing machine according to claim 14 wherein said governing is accomplished by reducing the number of said items permitted to be accepted for processing by at least one of said sequentially enabled logic circuits when said time exceeds a predetermined first value and by thereafter increasing said number when said time does not exceed a second predetermined value.

Claim 20

The method of operating a stored program data processing machine according to claim 15 wherein said increasing of said number is permitted only after said time has not exceeded said second predetermined value during the continuance of a third predetermined interval.

Claim 21

A stored program data processing machine which is adapted to process work items stored in different storage hoppers in its memory on a sequential basis, the machine normally proceeding to visit the next hopper in sequence after processing all of the items in the precedingly visited hopper such that work items are taken from each of the hoppers in rotation characterized in that the stored program data processing machine also includes a first arrangement (1155, JTIM, 0VDEC, INCTIM, 400, 3-613, 3-621) for measuring the time it takes the machine to complete processing all of the work items commencing with a first one of the hoppers and proceeding through the remaining hoppers in the normal sequence until the machine is ready again to process whatever new items have been entered into the first hopper, such time being an indication of machine occupancy, and a second arrangement (0V0FFI, 0VDEC, RNGE, 4-520) controlled by the first arrangement for selecting a variable number of work items to be taken from any particular one (FIG. 6) of the hoppers when that hopper is visited by the processor in its normal sequence whereby the number of work items to be taken for processing from said particular hopper is controlled to be no more than the machine can be expected to handle at the measured level of occupancy and so that at least some of the items in each hopper are so normally taken to be processed.

Claim 22

A stored program data processing machine which is adapted to process work items stored in different storage hoppers in its memory on a sequential basis, the machine normally proceeding to visit the next hopper in sequence after processing all of the items in the precedingly visited hopper such that work items are taken from each of the hoppers in rotation characterized in that the stored program data processing machine also includes a first arrangement (1155, JTIM, 0VDEC, INCTIM, 400, 3-613, 3-621) for measuring the time it takes the machine to complete processing all of the work items commencing with a first one of the hoppers and proceeding through the remaining hoppers in the normal sequence until the machine is ready again to process whatever new items have been entered into the first hopper, such time being an indication of machine occupancy, and a second arrangement (0V0FFI, 0VDEC, RNGE, 4-520) controlled by the first arrangement for selecting a variable number of work items to be taken from any particular one (FIG. 6) of the hoppers when that hopper is visited by the processor in its normal sequence whereby the number of work items to be taken for processing from said particular hopper is controlled to be no more than the machine can be expected to handle at the measured level of occupancy and so that at least some of the items in each hopper are so normally taken to be processed.