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US4787035A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Meta-interpreter

Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Co LLC
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Filing: 1985-10-17
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Granted: 1988-11-22
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Expires: 2005-10-17
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention includes an interpreter in which a parser examines a message using grammar and lexical tables to produce a parse table. The parse table is compared to data needed in a semantics table to fire a rule. The firing of a rule causes a function table to be evaluated. The function table includes function calls which can perform user desired functions. Among the functions is a generate function which will take the contents of a table and turn it into a message and route the message to a destination where the destination can be a table, process or device. Plural interpreters can be created where each interpreter includes a workspace containing the above-mentioned tables. Each interpreter can perform a different task such as recognizing the meaning of a message in one language and performing some action such as sending out a message in a different language or updating a database. The present invention is particularly suitable for managing a machining workcell including machines from different vendors.

Inventors

  • 👤 David A. Bourne

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 10:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/455; G06F9/45504; G06F9/45508; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/06

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 63 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) converting a message into a parse table using a grammar table; (b) comparing the parse table to data needed in a condition designating a function table name; and (c) evaluating the named function table designated in the condition when the comparison indicates all data for the condition exists in the parse table.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 63 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) converting a message into a parse table using a grammar table; (b) comparing the parse table to data needed in a condition designating a function table name; and (c) evaluating the named function table designated in the condition when the comparison indicates all data for the condition exists in the parse table.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 136 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises: (a1) dividing the message into tokens; (a2) scanning a grammar table for reference to a lexical table for each token where the reference is to a lexical table for a paritcular grammar type; (a3) comapring each token to lexical table contents deisgnated by the reference; and (a4) making an entry in the parse table where the token is added as an item and the grammar type is added as an entry name when the token appears in the lexical table and making an entry in the parse table where the token is added as an item and a legal data type name is added as the entry when the token does not appear in the lexical table and the token is a legal data type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
A process as recited in claim 2, wherein the grammar table includes name restrictors and a name restrictor is added to the entry name in step (a4).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein the table name is a pathname.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 82 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) converting an input message into a parse table using a grammar table; (b) comparing the parse table to data needed in a condition designating a function table name; (c) evaluating the named function table designated by the condition when the comparison indicates all data for the condition exists in the parse table; and (d) generating an output message from an output message table as a result of evaluating the function table.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 82 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) converting an input message into a parse table using a grammar table; (b) comparing the parse table to data needed in a condition designating a function table name; (c) evaluating the named function table designated by the condition when the comparison indicates all data for the condition exists in the parse table; and (d) generating an output message from an output message table as a result of evaluating the function table.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 65 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) parsing an input message into a parse table using a grammar table and a lexical table; (b) expanding the parse table using a semantics table including rules each designating function tables; (c) evaluating the function tables for all rules that fire; and (d) calling user designated functions during the evaluation of each function table.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 65 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) parsing an input message into a parse table using a grammar table and a lexical table; (b) expanding the parse table using a semantics table including rules each designating function tables; (c) evaluating the function tables for all rules that fire; and (d) calling user designated functions during the evaluation of each function table.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 22 words
A process as recited in claim 6, further comprising (e) generating at least one output message during the evaluation of step (c).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 32 words
An interpreter process, comprising a step performed by a computer of: (a) generating a message from a table using a pathname to access the table and sending the message to a destination.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 32 words
An interpreter process, comprising a step performed by a computer of: (a) generating a message from a table using a pathname to access the table and sending the message to a destination.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 47 words
A process as recited in claim 8, wherein the table resides in a linked list and step (a) comprises the steps of: (a1) accessing the table through the linked list using the pathname; and (a2) combining items in the table into a message by concatenating the items.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 39 words
a process as recited in claim 9, wherein step (a1) comprises the steps of: (i) accessing a table item through the linked list using the pathname; and (ii) accessing another table when the table items is an indirect reference.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 19 words
A process as recited in claim 9, wherein step (a2) includes providing separators between each of the concatenated items.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 60 words
An interpreter proces, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) expanding a data table to determine if data needed by a rule is available, the rule including a pathname designating a function table; (b) evaluating the function table designated by the pathname in the rule when a comparison indicates all data for the rule exists in the data table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 60 words
An interpreter proces, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) expanding a data table to determine if data needed by a rule is available, the rule including a pathname designating a function table; (b) evaluating the function table designated by the pathname in the rule when a comparison indicates all data for the rule exists in the data table.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 59 words
A process as recited in claim 12, wherein the function table resides on a linked list and includes function calls, and step (b) comprises: (b1) accessing the function table using the pathname; (b2) building a substitution table to provide an arguments list; and (b3) executing the functions listed in the function table using the arguments in the substitution table.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 20 words
An interpreter process, comprising a step performed by a computer of: (a) expanding a data table to call a function.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 20 words
An interpreter process, comprising a step performed by a computer of: (a) expanding a data table to call a function.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 50 words
An interpreter process comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) analyzing a first message in a user defined first language to determine a meaning of the first message; and (b) producing a second message in a user defined second language in dependence on the meaning of the first message.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 50 words
An interpreter process comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) analyzing a first message in a user defined first language to determine a meaning of the first message; and (b) producing a second message in a user defined second language in dependence on the meaning of the first message.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 62 words
An interpreter process as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second messages form a pair resulting in one of a translation from a natural language to a natural language, a translation from a natural language to an artificial language, a translation from an artificial language to a natural language and a translation from an artificial language to an artificial language.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 53 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) retrieving a message designating a workspace for (b) moving to a system workspace to determine interpretation information necessary to interpret the message; and (c) moving to the workspace for interpreting the message and interpreting the message in dependence upon the interpretation information.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 53 words
An interpreter process, comprising steps performed by a computer of: (a) retrieving a message designating a workspace for (b) moving to a system workspace to determine interpretation information necessary to interpret the message; and (c) moving to the workspace for interpreting the message and interpreting the message in dependence upon the interpretation information.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 23 words
A process as recited in claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: (c1) parsing the message; and (c2) evaluating the message.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 38 words
A process as recited in claim 18, wherein the interpretation information designates a grammar table used to parse the message, an output table for parsing results and a table name of a table used to evaluate the message.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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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) 1991-11-22 1992-05-23 1992-11-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-11-22 1996-05-23 1996-11-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-11-22 2000-05-23 2000-11-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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