Line of power interruption in predetermined area of internal permanent memory

Claim 1

In a computer supplied by an electric power source and comprising at least an internal intermediate memory for retaining parts of a work in progress while it is operated on by the computer during various states of the computer and an internal permanent memory utilized by the computer to store completed parts of the work in progress through transfer along internal channels, both of which memories are used during normal computer operation, the improvement comprising: an independent source of power, detecting means for indicating an interruption of energy supply from said electric power source, means for reserving memory address locations in said internal permanent memory, means for switching, in response to detection of said interruption, the independent source of power into operation in relation with said computer, means responsive to the detecting means for determining the state of the computer operating on the work in progress at the time of interruption, and means for providing special austere orderly powering down instructions to terminate external computer interfaces and to automatically transfer identically the state of the computer including all work in progress as it exists at the time of interruption to said reserved memory address locations in said internal permanent memory through the normally used internal channels with an indication in the computer of said interruption of said power source, said means for switching then disconnecting said independent source of power.