US3798613A — Controlling peripheral subsystems

Claim 1

Independent Claim 175 words

The method of establishing peripheral sybsystem operation in a programmable I/O controller via I/O command signals from a data processing system connected to said controller, the improved method including the following steps in combination: sending command signals from said system to said controller chained with signal code permutations indicating a desired set of program-affecting connections in said I/O controller plus a first control signal indicating such program-affecting connections are to be maintained, responding to said command signals and said first control signal to set up and maintain said program-affecting connections in said controller in accordance with said code permuations, then selectively sending data processing type command signals from said system to said controller in association with or without said first control signal for commanding said controller to perform data processing type operations that are relatable to said system, and responding to said data processing type command signals in accordance with said program-affecting connections in said controller only when said first control signal is received from said system in timed association with said additional command signals.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 175 words

The method of establishing peripheral sybsystem operation in a programmable I/O controller via I/O command signals from a data processing system connected to said controller, the improved method including the following steps in combination: sending command signals from said system to said controller chained with signal code permutations indicating a desired set of program-affecting connections in said I/O controller plus a first control signal indicating such program-affecting connections are to be maintained, responding to said command signals and said first control signal to set up and maintain said program-affecting connections in said controller in accordance with said code permuations, then selectively sending data processing type command signals from said system to said controller in association with or without said first control signal for commanding said controller to perform data processing type operations that are relatable to said system, and responding to said data processing type command signals in accordance with said program-affecting connections in said controller only when said first control signal is received from said system in timed association with said additional command signals.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 80 words

The method set forth in claim 1 further including the steps of: maintaining said first control signal in said controller while sending a plurality of additional command signals including said data processing type command signals; then erasing said maintained first control signal; then sending further command signals including some of said data processing type command signals from said system to said controller; and interpreting said further data processing type command signals in said controller independent of said signal code permutations.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 67 words

THe method set forth in claim 2 further including the steps of: including a sequence of command functions in said additional command signals not performable by said controller without said maintained program-affecting connections; executing said last-mentioned sequence of commanded functions to result in eRror signals, and maintaining controller action via said program affecting connections regardless of such error signals for enabling such error-causing sequence to be executed.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 127 words

The method set forth in claim 2 further including the steps of: establishing a branch-on-condition sequence in said controller after receiving each of said additional command signals, sensing for said first control signal in said controller before attempting execution of operations indicated by said additional data processing type command signals, while receiving said first control signal in said controller, branching to a microprogram for executing such operation indicated by said additional data processing type command signals including executing said additional data processing type command signals indicated operation with said program-affecting connections to thereby alter said branch-on-condition sequence and, when not receiving said first control signal in said controller, clearing said program affecting connections and then executing an operation indicated by said additional data processing type command signals.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method set forth in claim 2 further including the steps of: operating a magnetic tape handler, indicating motions of motive portions for said handler by some of said additional data processing type command signals, and analyzing said controller in accordance with certain ones of said additional command signals.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 74 words

The method set forth in claim 2 further including the steps of: sequentially supplying plural sets of said signal code permutations, maintaining only one set of said signal code permutations in said controller at a given time, erasing a first set of said signal code permutations whenever said first control signal is removed, and removing a second set of said signal code permutations only after receiving a command signal indicating a new I/O sequence.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 107 words

The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said command sequences include a plurality of separate I/O control chains of CCW''s, plural chains being performable during one chained connection, initiating each chain by a given CCW, the improved method further including the steps of: changing said program affecting connections for some of said given CCW''s, responding to certain ones of said CCW''s within said sets of chained CCW''s to set certain ones of said program affecting connections, and maintaining said certain ones program affecting connections until said given CCW is received, and then resetting said certain ones of said program affecting connections while maintaining said chained connection.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 89 words

The method set forth in claim 2, further including the steps of: responding to said signal code permutations for indicating a function to be performed, interpreting a ginve one of said additional data processing type command signals for setting data flow conditions in said controller for the code permutation indicated function, after receiving said additional data processing type command signal, executing said indicated function in said peripheral sybsystem, and in the absence of said signal code permutations, performing, in said subsystem, predetermined functions other than said set indicated function.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 90 words

The method set forth in claim 8 further including the steps of: responding to other ones of said signal code permutations including setting a condition for affecting command signal performance, then after setting up said condition, responding to a set of subsequently received ones of said additional data processing type command signals to perform functions in accordance with said subsequently received additional data processing type command signals and said other ones of said signal code permutations, and interleaving said setting up code permutations with said data processing type command signals.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 145 words

An improved I/O controller having program means wiTh selectively actuable program connections which, when actuated, alter functions performed by said program means; separate means for receiving and storing command signals and control words; means for receiving control signals; means responsive to first stored command signals and a first received one of said control signals to establish a set of said program affecting connections in accordance with code permutations in certain stored ones of said control words; means responsive to second ones of stored command signals and to not receiving said first ones of said control signals to effect operation of said program means in accordance with said second ones of said stored command signals; and means responsive to said first control signal and said second ones of said stored command signals to modify operation of said program means in accordance with said program affecting connections.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 145 words

An improved I/O controller having program means wiTh selectively actuable program connections which, when actuated, alter functions performed by said program means; separate means for receiving and storing command signals and control words; means for receiving control signals; means responsive to first stored command signals and a first received one of said control signals to establish a set of said program affecting connections in accordance with code permutations in certain stored ones of said control words; means responsive to second ones of stored command signals and to not receiving said first ones of said control signals to effect operation of said program means in accordance with said second ones of said stored command signals; and means responsive to said first control signal and said second ones of said stored command signals to modify operation of said program means in accordance with said program affecting connections.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 53 words

The controller set forth in claim 10 further including: means responsive to said program affecting connections for establishing a function to be performed in the controller; and means responsive to a given one of said additional command signals to indicate a direction of signal flow for a function indicated by said program connections.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 138 words

The controller set forth in claim 11 further including: channel connection means for connection to a channel; device connection means for connection to a device; data flow means for selectively transferring signals between said connection means; and signal processing means operatively associated with said data flow means and both said connection means for exchanging signals therewith, said program means being in said signal processing means, said means responsive to said first stored command signals generating control signals for actuating said data flow means to perform a given function with respect to said I/O device in accordance with said first-stored command signals, and another means further responsive to said program affecting connections to abort said given function; and means responsive to said another means to establish a given data flow in said data flow means independent of said device.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 61 words

The controller set forth in claim 12 further including: additional means in said signal processing means responsive to said first one of said received control signals for interpreting said program affecting connections in association with a given stored command signal; and means further operative to disassociate a given command performance with said program affecting connections while still maintaining said program connections.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 35 words

The controller set forth in claim 13 further including: other means in said signal processing means responsive to a function being performed for resetting said program affecting connections irrespective of receipt of said control signals.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 79 words

The controller set forth in claim 12 including: means in said channel connection means for receiving an execute control signal, means jointly responsive to said first one of said received control signals and said execute received control signal to actuate said program means to interpret said program affecting connections, and means further operative, in the absence of either one of said received control signals, to execute said command signals in a given manner independent of said program affecting connections.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 65 words

The controller set forth in claim 12 further including program affecting connecti on storage means for receiving and storing signals indicating program affecting connections, means in said signal processing means responsive to a control signal received over said channel connection for fetching one of said program affecting connection indicating signals, and means interpreting said fetched signal in connection with a received and stored command signal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-03-18	1977-09-17	1978-03-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-03-18	1981-09-17	1982-03-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-03-18	1985-09-17	1986-03-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Controlling peripheral subsystems

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