Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
261 words
An improved method of operating of a data communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, a central switching network for establishing interconnections between said terminals, and a central control responsive to stimuli received from said terminals to control the central switching network to perform switching functions signified by said stimuli, said improved method consisting of performance by the central control of the following steps in response to a stimulus received from any of said terminals: (a) formulating a control process for controlling the central switching network to perform the switching function signified by an initial received stimulus; (b) partitioning said control process into distinct partitions of said switching function and storing information constituted by each said partition in a local memory in a location therein allocated solely to said partition, and establishing channels for exchanging the information between said partitions associated with said switching function; (c) applying a succeeding received stimulus to the partition containing the information relating to said succeeding stimulus, and processing the information in said partition in accordance with said stimulus so as to control the central switching network to perform the partition of said switching function; (d) during step (c), exchanging the information between the partition being processed and other partitions associated with said switching function, while blocking said other partitions from receiving other stimuli received from said terminals; (e) unblocking all other of said partitions after step (c) has been completed and until a further stimulus is received; and (f) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) for each further received stimulus relating to said switching function.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
261 words
An improved method of operating of a data communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, a central switching network for establishing interconnections between said terminals, and a central control responsive to stimuli received from said terminals to control the central switching network to perform switching functions signified by said stimuli, said improved method consisting of performance by the central control of the following steps in response to a stimulus received from any of said terminals: (a) formulating a control process for controlling the central switching network to perform the switching function signified by an initial received stimulus; (b) partitioning said control process into distinct partitions of said switching function and storing information constituted by each said partition in a local memory in a location therein allocated solely to said partition, and establishing channels for exchanging the information between said partitions associated with said switching function; (c) applying a succeeding received stimulus to the partition containing the information relating to said succeeding stimulus, and processing the information in said partition in accordance with said stimulus so as to control the central switching network to perform the partition of said switching function; (d) during step (c), exchanging the information between the partition being processed and other partitions associated with said switching function, while blocking said other partitions from receiving other stimuli received from said terminals; (e) unblocking all other of said partitions after step (c) has been completed and until a further stimulus is received; and (f) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) for each further received stimulus relating to said switching function.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
246 words
In a data communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, a central switching network for establishing interconnections between said terminals, and a central control responsive to a stimulus received from said terminals to control the switching network to perform switching functions signified by said stimuli; the improvement characterized in that said central control comprises: (a) means responsive to an initial stimulus received from any of said terminals to formulate a control process for controlling said switching network to perform the switching function signified by said initial stimulus; means for partitioning said control process into distinct partitions of said switching function and for storing information constituted by each said partition in a memory in a location therein allocated solely to said partition, said partitioning means also establishing channels for exchanging the information between said partitions associated with said switching function; (c) means for applying a succeeding received stimulus to the partition containing the information relating to said succeeding stimulus, thereby enabling the central control to process said information in accordance with said succeeding stimulus so as to control the central switching network to perform the partition of said switching function; (d) means for blocking all other partitions associated with said switching function during processing of the information in the partition to which said succeeding stimulus relates; and (e) means for unblocking all of said other partitions associated with said switching function after completion of processing of the information in the partition to which said succeeding stimulus relates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
246 words
In a data communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, a central switching network for establishing interconnections between said terminals, and a central control responsive to a stimulus received from said terminals to control the switching network to perform switching functions signified by said stimuli; the improvement characterized in that said central control comprises: (a) means responsive to an initial stimulus received from any of said terminals to formulate a control process for controlling said switching network to perform the switching function signified by said initial stimulus; means for partitioning said control process into distinct partitions of said switching function and for storing information constituted by each said partition in a memory in a location therein allocated solely to said partition, said partitioning means also establishing channels for exchanging the information between said partitions associated with said switching function; (c) means for applying a succeeding received stimulus to the partition containing the information relating to said succeeding stimulus, thereby enabling the central control to process said information in accordance with said succeeding stimulus so as to control the central switching network to perform the partition of said switching function; (d) means for blocking all other partitions associated with said switching function during processing of the information in the partition to which said succeeding stimulus relates; and (e) means for unblocking all of said other partitions associated with said switching function after completion of processing of the information in the partition to which said succeeding stimulus relates.