US3866175A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Data communication system between a central computer and a plurality of data terminals
Assignee: NCR Voyix Corp
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Filing: 1974-04-24
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Granted: 1975-02-11
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Expires: 1994-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A system for communicating data between a central processor and a plurality of remote interactive data terminals over a single channel. A controller coupled to the channel generates each poll message to a designated terminal by selectively utilizing the output of an address generator. A recirculating shift register whose output signifies whether a terminal is active or inactive is synchronized with the operation of the address generator to allow the controller to poll only those terminals which are active. Each terminal will test the address portion of each poll message to determine for what terminal the message is intended. The polled terminal is required to respond within a predetermined time frame before the next active terminal is polled. In exchanging data with a terminal, the controller will include in the output message a sub-address format indicating to what functional area of the terminal the message is intended.
Inventors
- 👤 Jr Lloyd R Seifert
- 👤 Jr Joel H Hinrichs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:29
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/40; H04L12/40006; G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/14; G06F13/20; G06F13/22; H04L12/403
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a group of data terminals which includes active and inactive terminals, the group of data terminals coupled to the central processor through a controller which formats a polling message to only those terminals which are active wherein the improvement comprises: a. storage means for storing and outputting a plurality of control signals each representing the active or inactive state of a corresponding terminal; b. and means detecting the output control signal of said storage means for formatting a polling message, said detecting means being enabled to format a polling message to the terminal corresponding to the output signal of said storage means upon detecting an output signal indicating that the corresponding terminal is in an active state.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
127 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a group of data terminals which includes active and inactive terminals, the group of data terminals coupled to the central processor through a controller which formats a polling message to only those terminals which are active wherein the improvement comprises: a. storage means for storing and outputting a plurality of control signals each representing the active or inactive state of a corresponding terminal; b. and means detecting the output control signal of said storage means for formatting a polling message, said detecting means being enabled to format a polling message to the terminal corresponding to the output signal of said storage means upon detecting an output signal indicating that the corresponding terminal is in an active state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The data transmission system of claim 1 which includes counter means for producing count numbers corresponding to the address of each terminal in said group, said counter means being incremented in sequence with the outputting of said storage means whereby the count represents the address of the terminal corresponding to the output signal of said storage means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The data transmission system of claim 2 which includes means for incrementing said counter means and said storage means when enabled and said detecting means, upon detecting an output signal in said storage means indicating an inactive terminal, successively enabling said incrementing means until the output signal of the storage means indicates an active terminal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The data transmission system of claim 3 which includes timing means coupled to and operated by said detecting means upon detecting an active signal in said storage means for generating a control signal when the active terminal polled fails to provide a response within a predetermined amount of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
The data transmission system of claim 3 in which a circulating channel is connected between the output and the input of said storage means whereby upon the enabling of said incrementing means, the output signal of said storage means is recirculated into the input of said storage means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
The data transmission system of claim 4 in which the central processor is coupled to said storage means and said detecting means is coupled to the central processor for generating an interrupt signal to the central processor upon detecting a control signal from said timing means whereby the central processor will load a new set of signals indicating the active and inactive state of the terminals coupled to the central processor, into the storage means after receiving a predetermined number of interrupt signals from said detecting means.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
178 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a plurality of active and inactive data terminals, the data terminals connected to the central computer through a controller which generates a poll message to only those terminals which are active wherein the improvement comprises: a. register means located in the controller for storing in sequence a plurality of bits each uniquely representing the active or inactive state of a corresponding terminal; b. counter means for generating consecutive counts, each count comprising a terminal address; c. means for synchronously shifting, when enabled, said register means and incrementing said counter means whereby the address represented by the count of said counter means corresponds to the address of the data terminal representative by the output bit of the register means; d. and means detecting the output bit of said register means for formatting a poll message, said detecting means being enabled to format a poll message to the terminal corresponding to the output bit of said register means upon detecting an output bit indicating that the corresponding terminal is active.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
178 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a plurality of active and inactive data terminals, the data terminals connected to the central computer through a controller which generates a poll message to only those terminals which are active wherein the improvement comprises: a. register means located in the controller for storing in sequence a plurality of bits each uniquely representing the active or inactive state of a corresponding terminal; b. counter means for generating consecutive counts, each count comprising a terminal address; c. means for synchronously shifting, when enabled, said register means and incrementing said counter means whereby the address represented by the count of said counter means corresponds to the address of the data terminal representative by the output bit of the register means; d. and means detecting the output bit of said register means for formatting a poll message, said detecting means being enabled to format a poll message to the terminal corresponding to the output bit of said register means upon detecting an output bit indicating that the corresponding terminal is active.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The data transmitting system of claim 7 which includes timing means coupled to and operated by said detecting means upon detecting an active bit in said register means for generating a control signal when the active terminal polled fails to provide a response within a predetermined amount of time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The data transmitting system of claim 7 in which the register means is a recirculating shift register.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
87 words
The data transmission system of claim 8 in which the central processor is coupled to said register means and said detecting means is coupled to the central processor for generating an interrupt signal to the central processor upon sensing a control signal from said timing means whereby the central processor will load a new set of signals indicating the active and inactive state of the terminals coupled to the central processor into the register means after receiving a predetermined number of interrupt signals from said detecting means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
134 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a plurality of peripheral devices, the improvement comprising: a. a plurality of controller circuits; b. a number of peripheral devices assigned to each controller circuit; c. a controller for each controller circuit for generating poll messages to the peripheral devices assigned to each controller circuit, each of said controllers coupled to said control processor; d. serializing means in each controller for generating a plurality of output signals representing the active or inactive state of each peripheral device and in the order in which they are to be polled; e. means for detecting the output signal in the serializing means representing an active peripheral device; f. and means responsive to said detecting means for generating and sending a poll message to the active peripheral device.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
134 words
A system for transmitting data between a central processor and a plurality of peripheral devices, the improvement comprising: a. a plurality of controller circuits; b. a number of peripheral devices assigned to each controller circuit; c. a controller for each controller circuit for generating poll messages to the peripheral devices assigned to each controller circuit, each of said controllers coupled to said control processor; d. serializing means in each controller for generating a plurality of output signals representing the active or inactive state of each peripheral device and in the order in which they are to be polled; e. means for detecting the output signal in the serializing means representing an active peripheral device; f. and means responsive to said detecting means for generating and sending a poll message to the active peripheral device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
The data transmitting system of claim 11 which includes: a. counter means in each controller for generating consecutive counts representing the address of a peripheral device; b. and operating means for synchronously operating said serializing means and incrementing said counter means whereby the address represented by the count of said counter cOrresponds to the address of the peripheral device represented by the output signal of the serializing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The data transmitting system of claim 12 which includes means responsive to a negative response from the active peripheral device to a poll message for enabling said operating means and causes said detecting means to detect the next active peripheral device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The data transmitting system of claim 13 which includes means responsive to a positive response from the active peripheral device to a poll message to disable said operating means and causing the central processor to generate an output message to the polled active device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
The data transmitting system of claim 14 in which each peripheral device includes a plurality of functional control areas and the output message from the control processor includes a data portion, a first address portion indicating the address of the peripheral device and a second address portion indicating the functional control area of the device the data is intended.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
91 words
The data transmitting system of claim 15 which includes: a. first address logic means in each peripheral device for enabling said peripheral device to become operative upon identifying its address in said first address portion of said output message; b. and second address logic means in each peripheral device for enabling a particular functional control area of the peripheral device to receive the data in the data portion of the output message upon identifying the address of the particular functional control area in said second address portion of said output message.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of generating polling messages to a plurality of addressable data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating in a central processor a table of signals, each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device in the order in which they are to be polled; b. storing said table of signals in a polling device external to said central processor; c. generating in the polling device a table of addresses of the data terminal devices in the order in which they are to be polled; d. and utilizing the signals and addresses in said tables in succession to generate polling messages from said polling device to only those terminals which are active.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of generating polling messages to a plurality of addressable data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating in a central processor a table of signals, each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device in the order in which they are to be polled; b. storing said table of signals in a polling device external to said central processor; c. generating in the polling device a table of addresses of the data terminal devices in the order in which they are to be polled; d. and utilizing the signals and addresses in said tables in succession to generate polling messages from said polling device to only those terminals which are active.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method of the type describe in claim 17 including the steps of a. receiving responses at said polling device from the polled terminal and testing each response to determine if it is positive or negative; b. incrementing said table of signals and addresses each time a negative response is received to a poll message; c. and generating a poll message to the data terminal indicated by the next active signal in the signal table.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of the type described in claim 18 further including the step of generating an interrupt to the central processor allowing the central processor to receive a message from the polling device each time a positive response is received to a poll message.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method of the type described in claim 19 further including the steps of a. testing to determine if a response is received to a poll message within a predetermined period of time; b. generating an interrup to the central processor indicating no-response from the polled terminal if a response is not received within said predetermined period of time; c. and storing a new table of signals in the polling device after a predetermined number of interrupts have been generated indicating a no-response from the polled terminal.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of polling a plurality of data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating a table of coded signals each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device; b. and generating a polling message to a terminal when the coded signal indicates the terminal is in an active state.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of polling a plurality of data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating a table of coded signals each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device; b. and generating a polling message to a terminal when the coded signal indicates the terminal is in an active state.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 21 further including the steps of a. generating a table of addresses of the data terminal dEvices in the same order as the table of coded signals; b. and generating a poll message to the terminal whose address corresponds to a coded signal indicating the active state of the terminal.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of generating polling messages to a plurality of addressable data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating a table of signals each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device in the order in which they are to be polled; b. generating in a table of addresses of the data terminal devices in the order in which they are to be polled; c. synchronizing the output of the tables of signals and addresses so that each signal will represent the state of the addressed terminal; d. sensing each signal in the order in which the terminals are to be polled; e. and generating a polling message which includes the address of the terminal whose corresponding signal was sensed indicating an active state.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of generating polling messages to a plurality of addressable data terminal devices including the steps of a. generating a table of signals each representing the active or inactive state of a data terminal device in the order in which they are to be polled; b. generating in a table of addresses of the data terminal devices in the order in which they are to be polled; c. synchronizing the output of the tables of signals and addresses so that each signal will represent the state of the addressed terminal; d. sensing each signal in the order in which the terminals are to be polled; e. and generating a polling message which includes the address of the terminal whose corresponding signal was sensed indicating an active state.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method of the type described in claim 23 including the steps of a. receiving responses from the polled data terminal and testing each response to determine if it is positive or negative; b. incrementing the tables of signals and addresses each time a negative response is received to a polling message; c. and generating a polling message to the data terminal indicated by the next active signal sensed in the signal table.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method of the type described in claim 24 further including the steps of a. testing to determine if a response is received to a polling message within a predetermined period of time; b. generating a control signal each time a response is not received within said predetermined period of time; c. and generating a new table of signals after a predetermined number of control signals have been generated indicating a no-response from a polled terminal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3614328A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-10 | 1978-08-12 | 1979-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-10 | 1982-08-12 | 1983-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-10 | 1986-08-12 | 1987-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |