US3766529A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer-compatible tape and reading system therefor
Assignee: Racal Thermionic Ltd
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Filing: 1972-03-17
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Granted: 1973-10-16
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Expires: 1992-03-17
Abstract
Abstract A system for controlling machines repetitively. It uses blocks of data bits fed through a command chain from the machine to the tape reader. The command chain comprises a tape reader, a bit store and a character assembler which produces characters for ''''instructing'''' the machine. When empty, it originates a signal to cause data to be read out to the bit store; and likewise, when the data in the bit store has fallen to a pre-set level, a signal is originated to the tape reader to read out a further block of data. The data blocks are arranged to be read out by transporting the tape first in one direction and then in the reverse direction, with each two blocks to be read consecutively in either direction having interposed therebetween a block which is to be read in the opposite direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Laughlin P Mc
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:53
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/408; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/36; G05B2219/36558
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
407 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on open-ended tape as a succession of interlaced blocks in computer format, in which instruction characters for the operations of the machine are constituted by a combination of data bits less in number than the number of data bits in a block of data but more than the number of data bits in a byte of a block of data; the system comprising: 1. means for reading alternate blocks in a first direction of tape transport and then the remaining blocks in reverse successive order in the opposite direction of tape transport; the reading means comprising a multi-channel read head for reading all the bits of any byte simultaneously in any block being read, and decoding means for arranging the bits in each byte so read in the order in which they were recorded on the tape, to form a word consisting of a given order of data bits, whereby the reading means reads out a block of data as a plurality of data bit words; 2. a bit storage arrangement comprising: a bit store constituted by a magnetic core matrix, to receive words read out by the reading means, a first means for counting and addressing in data bits to the bit store in the order iN which the bits were recorded on the tape, a second means for counting and addressing out data bits from the bit storage; and means responsive to the difference in count between said first and said second counting means for actuating the reading means to read a further block of data when the data previously read into the store stand at a predetermined amount; said second counting means addressing at any one time, when the predetermined amount of data is in the store, at least one grouping of data words therein which make up the bits of an instruction character; and 3. a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein the bits of a grouping of data words received from bit store to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character therefrom to actuate the bit storage arrangement to read out a further grouping of data words therefrom; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a complete sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
407 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on open-ended tape as a succession of interlaced blocks in computer format, in which instruction characters for the operations of the machine are constituted by a combination of data bits less in number than the number of data bits in a block of data but more than the number of data bits in a byte of a block of data; the system comprising: 1. means for reading alternate blocks in a first direction of tape transport and then the remaining blocks in reverse successive order in the opposite direction of tape transport; the reading means comprising a multi-channel read head for reading all the bits of any byte simultaneously in any block being read, and decoding means for arranging the bits in each byte so read in the order in which they were recorded on the tape, to form a word consisting of a given order of data bits, whereby the reading means reads out a block of data as a plurality of data bit words; 2. a bit storage arrangement comprising: a bit store constituted by a magnetic core matrix, to receive words read out by the reading means, a first means for counting and addressing in data bits to the bit store in the order iN which the bits were recorded on the tape, a second means for counting and addressing out data bits from the bit storage; and means responsive to the difference in count between said first and said second counting means for actuating the reading means to read a further block of data when the data previously read into the store stand at a predetermined amount; said second counting means addressing at any one time, when the predetermined amount of data is in the store, at least one grouping of data words therein which make up the bits of an instruction character; and 3. a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein the bits of a grouping of data words received from bit store to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character therefrom to actuate the bit storage arrangement to read out a further grouping of data words therefrom; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a complete sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the bit storage has a capacity of more than a block of data, and is such as to actuate the reading means when the bits in the bit store fall below a pre-set number, so that the bit storage can be operated without interruption of read out thereof due to the interval between reading of one data block and the next data block.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
141 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising: a bit store constituted by a magnetic core matrix, to receive words read out by the reading means, a first means for counting and addressing in data bits to the bit store in the order iN which the bits were recorded on the tape, a second means for counting and addressing out data bits from the bit storage; and means responsive to the difference in count between said first and said second counting means for actuating the reading means to read a further block of data when the data previously read into the store stand at a predetermined amount; said second counting means addressing at any one time, when the predetermined amount of data is in the store, at least one grouping of data words therein which make up the bits of an instruction character; and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
141 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising: a bit store constituted by a magnetic core matrix, to receive words read out by the reading means, a first means for counting and addressing in data bits to the bit store in the order iN which the bits were recorded on the tape, a second means for counting and addressing out data bits from the bit storage; and means responsive to the difference in count between said first and said second counting means for actuating the reading means to read a further block of data when the data previously read into the store stand at a predetermined amount; said second counting means addressing at any one time, when the predetermined amount of data is in the store, at least one grouping of data words therein which make up the bits of an instruction character; and
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising a bit store to receive data words from the reading means and having a capacity of at least one block of data and providing additional bit locations to control tape operation, said bit store retaining in said additional bit locations data defining the location of said reading means along said tape, whereby a block that is next to be read in either direction of tape transport can be ascertained; and the bit storage arrangement actuating the reading means as required to read a block of data from the tape; and
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
95 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising a bit store to receive data words from the reading means and having a capacity of at least one block of data and providing additional bit locations to control tape operation, said bit store retaining in said additional bit locations data defining the location of said reading means along said tape, whereby a block that is next to be read in either direction of tape transport can be ascertained; and the bit storage arrangement actuating the reading means as required to read a block of data from the tape; and
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising a bit store to receive data words from the reading means and having a capacity of at least a block of data; the bit storage arrangement actuating the reading means as required to read a block of data from the tape; and
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
a bit storage arrangement comprising a bit store to receive data words from the reading means and having a capacity of at least a block of data; the bit storage arrangement actuating the reading means as required to read a block of data from the tape; and
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
76 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein data bits read out from the bit storage to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character from the memory thereof to actuate the bit storage to read out the bits of a further instruction character; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein data bits read out from the bit storage to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character from the memory thereof to actuate the bit storage to read out the bits of a further instruction character; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein data bits read out from the bit storage to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character from the memory thereof to actuate the bit storage to read out the bits of a further instruction character; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of the data blocks instructs the machine to effect a sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein data bits read out from the bit storage to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character from the memory thereof to actuate the bit storage to read out the bits of a further instruction character; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of the data blocks instructs the machine to effect a sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the data are stored in the bit storage as core words each consisting of a plurality of bit words as read out from the reading means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein the bits of a grouping of data words received from bit store to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character therefrom to actuate the bit storage arrangement to read out a further grouping of data words therefrom; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a complete sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
79 words
a character assembler comprising a memory for assembling therein the bits of a grouping of data words received from bit store to form an instruction character for the machine; the assembler being responsive to the read out of an instruction character therefrom to actuate the bit storage arrangement to read out a further grouping of data words therefrom; whereby repeated reading of the entire succession of data blocks instructs the machine to effect a complete sequence of operations repetitively.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein the data are fed to the bit storage as four-bit words grouped in pairs.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 4, wherein each pair of four bit words is stored in the bit storage to constitute a single core word of eight bits.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 5, wherein the bit storage is one providing at least 1,024 8 data bit locations.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein the core words are held in the bit storage in pairs of groups thereof with each group constituting the data which make up an instruction character to the machine.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system according to claim 7, wherein said bit storage arrangement further includes routing gates for reading out either of the groups in a pair first from said bit store.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system according to claim 8, wherein said routing gates include logic gates to route the pairs of groups of core words from the bit store to the character assembler in the order in which the groups were read out from the bit storage.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein the core words are stored in groups each consisting of four and one-half core words.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 10, wherein the character assembler is a 36 bit assembler and receives a group of four and one-half core words to asemble each character.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on an open-ended tape in computer format, in which instruction characters for the operations of the machine are constituted by a combination of data bits less in number than the number of bits in a block of data but more than the number of bits in a byte of a block of data, and in which each byte of the blocks recorded on the tape comprises a group of data bits and a group of check bits each of which with a different selection of the data bits gives a predetermined parity; the system comprising:
Claim 26
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on an open-ended tape in computer format, in which instruction characters for the operations of the machine are constituted by a combination of data bits less in number than the number of bits in a block of data but more than the number of bits in a byte of a block of data, and in which each byte of the blocks recorded on the tape comprises a group of data bits and a group of check bits each of which with a different selection of the data bits gives a predetermined parity; the system comprising:
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
68 words
A system according to claim 12, wherein the reading means is adapted to read blocks recorded in bytes each of a number of bits one of which bits is the odd parity of the remainder, and the remainder of which bits consists of a group of data bits and a group of check bits, the check bits being the odd parity of a selection of the data bits.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system according to claim 13, wherein the number of bits in a byte is nine including the bit which is the odd parity of the remaining eight; and wherein each byte comprises four of the data bits and four of the check bits.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
35 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on an open-ended tape as a succession of interlaced blocks in computer format; the system comprising:
Claim 30
Independent Claim
35 words
A system for controlling a machine performing a sequence of operations repetitively according to programmed digital computer data recorded on an open-ended tape as a succession of interlaced blocks in computer format; the system comprising:
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 15, wherein the bit storage comprises non-destructive memory elements to store the bits so that when the apparatus is de-activated, any data still remaining in the store is preserved.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-15 | 1977-04-16 | 1977-10-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-15 | 1981-04-16 | 1981-10-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-15 | 1985-04-16 | 1985-10-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |