Electronic data processing system

Claim 2

A nonprogrammable data storage and retrieval system comprising: a. at least one console member, b. means operatively associated with said console member for introducing data thereinto, c. a data storage means operatively connected to said console member and capable of having the data introduced in said console member transferred to and stored in said data storage means, d. multiplexing means operatively interposed between said console member and said data storage means enabling operative connection therebetween, e. register means in said console member and being operatively connected to said multiplexing means for receipt of data in said data storage means and delivery of data to said storage means, f. a printer member capable of printing the data stored in said data storage means in a desired preselected format, g. a printer driving circuit operatively connected to said data storage means and said printer member for receiving the data from said data storage means and causing the printer member to print selected portions of such data in said desired preselected format, h. and print selector means operatively connected to said printer driving circuit for controlling the mode of operation of said printer driving circuit and said printer member and selecting those selected portions of such data for printing by said printer member.

Claim 3

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system comprises a plurality of console members, and said multiplexing means being operatively interposed between each of said console members and said data storage means.

Claim 4

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that the system comprises means for operatively connecting said multiplexing means to said printer driving circuit.

Claim 5

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that the system comprises display means operatively associated with each said console member to display the data being printed by said printer member.

Claim 6

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that the system comprises means for performing arithmetic functions which is operative associated with said console member and said data storage means, and cooperative arithmetic means is provided in said printer driving circuit for printing the data resulting from such arithmetic functions.

Claim 7

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system comprises clocking means operatively associated with said data storage means for generating clock pulses and sending such clock pulses to each console member.

Claim 8

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system comprises transfer means operatively associated with said console member and said data storage means for enabling the sending of the data introduced into said console member to said data storage means and for enabling the sending of the data stored in said data storage means to said console member.

Claim 9

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system comprises transfer means oPeratively associated with said console member and said data storage means for enabling the sending of the data introduced into said console member to said data storage means, and for enabling the sending of the data stored in said data storage means to said console member, and additional transfer means operatively associated with said printer driving circuit enabling the sending of data introduced into said console member and the data stored in said data storage means to said printer driving circuit.

Claim 10

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 6 further characterized in that said system comprises means enabling the sending of said clock pulses to said printer driving circuit in addition to said console member.

Claim 11

The data storage and retrieval system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system comprises means located with respect to said console member to convert such data to binary type format for storing such data in said data storage means and for operating on such data, and conversion means operatively associated with said printer member and printer driving circuit to convert such binary type format and enabling the printing of such data in legible format.

Claim 12

In a non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus having input means for introducing sectors of data into said apparatus and where each sector of data has a locator portion and a descriptor portion, a data storage means for randomly storing said sectors of introduced data, and means operatively associated with said input means to perform certain arithmetic transactions with respect to said data; a data presentation system comprising a member capable of presenting the data introduced into said apparatus in any of a plurality of preselected formats, means for examining said storage means for the locator portions of the sector of data and acquiring the description portions associated therewith, sequential means enabling a presentation of certain of the sectors of data in said storage means in sequential format according to the locator portions, means operatively forming part of said sequential means for enabling a presentation of sectors of data having a certain code field in the locator portions thereof, transaction means enabling a presentation of certain data transactions in the descriptor portion of the sectors of data which take place in said data storage and retrieval apparatus, and selector means operatively connected to said sequential means and transaction means to permit selection therebetween.

Claim 13

In a non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus having input means for introducing sectors of data into said apparatus and where each sector of data has a locator portion and a descriptor portion, a data storage means for randomly storing said sectors of introduced data, and means operatively associated with said input means to perform certain arithmetic transactions with respect to said data; a data presentation system comprising a member capable of presenting the data introduced into said apparatus in any of a plurality of preselected formats, means for examining said storage means for the locator portions of the sector of data and acquiring the description portions associated therewith, sequential means enabling a presentation of certain of the sectors of data in said storage means in sequential format according to the locator portions, means operatively forming part of said sequential means for enabling a presentation of sectors of data having a certain code field in the locator portions thereof, transaction means enabling a presentation of certain data transactions in the descriptor portion of the sectors of data which take place in said data storage and retrieval apparatus, and selector means operatively connected to said sequential means and transaction means to permit selection therebetween.

Claim 14

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 11 further characterized in that the data presentation system comprises a print-out system, and that the member capable of presenting the data comprises a printing member.

Claim 15

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the sequential means comprises a first means to enable a printing of only that data which includes a preselected code, and a second means to enable a printing of only that data which includes a preselected code and which data is included between two preestablished size limits.

Claim 16

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the sequential means comprises a first means to enable a printing of only that data which includes a preselected code, a second means to enable a printing of only that data which includes a preselected code and which data is included between two preestablished size limits, and a third means to enable a printing of only that data which has not been subjected to any arithemtic transactions for a preestablished period of time.

Claim 17

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the sequential means comprises a first means to enable a printing of only that data which includes a preselected code, and a second means to enable a printing of only that Data which includes a preselected code and which data is included between two preestablished size limits, and where said transaction means comprises means for adding to or subtracting from certain portions of the data.

Claim 18

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that said sequential means ocmprises sequencing means for searching data according to size, size comparison means for comparing the size of sectors of data, and code comparison means for comparing preselected codes included in the sectors of data.

Claim 19

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 16 further characterized in that the sequencing means also comprises a quantity comparison means for comparing respective quantities included in certain sectors of data.

Claim 20

In a non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus having input means for introducing data having a locator portion and a descriptor portion into said apparatus, and a data storage means for randomly storing such introduced data; a data presentation system comprising means to initiate a searching of said data storage means for examination of locator portions randomly stored thereon, a plurality of fixed length register members operatively connected to each other and to said last named means, each of said register members having a length equivalent to hold no more than a locator portion of said data, size sequencing means operatively connected to said register members to enable an ordering of said locator portions in a preselected order, comparator means operatively associated with said size sequencing means and operating in conjunction therewith to determine respective size of said locator portions, and depicting means operatively associated with said size sequencing means and comparator means to enable said depicting means to present certain selected ones of said locator portions in said preselected order and to present the descriptor portions associated with each of said locator portions.

Claim 21

In a non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus having input means for introducing data having a locator portion and a descriptor portion into said apparatus, and a data storage means for randomly storing such introduced data; a data presentation system comprising means to initiate a searching of said data storage means for examination of locator portions randomly stored thereon, a plurality of fixed length register members operatively connected to each other and to said last named means, each of said register members having a length equivalent to hold no more than a locator portion of said data, size sequencing means operatively connected to said register members to enable an ordering of said locator portions in a preselected order, comparator means operatively associated with said size sequencing means and operating in conjunction therewith to determine respective size of said locator portions, and depicting means operatively associated with said size sequencing means and comparator means to enable said depicting means to present certain selected ones of said locator portions in said preselected order and to present the descriptor portions associated with each of said locator portions.

Claim 22

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 18 further characterized in that the data presentation system comprises a print-out system, and that the depicting means comprises a printing member.

Claim 23

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 18 further characterized in that the data presentation system comprises size comparison means for determining whether such locator portions have a value between a preestablished maximum limit and a preestablished minimum limit.

Claim 24

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 18 further characterized in that the locator portion may include arabic characters, numeric characters, characters representing spaces, and non-descript characters, said data presentation system comprising size comparison means for determining whether said locator portions have a value between a preestablished maximum and a preestablished minimum limit, and decoder means to determine the presence and location of characters representing spaces and nondescript characters in said locator portion and accounting for such characters representing spaces and non-descript characters in such value determination.

Claim 25

The data presentation system in the data storage and retrieval apparatus of claim 20 further characterized in that the system comprises means for enabling the presentation of locator portions having a value between said preestablished limits and for presenting the descriptor portion associated with said locator portion.

Claim 26

A register loading circuit for use with a non-programmable data storage and retrieval system and the like, and which data storage and retrievel system includes a central data storage member, a data presentation control system having sequencing type equipment, a data presentation mechanism operatively connected to said presentation control system, and at least one remote consolE unit operatively connected to said central data storage member; said register loading circuit being included within said data presentation control system and comprising: a plurality of register members, each of said register members containing a plurality of register elements sufficient in number to hold a sector of data from said data storage member, and where said sector comprises a predetermined number of bits, means operatively connecting an output of a second register of said plurality of registers to a first register of said plurality of registers for introducing bits from said second register into said first register, means operatively connecting an output of a third register of said plurality of registers to said second register for introducing bits from said third register into said second register, recirculation means operatively associated with each register of said plurality of registers to recirculate the bits contained therein, input means to control the transfer of bits among said registers and recirculation of bits contained in each of said registers, and means operatively associated with at least one of said registers to deliver the data bits therein to said data presentation mechanism in a desired order.

Claim 27

A register loading circuit for use with a non-programmable data storage and retrieval system and the like, and which data storage and retrievel system includes a central data storage member, a data presentation control system having sequencing type equipment, a data presentation mechanism operatively connected to said presentation control system, and at least one remote consolE unit operatively connected to said central data storage member; said register loading circuit being included within said data presentation control system and comprising: a plurality of register members, each of said register members containing a plurality of register elements sufficient in number to hold a sector of data from said data storage member, and where said sector comprises a predetermined number of bits, means operatively connecting an output of a second register of said plurality of registers to a first register of said plurality of registers for introducing bits from said second register into said first register, means operatively connecting an output of a third register of said plurality of registers to said second register for introducing bits from said third register into said second register, recirculation means operatively associated with each register of said plurality of registers to recirculate the bits contained therein, input means to control the transfer of bits among said registers and recirculation of bits contained in each of said registers, and means operatively associated with at least one of said registers to deliver the data bits therein to said data presentation mechanism in a desired order.

Claim 28

The register loading circuit of claim 23 further characterized in that said circuit comprises means for operatively connecting the outputs of certain of said registers to said sequencing type equipment in said data presentation control system to transfer the outputs of said last named registers to said sequencing type of equipment and thence to said presentation mechanism at selected times.

Claim 29

The register loading circuit of claim 24 further characterized in that said circuit comprises means operatively associated therewith to enable a comparison of at least one sector of bits in one of said plurality of registers with at least one sector of bits in another of said plurality of registers.

Claim 30

The register loading circuit of claim 24 further characterized in that said circuit comprises means operatively associated therewith to enable a comparison of at least one sector of bits in one of said plurality of registers with at least one sector of bits in another of said plurality of registers, and means to permit a transfer to said sequencing type of equipment in said presentation control system, the sector of bits associated with one of said registers when comparison for said last-named sector of bits was found to exist.

Claim 31

A data format circuit for use with data printing systems and the like and which printing system is capable of printing arithmetic transactions occuring with respect to the data or printing the data in various sequential patterns; said data format circuit comprising format sequencing means, character counting means operatively associated with said format sequencing means to count the number of characters in a sector of data, spacing means for introducing a space between various characters in said sector of data at preselected positions for purposes of printing said data in legible format, arithmetic sequencing means operatively connected to said format sequencing means for determining for the presence of arithmetic characters in a sector of data to be printed and for determining the location of such arithmetic characters in said sector of data to be printed, and line feed output means from said sequencing means operatively connectable to said printing system for controlling the amount of data printed in any line of print.

Claim 32

A data format circuit for use with data printing systems and the like and which printing system is capable of printing arithmetic transactions occuring with respect to the data or printing the data in various sequential patterns; said data format circuit comprising format sequencing means, character counting means operatively associated with said format sequencing means to count the number of characters in a sector of data, spacing means for introducing a space between various characters in said sector of data at preselected positions for purposes of printing said data in legible format, arithmetic sequencing means operatively connected to said format sequencing means for determining for the presence of arithmetic characters in a sector of data to be printed and for determining the location of such arithmetic characters in said sector of data to be printed, and line feed output means from said sequencing means operatively connectable to said printing system for controlling the amount of data printed in any line of print.

Claim 33

The data format circuit of claim 27 further characterized in that said format sequencing means comprises additional means for generating a signal to initiate printing of the data.

Claim 34

The data format circuit of claim 27 further characterized in that the circuit comprises means operatively associated with the format sequencing means to enable either a printing of the transactions occurring with respect to the data or a printing of any one of the sequential patterns.

Claim 35

The data format circuit of clAim 28 further characterized in that said circuit comprises size and search sequencing means operatively connected to said format sequencing means.

Claim 38

The method of claim 31 further characterized in that the method comprises visually displaying the data for examination thereof in addition to the printing of such data.

Claim 39

The method of claim 31 further characterized in that the method comprises generating clocking pulses to store the bits on a clock time basis and converting the bits into characters on a clock time basis.

Claim 42

The method of claim 34 further characterized in that the presenting of the data comprises printing the data.

Claim 43

The method of claim 34 further characterized in that the method comprises presenting only such data which contains a preselected code.

Claim 44

The method of claim 34 further characterized in that certain of the data sectors contain data fields, and the method comprises presenting only such data which has one field of a data sector compared with another field of such data sector and which meets a preestablished comparison criterion.

Claim 45

A non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus capable of storing and retrieving information therein and performing selected arithmetic functions thereon on a real time basis by means of direct switch actuation and printing such information, said apparatus comprising: a. switch-type input means for introducing a plurality of informational characters into said apparatus and where said characters are unrestricted to format by apparatus parameters, b. a diode conversion matrix operatively connected to said input means for converting such informational characters into an address sector of informational bits in alpha-numeric code format and a data sector of informational bits in alpha-Numeric code format and where the data sector provides information about the address sector, c. a recirculating data shift register member having a plurality of multistable data register elements and being operatively connected to said diode conversion matrix for receiving said sectors of data bits, said number of data register elements being at least equal to the number of data bits in any one sector, d. clocking means for generating clock pulses, e. gating means operatively connected to said clocking means and said data shift register member for controlling introduction of said clock pulses to said data shift register member to enable a recirculation of the data bits therein on a clock time basis, f. switch-type means for introducing arithmetic data bits into said apparatus to perform arithmetic functions on the informational data bits in a data sector, g. a parallel-to-serial convertor operatively associated with said last named switch-type means to insure serial format of said arithmetic data bits, h. arithmetic function means, including a serial BCD adder/subtractor, operatively connected to said data shift register member and to said parallel-to-serial convertor for adding or subtracting the arithmetic data bits with respect to the informational bits in a data sector, i. a serially addressable data storage member operatively connected to said data register member and said arithmetic function means and capable of having the informational data bits recorded thereon, j. said data register member being operatively interposed between said data storage member and diode conversion matrix and operating substantially at the rate of operation of said data storage member to receive informational data bits from said diode conversion matrix for ultimate delivery to said data storage member and to receive data bits from said data storage member to thereby enable both read and write operations, k. a number complements generator operatively connected to said arithmetic function means and said parallel-to-serial convertor for energizing said parallel-to-serial convertor to a proper state for either subtraction or addition, l. read and write sequencing means operatively connected to said data storage member and said data shift register member to perform read-write sequencing and control the mode of operation with respect to said data storage member, m. counter means operatively connected to said read-write sequencing means and to said data shift register member to recognize and distinguish between said address sectors and said data sectors, n. comparison means operatively connected to said counter means and having an operative input to said data shift register member for comparing each address sector of information introduced by said switch type input means with address sectors of information in said data storage member, o. a write enable member operatively connected to said arithmetic function means to enable recording of arithmetic data bits on said data storage member, p. an add switch and a subtract switch operatively connected to said arithmetic function means and said write enable member and to said number complements generator to locate said arithmetic function means in a proper state for addition upon actuation of said add switch and to locate said arithmetic function means in a proper state for subtraction upon actuation of said subtract switch, q. a plurality of individual display members, r. an anode driving means including a plurality of anode drivers and a cathode driving means including a plurality of cathode drivers operatively connected to said display means and said data shift register member, s. an anode register member operatively connected to each of said display members and said anode driving means, t. a decoder operatively connected to said cathode driving means and said data shift register member, u. a display location decoder operatively connected to said anode regIster member and said data register member for energizing selected ones of said display members, v. an individual change switch operatively associated with each individual display member and operatively connected to said data register member for changing the informational data bits in only selected ones of said data register elements and changing the informational character on associated selected display members to edit the character displayed thereby, w. a printer member capable of printing the data stored in said data storage member in a desired preselected format, x. print selector means operatively connected to said data shift register member for controlling the mode of operation of said printer member, y. decoding means operatively connected to said print selector means and said data storage member for receiving data from either said data shift register member or said data storage member, z. a size-search sequencer operatively connected to said decoding means for determining if the respective address sectors and associated data sectors are to be printed, aa. a plurality of temporary holding registers operatively connected to said size-search sequencer, bb. automatically actuable switch means operatively interposed between said temporary holding registers and said size-search sequencer to selectively introduce informational bits from said size search sequencer to selected ones of said temporary holding registers, cc. a size comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for comparing the respective sizes of the address sectors relative to one another, dd. a code comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for determining if a preselected code exists in any of said address sectors, ee. a quantity comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for determining of a quantity in a selected portion of one data sector is greater than a quantity in similar selected portions of other data sectors, ff. an add or subtract sequencer operatively connected to said add switch, said subtract switch and to said size-search sequencer for determining if any adding or subtracting transactions have taken place with respect to any of the data sectors selected for printing, gg. a format sequencer operatively connected to said add or subtract sequencer and to size search sequencer to place the address sectors and data sectors in proper format for printing, hh. and a printer interfacing circuit operatively connecting said format sequencer to said printer member to enable a printing of both the address sectors and associated data sectors in a desired sequential format or according to transactions with respect thereto.

Claim 46

A non-programmable data storage and retrieval apparatus capable of storing and retrieving information therein and performing selected arithmetic functions thereon on a real time basis by means of direct switch actuation and printing such information, said apparatus comprising: a. switch-type input means for introducing a plurality of informational characters into said apparatus and where said characters are unrestricted to format by apparatus parameters, b. a diode conversion matrix operatively connected to said input means for converting such informational characters into an address sector of informational bits in alpha-numeric code format and a data sector of informational bits in alpha-Numeric code format and where the data sector provides information about the address sector, c. a recirculating data shift register member having a plurality of multistable data register elements and being operatively connected to said diode conversion matrix for receiving said sectors of data bits, said number of data register elements being at least equal to the number of data bits in any one sector, d. clocking means for generating clock pulses, e. gating means operatively connected to said clocking means and said data shift register member for controlling introduction of said clock pulses to said data shift register member to enable a recirculation of the data bits therein on a clock time basis, f. switch-type means for introducing arithmetic data bits into said apparatus to perform arithmetic functions on the informational data bits in a data sector, g. a parallel-to-serial convertor operatively associated with said last named switch-type means to insure serial format of said arithmetic data bits, h. arithmetic function means, including a serial BCD adder/subtractor, operatively connected to said data shift register member and to said parallel-to-serial convertor for adding or subtracting the arithmetic data bits with respect to the informational bits in a data sector, i. a serially addressable data storage member operatively connected to said data register member and said arithmetic function means and capable of having the informational data bits recorded thereon, j. said data register member being operatively interposed between said data storage member and diode conversion matrix and operating substantially at the rate of operation of said data storage member to receive informational data bits from said diode conversion matrix for ultimate delivery to said data storage member and to receive data bits from said data storage member to thereby enable both read and write operations, k. a number complements generator operatively connected to said arithmetic function means and said parallel-to-serial convertor for energizing said parallel-to-serial convertor to a proper state for either subtraction or addition, l. read and write sequencing means operatively connected to said data storage member and said data shift register member to perform read-write sequencing and control the mode of operation with respect to said data storage member, m. counter means operatively connected to said read-write sequencing means and to said data shift register member to recognize and distinguish between said address sectors and said data sectors, n. comparison means operatively connected to said counter means and having an operative input to said data shift register member for comparing each address sector of information introduced by said switch type input means with address sectors of information in said data storage member, o. a write enable member operatively connected to said arithmetic function means to enable recording of arithmetic data bits on said data storage member, p. an add switch and a subtract switch operatively connected to said arithmetic function means and said write enable member and to said number complements generator to locate said arithmetic function means in a proper state for addition upon actuation of said add switch and to locate said arithmetic function means in a proper state for subtraction upon actuation of said subtract switch, q. a plurality of individual display members, r. an anode driving means including a plurality of anode drivers and a cathode driving means including a plurality of cathode drivers operatively connected to said display means and said data shift register member, s. an anode register member operatively connected to each of said display members and said anode driving means, t. a decoder operatively connected to said cathode driving means and said data shift register member, u. a display location decoder operatively connected to said anode regIster member and said data register member for energizing selected ones of said display members, v. an individual change switch operatively associated with each individual display member and operatively connected to said data register member for changing the informational data bits in only selected ones of said data register elements and changing the informational character on associated selected display members to edit the character displayed thereby, w. a printer member capable of printing the data stored in said data storage member in a desired preselected format, x. print selector means operatively connected to said data shift register member for controlling the mode of operation of said printer member, y. decoding means operatively connected to said print selector means and said data storage member for receiving data from either said data shift register member or said data storage member, z. a size-search sequencer operatively connected to said decoding means for determining if the respective address sectors and associated data sectors are to be printed, aa. a plurality of temporary holding registers operatively connected to said size-search sequencer, bb. automatically actuable switch means operatively interposed between said temporary holding registers and said size-search sequencer to selectively introduce informational bits from said size search sequencer to selected ones of said temporary holding registers, cc. a size comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for comparing the respective sizes of the address sectors relative to one another, dd. a code comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for determining if a preselected code exists in any of said address sectors, ee. a quantity comparator circuit operatively connected to said temporary holding registers and to said data storage member for determining of a quantity in a selected portion of one data sector is greater than a quantity in similar selected portions of other data sectors, ff. an add or subtract sequencer operatively connected to said add switch, said subtract switch and to said size-search sequencer for determining if any adding or subtracting transactions have taken place with respect to any of the data sectors selected for printing, gg. a format sequencer operatively connected to said add or subtract sequencer and to size search sequencer to place the address sectors and data sectors in proper format for printing, hh. and a printer interfacing circuit operatively connecting said format sequencer to said printer member to enable a printing of both the address sectors and associated data sectors in a desired sequential format or according to transactions with respect thereto.