Data storage and processing apparatus

Claim 2

Data storage and processing apparatus comprising: storage means having a first section, a plurality of second sections and an output, said first section containing data characters at predetermined successive storage locations therein specified by corresponding addresses and said plurality of second sections each containing a table of information therein, each of the tables of information including start address information specifying the address of the storage location of a particular data character in the first storage section of the storage means and block size information specifying a particular size of a block of data characters, commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section of the storage means specified by the start address information, to be read out from the first section of the storage means; first means coupled to the storage means and operative to cause a table of information contained in a second section of the storage means to be read out therefrom and applied to the output of the storage means; second means coupled to the storage means and operative after the table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the start address information of the table of information, and operative in response to the start address information to cause the storage means to read out to its output data characters from the first section thereof commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section specified by the start address information; and third means coupled to the output of the storage means and operative after the table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the block size information of the table of information, and operative after a period of time related to the size of the block of data characters specified by the block size information to cause the second means to discontinue the readout from the first section of the storage means of the data characters following the initial data character read out from the storage means in the location in the first section specified by the start address information of the table information.

Claim 3

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein: the storage means further has an address input; and the second means is operative in response to the start address information of the table of information to couple the start address information to the address input of the storage means; said storage means being responsive to the start address information received at its address input to read out to its output the data characters from the first section thereof commencing with the data character at the storage location specified by the start address information.

Claim 4

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein: the second means and the third means each include a counter circuit.

Claim 5

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein: the storage means includes a random access memory.

Claim 6

Data storage and processing apparatus comprising: storage means having a first section, A plurality of second sections and an output, said first section containing data characters at predetermined successive storage locations therein specified by corresponding addresses and said plurality of second sections each containing a table of information, each of the plurality of tables of information including start address information specifying the address of the storage location of a particular data character in the first storage section of the storage means and block size information specifying a particular size of a block of data characters, commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section of the storage means specified by the start address information, to be read out from the first section of the storage means; first means coupled to the storage means and operative to cause the plurality of tables of information contained in the second sections of the storage means to be read out therefrom in a predetermined sequence and applied to the output of the storage means; second means coupled to the storage means and operative after each table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the start address information of the table of information, and operative in response to the start address information to cause the storage means to read out in succession to its output data characters from the first section thereof commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section specified by the start address information; and third means coupled to the storage means and to the first means and operative after each table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the block size information of the table of information, and operative after a period of time related to the size of the block of data characters specified by the block size information to cause the first means to initiate the readout of another table of information from a second section of the storage means whereby the second means discontinues the readout from the first section of the storage means of the data characters following the initial data character read out from the storage means in the location in the first section specified by the start address information of the associated table of information.

Claim 7

Data storage and processing apparatus comprising: storage means having a first section, A plurality of second sections and an output, said first section containing data characters at predetermined successive storage locations therein specified by corresponding addresses and said plurality of second sections each containing a table of information, each of the plurality of tables of information including start address information specifying the address of the storage location of a particular data character in the first storage section of the storage means and block size information specifying a particular size of a block of data characters, commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section of the storage means specified by the start address information, to be read out from the first section of the storage means; first means coupled to the storage means and operative to cause the plurality of tables of information contained in the second sections of the storage means to be read out therefrom in a predetermined sequence and applied to the output of the storage means; second means coupled to the storage means and operative after each table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the start address information of the table of information, and operative in response to the start address information to cause the storage means to read out in succession to its output data characters from the first section thereof commencing with the data character at the storage location in the first section specified by the start address information; and third means coupled to the storage means and to the first means and operative after each table of information has been read out from its second section of the storage means to receive the block size information of the table of information, and operative after a period of time related to the size of the block of data characters specified by the block size information to cause the first means to initiate the readout of another table of information from a second section of the storage means whereby the second means discontinues the readout from the first section of the storage means of the data characters following the initial data character read out from the storage means in the location in the first section specified by the start address information of the associated table of information.

Claim 8

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: the first means is operative to cause the plurality of tables of information contained in the second sections of the storage means to be read out therefrom to the output of the storage means in succession.

Claim 9

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein: the last table of information of the plurality of tables of information stored in the second sections of the storage means further includes last-table information indicating that the table of information is the last table of information; and said data storage and processing apparatus further comprising: fourth means couple to the output of the storage means and to the first means and operative after the last table of information has been read out from the corresponding second section of the storage means to receive the last-table information therein, and operative in response to the last-table information to prevent the first means from the readout of additional dat characters from the storage means.

Claim 10

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein: the storage means further has an address input; and the second means is operative to couple the start address information of each table of information to the address input of the storage means; said storage means being operative in response to the start address information of each table of information received at its address input to read out to its output the data characters from the first section thereof commencing with the data character at the storage location specified by the start address Information.

Claim 11

Data storge and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein: the start address information of each table of information represents a count specifying the address of a storage location in the first section of the storage means, and the block size information of each table of information represents a count specifying a particular number of lines of data characters to be read out from the first section of the storage means; the second means includes an address counter circuit means for receiving and coupling the count represented by the start address information of each table of information to the address input of the storage means; the third means includes a block size counter circuit means for receiving and retaining the count represented by the block size information of each of information, and means operative to reduce the count retained in the block size counter circuit means to a predetermined value, said block size counter circuit means being operative when the count therein has been reduced to the predetermined value to produce an output signal; the fourth means includes circuit means for receiving the last-table information of the table of information and operative in response thereto to produce an output signal; and said first means includes a first input for receiving each output signal produced by the block size counter circuit means and a second input for receiving each output signal produced by the circuit means of the fourth means, said first means being operative in response to an output signal received at its first input produced by the block size counter circuit means and in the absence at its second input of an output signal produced by the circuit means of the fourth means to cause the next table of information to be read out from the second section of the storage means, and being operative in response to an output signal at its second input produced by the circuit means of the fourth means to be inhibited from causing the readout of additional data characters from the storage means.

Claim 12

Data storage and processing apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein: the first means includes a table counter circuit means; and the circuit means of the fourth means includes a buffer circuit means.