Status reporting with ancillary data

Claim 1

A data storage control for enabling verifiable controlled access to a data storage unit, comprising: (a) a plurality of access port means coupled to said data storage unit for enabling access thereto for the storage and retrieval of data signals; (b) an access control coupled to each of said access port means for controlling said access such that one and only one of said access port means accesses the data storage unit at a given instant and said access control having a register for storing a busy access-indicating control signal with access identification signals for indicating which of said access port means has current access rights to said data storage unit when and only when said busy control signal indicates a busy state; (c) access means in said access control and coupled to said register for storing and retrieving signals therein and further coupled to all of said access port means for receiving access requests for accessing said data storage unit via the respective access port means and for setting said register in accordance with said received access requests such that said busy control signal is set on a given access request being received, together with an appropriate access identification signal and for denying access to a first access port means supplying an access request whenever said busy access signal indicates a busy state and the access identification signal does not correspond to said first access port means, read status means in said access control and coupled to said register for storing and retrieving signals therein and to all of said access port means for enabling any of said access port means to read the signal contents of said register for monitoring access status of said data storage unit independent of any of said access requests such that an access port means currently having access to said data storage unit can verify that access and any other access port means not currently having access to said data storage units can monitor another port's access status for ensuring data integrity, read and set means in said access control and being coupled to said register for storing and retrieving signals therefrom and coupled to all of said access port means for receiving a read and set signal from any of said access port means for sensing the busy access signal and access identification signals stored in said register and being responsive to a received read and set signal and to said busy signal indicating a not busy signal to set the busy signal to the busy state and setting an access identification signal in said register corresponding to the access port means supplying such read and set command whereby access to the data storage unit can be established independent of other access requests, reset control means in said access control coupled to said register and to all of said access port means for being responsive to a reset command received from any of said access port means and being responsive to said reset command to reset the contents of said registers to a not busy state and erasing all of said access identification signals irrespective of the current stored signals in said register whereby any of said access port means can reset the access control for facilitating access thereto, and free resource control means in said access control coupled to said register for storing signals therein and retrieving signals in said register and to all of said access port means for receiving a free resource command from any of said access port means and being responsive to said received free resource command to compare the access port means supplying said free resource command with the presently stored access identification signal and if equal to reset the busy signal along with the access identification signal to zero, otherwise indicating an error state; and (d) means in said access control connected to the register for comparing said busy signal with said access identification signal and indicating an error in said access control whenever any of said access identification signals are indicating which of said access port means has current access rights when said busy control signal is set to a non-busy state.