System for entering information into and taking it from a computer from a remote location
First Claim
1. In a system for entering information into and taking information from a digital computer by intelligence transmission over two channels, the combination comprising(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, memory and address trunk,(B) said computer further including and being characterized by(1) a console and console interface for entering information in machine language and displaying information from various computer locations in machine language, said console and interface comprising(a) a plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals sequentially one bit at a time,(b) a plurality of bit indicators associated with respective ones of said switches,(C) said computer and interface together constituting(1) means responsive to signals from said switches for setting up any desired binary word and thereafter transferring said word to different memory locations or registers within the computer,(2) means for supplying to said indicators binary bit voltages to turn the indicators on or off according to the respective bit values of a selected word within the computer,(D) means coupled to said indicators and responsive to the bit voltages applied thereto for periodically creating in sequence time serialized message pulse trains with respective time locations having a binary value of a corresponding one of said indicators,(E) means responsive to a received time serialized pulse train, formed according to a predetermined code so that any train may correspond to one of said switches, for creating in said console the same signals as if the switch represented by the code of the train had been closed,(F) means for transmitting to a base remote from said computer, via a communications link, the pulse trains created by said means (D),(G) means for transmitting from said base to same means (E), via a communications link, successive pulse trains which are respectively coded to correspond to successive ones of said switches whose effective actuation is desired, and(H) means at said base responsive to pulse trains received from said means (F) for converting the serial pulses of each train into a signaled binary word which is indicative of the states of said indicators at that time.whereby binary words displayed by the indicators at said computer are dynamically signaled at said base and changes in said computer, including its console indicators, may be effected from the base as if the computer'"'"'s console switches were physically manipulated.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for transmitting binary instruction or data words to or from a computer by control from a home base remote from the computer site, and characterized by the entry of signals into the computer or the extraction of signals from the computer performed by apparatus which directly connects to the computer console manual switches and indicator lights. A single telephone line forming two simultaneously active channels transmitting time-spaced pulses in opposite directions, by modems known in the art, is used as the communication link. A special purpose microcomputer directly connected to the main computer console acts figuratively to actuate the console push buttom switches in response to pulse train signals received from home base and representing single bits or multibit words. It returns to the home base a rapidly iterated and updated pulse train representative of the status of all console lights. The system includes another computer at the home base with a duplicate, reflective console like that of the main computer. The apparatus at the home base computer responds to binary messages to the main computer, due to actuation of the reflective console, with the same effect as if it were bing used and observed at the computer site.
136 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a system for entering information into and taking information from a digital computer by intelligence transmission over two channels, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, memory and address trunk, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a console and console interface for entering information in machine language and displaying information from various computer locations in machine language, said console and interface comprising (a) a plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals sequentially one bit at a time, (b) a plurality of bit indicators associated with respective ones of said switches, (C) said computer and interface together constituting (1) means responsive to signals from said switches for setting up any desired binary word and thereafter transferring said word to different memory locations or registers within the computer, (2) means for supplying to said indicators binary bit voltages to turn the indicators on or off according to the respective bit values of a selected word within the computer, (D) means coupled to said indicators and responsive to the bit voltages applied thereto for periodically creating in sequence time serialized message pulse trains with respective time locations having a binary value of a corresponding one of said indicators, (E) means responsive to a received time serialized pulse train, formed according to a predetermined code so that any train may correspond to one of said switches, for creating in said console the same signals as if the switch represented by the code of the train had been closed, (F) means for transmitting to a base remote from said computer, via a communications link, the pulse trains created by said means (D), (G) means for transmitting from said base to same means (E), via a communications link, successive pulse trains which are respectively coded to correspond to successive ones of said switches whose effective actuation is desired, and (H) means at said base responsive to pulse trains received from said means (F) for converting the serial pulses of each train into a signaled binary word which is indicative of the states of said indicators at that time. whereby binary words displayed by the indicators at said computer are dynamically signaled at said base and changes in said computer, including its console indicators, may be effected from the base as if the computer'"'"'s console switches were physically manipulated.
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2. In a system for operating or diagnosing a digital computer from a home base displaced from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a computer including memory for instruction and data words, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a system bus, and a console; - said console having
(1) a plurality of switches for manual entry of instruction, data or address words in binary machine language, (2) a plurality of lamps excitable to display a word in binary machine language, (B) said computer further including (1) a display register, (2) means responsive to actuation of said switches to create successive sets of binary signals on a first set of conductors, each set representing in a predetermined code the particular switch actuated, (3) means for applying over a second set of conductors binary voltage signals to said lamps to turn each lamp on or off according to the presence of a 1 or 0 binary signal in a corresponding bit location of said display register, (4) means for entering into said display register a binary word corresponding in its bits to the different binary voltage signals on said first set of conductors resulting from actuation of said switches, (5) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of said display register to another register or memory location within the computer, (6) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of another register or memory location within the computer to said display register, (7) said means (5) and (6) being enabled or disabled by actuation of function switches included within said plurality of switches, (C) means at the computer site and the home base, adapted for interconnection via a telephone link, to simultaneously send pulse train messages in both directions, (D) means connected to said second set of conductors for inputting to said means (C) a first pulse train message periodically for transmission from the computer site to the home base, each first pulse train message containing time-serial bits of 0 and 1 value corresponding to the voltages on respective ones of said second set of conductors, (E) means at said home base for inputting to said means (C) a second coded pulse train message for transmission from home base to the computer site whenever it is desired to cause any change in said computer, any such change being, in effect, as if one of said switches had been actuated, (F) means at home base responsive to each of said first messages for displaying or indicating or recording the word represented in such message, and thus a word then in the display register of the computer, and (G) means at the computer site responsive to any second message for applying, to said first set of conductors, binary voltage signals which, in said predetermined code, correspond to a desired switch, whereby both instruction and data words may be sent to and from said computer from and to said home base with (i) entry into and (ii) exit out of said computer being made via (i) said first set of conductors and (ii) said second set of conductors.
- said console having
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3. In a system for remotely diagnosing or operating a digital computer located at a given site which is remote from a home base via a telephone link,
(A) said computer including a machine-language console having (1) a first set of switches corresponding to the respective bits of a word as it is signaled on the bus and in the memory of the computer, (2) a first set of lamps corresponding to the respective bits of a word, (3) a second set of function switches, and (4) a second set of lamps corresponding respectively to said function switches, (B) said computer including an interface between said console and the remaining portions of the computer, said remaining portions including a control unit, arithmetic unit, memory, bus and address trunk, said interface including (1) a first register S, (2) a second register F, (3) a third register DA, and (4) gating connections to the computer bus and control unit, (C) said computer further including (1) a first plurality of conductors extending between said first and second sets of switches and said interface by which closure of any switch is uniquely signaled to the interface, (2) a second plurality of conductors by which the contents of said S and F registers cause energization of the corresponding ones of the first and second sets of lamps to display the contents of such registers, (3) means for transferring via said first conductors into said S register bit signals corresponding to closures of said first set of switches, such closures then being displayed by said first set of lamps, (4) means for transferring into said F register bit signals corresponding to closures of said second set of switches, such closures then being displayed by said second set of lamps, (5) means responsive to certain function signals from said F register for transferring to said register DA the contents of said register S, (6) means responsive to certain other function signals for transferring to said register S the contents of a computer memory word whose address is represented by the contents of said register DA, such memory word contents then being displayed by said first set of lamps, (7) means responsive to still other function signals for transferring to the computer memory storage word, whose address is represented by the contents of said register DA, the contents of said register S, whereby binary word information in any computer memory address location may be brought to display on said first set of lamps and the binary word information in any computer memory address location may be changed to agree with that fed in by manipulation of said first set of switches, (D) a microcomputer having an input/output interface forming words of memory with connections constituting bits of such words to (1) said first plurality of conductors treated as output bits, (2) said second plurality of conductors treated as input bits, (E) said microcomputer including an instruction memory section, a data memory section, a micro-processor with a control unit, a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter having an input line and output line, a main clock and a baud rate clock, said instruction memory section being physically conditioned by a stored program to constitute said microcomputer to include (1) means for periodically feeding to the output line of said receiver-transmitter a message pulse train having serial time locations corresponding to the respective ones of said second plurality of conductors and having at each time location a binary 1 or 0 level agreeing with the binary 1 or 0 signal on that corresponding conductor, and (2) means for differently responding to different message pulse trains arriving at the input line of said receiver-transmitter, and which according to a pre-established code correspond to and represent respective ones of said switches, (a) said means for responding including means responsive to a received pulse train for applying to said first plurality of conductors binary level signals which produce the same effect in said computer as if the switch, corresponding to that received train, had been closed, (F) means at the computer side and at home base for connecting to a telephone transmission line extending between the site and the base, said last-named means including (1) means for transmitting from said site to said home base the message pulse trains appearing on said receiver-transmitter output line, (2) means for transmitting to said receiver-transmitter input line message pulse trains originating at said home base, and (G) means at said home base for generating message serial pulse trains which by binary levels at time locations therein according to said pre-established code, represent different ones of said switches whose effective actuation is desired.
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4. In a system for entering information into and taking information from a digital computer by intelligence transmission over two channels, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer located at a given site and including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, memory, and system bus, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a console and console interface for entering information in machine language and displaying information from various computer locations in machine language, said console and interface comprising (a) a first plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals sequentially one bit at a time, and (b) a first plurality of bit indicators associated with respective ones of said switches, (C) said computer and interface together constituting (1) means responsive to actuation of said switches for setting up any desired binary word and therafter transferring said word to different memory locations or registers within the computer, (2) means for supplying to said indicators binary bit voltages to turn the indicators on or off according to the bit values of a selected word within the computer, (D) means coupled to said first indicators and responsive to the bit voltages applied thereto for periodically creating in sequence time serialized first message pulse trains with time locations each having a binary value corresponding to the state of one of said indicators, (E) a reflective console located at a home base remote from said computer site and including (1) a second plurality of switches which respectively correspond to different ones of said first plurality of switches, (2) a second plurality of bit indicators associated with respective ones of said second switches and which respectively correspond to different ones of said first plurality of indicators, (F) means at said base and responsive to the actuation of any of said second plurality of switches for creating a time serialized second message pulse train formed according to a predetermined code so that any train uniquely represents the particular switch actuated, (G) a two channel communications link for simultaneously transmitting (i) the message pulse trains created by said means (D) to said base, and (ii) the pulse trains created by said means (F) to said computer site, (H) means at said computer site responsive to said second message trains and coupled to said first plurality of switches for creating in said computer console the same signals as if that one of the first switches, corresponding to the code of a received second message pulse train, had been actuated, and (I) means at said home base and responsive to said first message trains for exciting those ones of said second indicators which correspond to the binary 1'"'"'s in a received first message train, whereby said reflective console may be manipulated and observed by a technician at said base with the same effect as if he were at the computer console to manipulate and observe the latter.
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5. In a system for operating or diagnosing a digital computer from a home base displaced from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a computer including memory for instruction and data words, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a system bus, and a machine language console; - said console having
(1) a first plurality of switches for manual entry of instruction, data and address words in binary machine language, (2) a first plurality of lamps excitable to display a word in binary machine language, (B) said computer further including (1) a display register, (2) means responsive to actuation of said switches to create successive sets of binary signals on a first set of conductors, each set of signals representing in a predetermined code the particular switch actuated, (3) means for applying over a second set of conductors binary voltage signals to said lamps to turn each lamp on or off according to the presence of a 1 or 0 binary signal in a corresponding bit location of said display register, (4) means for entering into said display register a binary word corresponding in its bits to the different sets of binary voltage signals on said first conductors resulting from actuation of said switches, (5) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of said display register to another register or memory location within the computer, (6) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of another register or memory location within the computer to said display register, (7) said means (5) and (6) being enabled or disabled by actuation of function switches included within said plurality of switches, (C) means at the computer site and the home base, adapted for interconnection via a telephone link, to simultaneously send pulse train messages in both directions, (D) means connected to said second set of conductors for inputting to said means (C) a first pulse train message periodically for transmission from the computer site to the home base, each first pulse train containing time-serial bits 0 and 1 value corresponding to the voltages on respective ones of said second set of conductors, (E) a reflective console located at said home base and having (1) a second plurality of switches corresponding respectively to different ones of said first plurality of switches, (2) a second plurality of lamps, corresponding to different ones of said first plurality of lamps, (F) means at said home base and responsive to actuation of different ones of said second switches for inputting to said means (C) a second pulse train containing time-serial bits 0 and 1 value which uniquely designate, according to a pre-established code, the particular actuated second switch, (G) means responsive to each first pulse train message received at said home base, via said means (C), for turning on those ones of said second plurality of lamps which correspond to those ones of said first plurality of lamps then on, and (H) means responsive to each second pulse train message received at said computer site, via said means (C), for applying to said first set of conductors binary signals representing, in said predetermined code, that one of said first switches which corresponds to the one of the second switches whose actuation initiated the received second pulse train message, whereby said reflective console may be manipulated and observed with the same effect as if the computer console were manipulated and observed.
- said console having
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6. In a system for remotely diagnosing or operating a digital computer, located at a given site which is remote from a home base, via a two-channel communications link,
(A) said computer including a memory, a bus and a machine-language console having (1) a first set of switches corresponding to the respective bits of a word as it is signaled on the bus and in the memory of the computer, (2) a first set of lamps corresponding to the respective bits of a word, (3) a second set of function switches, and (4) a second set of lamps corresponding respectively to said function switches, (B) said computer including an interface between said main console and the remaining portions of the computer, said remaining portions including a control unit, arithmetic unit, memory, bus and address trunk, said interface including (1) a first register S, (2) a second register F, (3) a third register DA, and (4) gating connections to the computer bus and control unit, (C) said computer further including (1) a first plurality of conductors extending between said first and second sets of switches and said interface by which closure of any switch is uniquely signaled to the interface, (2) a second plurality of conductors by which the contents of said S and F registers cause energization of the corresponding ones of the first and second sets of lamps to display the contents of such registers, (3) means for transferring via said first conductors into said S register bit signals corresponding to closures of said first set of switches, such closures then being displayed by said first set of lamps, (4) means for transferring into said F register bit signals corresponding to closures of said second set of switches, such closures then being displayed by said second set of lamps, (5) means responsive to certain function signals from said F register for transferring to said register DA the contents of said register S, (6) means responsive to certain other function signals for transferring to said register S the contents of a computer memory word whose address is represented by the contents of said register DA, such memory word contents then being displayed by said first set of lamps, (7) means responsive to still other function signals for transferring to the computer memory storage word, whose address is represented by the contents of said register DA, the contents of said register S, whereby binary word information in any computer memory address location may be brought to display on said first set of lamps and the binary word information in any computer memory address location may be changed to agree with that fed in by manipulation of said first set of switches, (D) a microcomputer having an input-output interface forming words of memory with connections, constituting bits of such words, to (1) said first plurality of conductors treated as output bits, (2) said second plurality of conductors treated as input bits, (E) said microcomputer including an instruction memory section, a data memory section, a micro-processor with a control unit, a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter having an input line and an output line, a main clock and a baud rate clock, with said instruction memory section being physically conditioned by a stored program to constitute said microcomputer to include (1) means for periodically feeding to said output line a first message pulse train having serial time locations corresponding to the respective ones of said second plurality of conductors and having at each time location a binary 1 or 0 level agreeing with the binary 1 or 0 signal on that corresponding conductor, (F) a reflective console located at said home base and including (1) a first reflective set of switches corresponding respectively to said first main console switches (A)(1), (2) a first reflective set of lamps corresponding respectively to said first main console lamps (A)(2), (3) a second reflective set of function switches corresponding respectively to said second main console switches (A)(3), (4) a second reflective set of lamps corresponding respectively to said second main console lamps (A)(4), (G) means at said home base responsive to the actuation of any of said first and second reflective switches for creating a time serial second message pulse train having binary 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s at different time locations to represent uniquely, by a pre-established code, the particular actuated switch, (H) means for simultaneously transmitting over two communication channels linking said computer site and home base any (i) first message pulse train fed to said output line by said means (E)(1), and (ii) second message pulse train created by said means (G), (I) means at said home base responsive to a first message pulse train for turning on those ones of said first and second reflective lamps which correspond to those ones of said main console first and second lamps then on, and (J) said microcomputer further including means responsive to any second message pulse train, received via said means (H) on said input line, for applying to said first plurality of conductors binary level signals which produce the same effect in said computer as if that one of the main console switches, which corresponds to the particular reflective switch represented by the code of the received second train, had been actuated.
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7. In a system for sending information from a digital computer to a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine language console and console interface having a plurality of bit indicators corresponding to the bits of a word, (C) said computer and interface together constituting means for applying to said indicators either of two voltage levels (1 or 0) to turn the indicators on or off according to the bit values of a selected word within the computer, (D) means coupled to said indicators and responsive to the voltages applied thereto for periodically creating in sequence time serialized message pulse trains with respective time locations having a binary value corresponding to the voltages on respective ones of said indicators, (E) means for transmitting to the distant home base the pulse trains created by said means (D), and (F) means at said home base responsive to each pulse train for converting the pulses thereof into a signaled binary word indicative of the states of said indicators at that time, whereby any binary word used to energize said indicators is dynamically signaled at said home base as the word, or the selection of a word, is changed.
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8. In a system for sending information from a digital computer to a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console and console interface having (1) a first plurality of bit indicators corresponding to the bits of a word, (2) a plurality of switches corresponding to the bits of a word, (C) said computer with its interface and instruction memory constituting (1) means for applying to said first indicators either of two voltage levels (1 or 0) to turn the indicators on or off according to the bit values of a selected word within the computer, (2) means responsive to actuation of said switches for applying to said indicators a desired pattern of voltage levels (1 or 0) to turn the first indicators on or off and set up a desired word displayed thereby, (D) means coupled to said indicators and responsive to the voltage levels applied thereto for periodically creating a time serialized message pulse train with respective time locations having binary values corresponding to the voltage levels on respective ones of said indicators, (E) means for transmitting to the distant home base the pulse trains created by said means (D), (F) means at said home base responsive to each pulse train for converting the pulses thereof into a signaled binary word indicative of the states of said indicators at that time, (G) a second plurality of indicators at said home base each corresponding to one of said first indicators, and (H) means for applying to said second indicators the bit signals of the binary word signaled by said means (F), whereby said second indicators monitor and reflect the display on said first indicators.
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10. In a system for sending information from a digital computer to a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console and console interface having (1) a display register, (2) a first plurality of indicators corresponding to the bits of a word, (3) a plurality of conductors extending between the respective bit locations of said register and said indicators to apply to the latter either of two voltage levels (1 or 0) to turn the indicators on or off according to the bit place values of a word in said register, and (4) means for placing in said register any selected word within the computer, (C) a microcomputer having a plurality of memory bit input lines respectively coupled to said conductors and containing an instruction program by which it constitutes means for periodically sensing the voltage levels on said conductors and for creating a serialized message pulse train with respective time locations having binary values corresponding to voltage levels on respective ones thereof, (E) means for transmitting to said distant home base the pulse trains created by said means (C), (F) means at said home base responsive to each pulse train for converting the pulses thereof into a signaled binary word indicative of the states of said indicators at that time, (G) a reflective console at said home base and having a plurality of second indicators each corresponding to one of said first plurality of indicators, and (H) means for applying to said second indicators the bit signals of the binary word signaled by said means (F), whereby said second indicators monitor and reflect the display on said first indicators.
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11. In a system for entering information into a digital computer from a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine language console and console interfce with (1) a plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals one bit at a time, (2) a plurality of conductors extending from said console to said interface, and (3) means responsive to actuation of any one of said switches for applying to said conductors input signal sets which correspond uniquely to the actuated switch in a predetermined code, (C) means for transmitting from said home base to the site of said computer signal messages which identify those of said switches whose successive actuation is desired, and (D) means responsive to said signal messages for applying to said conductors input signal sets which, in said predetermined code, correspond to those successive switches identified in the transmitted messages, whereby the received messages produce the same effects as if the corresponding ones of said switches were actuated.
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12. In a system for entering information into a digital computer from a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console and console interface having a plurality of switches actuatable to set up in the computer values of respective bits of a multibit word, with means responsive to the actuation of any one switch for producing on a plurality of conductors a set of input signals uniquely identifying that switch according to a predetermined code, (C) means responsive differently to different time-spaced trains of pulses, designating different successive ones of said switches according to a pre-established code, for producing successive sets of input signals on said plurality of conductors and representing the same ones of said switches in said predetermined code, and (D) means for transmitting from said home base to said means (C) trains of time-spaced pulses representing in said pre-established code the successive ones of said switches whose figurative actuation is desired, whereby said computer responds to the transmitted trains of pulses as if the switches represented by such trains were physically actuated.
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13. In a system for entering information into a digital computer from a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus and memory for instruction and data words, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console and console interface having a plurality of switches selectively actuatable to set up in the computer the respective bits of a multibit word, with means for creating a unique combination of input signals on a plurality of conductors, according to a predetermined code, in response to actuation of each switch, (C) means responsive to received serialized pulse trains having pulses in certain time locations thereof and which represent, in a pre-established code, any one of said switches, for supplying to said plurality of conductors a combination of input signals which correspond, in said predetermined code, to the particular switch represented in the pre-established code by the received pulse train, and (D) means for transmitting from a distant home base to said means (C) a serialized pulse train each time it is desired to produce in said computer the same effect as the physical actuation of a certain one of said switches, said transmitted pulse train representing in said pre-established code the said certain one of said switches.
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16. In a system for entering information into a digital computer from a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, memory and system bus, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console having a first plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals one bit at a time, a plurality of conductors, and means responsive to the actuation of each switch for producing a unique combination of in-going signals on said plurality of conductors, (C) means at said home base for transmitting to the computer site a group of time spaced pulses which, by the coded combination of pulses in the time locations of the group, identifies any one of said plurality of switches, and (D) means responsive to the receipt of a group of time-spaced pulses from said means (C) for producing on said plurality of conductors a combination of in-going signals corresponding to that one of said switches which is identified by the coded combination of the received group of pulses.
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17. In a system for entering information into a digital computer from a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, memory and system bus, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by a machine-language console having a first plurality of switches for entry of word and function signals one bit at a time, a plurality of conductors, and means responsive to the actuation of each switch for producing a unique combination of in-going signals on said plurality of conductors, (C) a reflective console at said home base and having a second plurality of switches each corresponding to one of said first switches, (D) means at said home base, and responsive to actuation of any second switch, for transmitting to the computer site a group of time spaced pulses which, by the coded combination of pulses in the time locations of the group, uniquely identifies the actuated second switch, and (E) means responsive to the receipt of a group of time spaced pulses from said means (D) for producing on said plurality of conductors a combination of in-going signals corresponding to that one of said first switches whose counterpart second switch is identified by the coded combination of the received group of pulses.
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18. In a system for operating or diagnosing a digital computer from a home base displaced from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a computer including memory for instruction and data words, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a system bus, and a machine-language console; - said console having
(1) a first plurality of switches for manual entry of instructions, data, and address words in binary machine language, (B) said computer further including (1) a display register, (2) means responsive to actuation of said switches to create successive sets of binary signals on a plurality of conductors, each set representing in a predetermined code the particular switch actuated, (3) means for entering into said display register a binary word corresponding in its bits to the different sets of binary voltage signals on said conductors resulting from actuation of said switches, (4) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of said display register to another register or memory location within the computer, (5) means responsive to certain signals produced by actuation of certain ones of said switches for transferring the contents of another register or memory location within the computer to said display register, (C) means for sending pulse train messages from said home base to the computer site, (D) a reflective console located at said home base and having (1) a second plurality of switches corresponding respectively to different ones of said first plurality of switches, (E) means at said home base and responsive to actuation of different ones of said second switches for inputting to said means (C) a pulse train message containing time-serial bits of 0 and 1 value which uniquely designate, according to a pre-established code, the particular actuated second switch, and (F) means responsive to each pulse train message received at said computer site, via said means (C), for applying to said plurality of conductors binary signals representing, in said predetermined code, that one of said first switches which corresponds to the one of the second switches whose actuation initiated the received pulse train message, whereby the first plurality of switches may be artificially actuated by physical actuation of the counterpart second switches at the home base.
- said console having
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19. In a system for sending data or instruction words into a computer from a home base remote from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer having a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, memory and address trunk, (B) said computer further having and being characterized by (1) a machine-language console and console interface having (a) a plurality of switches SW1 -SWN each corresponding to one bit in a multibit word, (b) means for producing on a plurality of conductors a set of input signals unique to each switch when it is actuated, and (c) means responsive to each set of input signals on said conductors for setting or affecting the bit place, corresponding to the actuated one of said switches, in a register, (C) means at said home base for transmitting pulse train groups of time-spaced pulses to the site of said computer, each group of said pulses representing by 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s in different ones of its N bit places, the 1'"'"'s and 0'"'"'s of bit places in a word to be entered into said computer, and (D) means at the computer site responsive to a pulse train group received from said means (C), including (1) means responsive in time succession to each progressively higher order bit place bn of the group of pulses which contains a 1 for applying to said plurality of conductors a set of signals unique to the corresponding switch SWn of said switches SW1 -SWN.
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20. In a system for sending data or instruction words into a computer from a base remote from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer having a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, instruction memory, data memory and address trunk, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a machine-language console and console interface comprising (a) a plurality of switches each corresponding to one bit in a multibit word, and (b) means for producing on a plurality of conductors a set of signals unique to each switch when it is actuated, (C) said computer with its instruction memory and interface constituting (1) means responsive to the signals on said conductors when each switch is actuated for setting the corresponding bit location of a previously cleared first register, thereby to enter any multibit word into the latter, (D) means at said base for transmitting a succession of time-spaced groups of time-spaced pulses, with each group representing a word, and the presence or absence of a pulse at each time location within a group representing a 1value at a corresponding bit place within the word, (E) means at the computer site and responsive to the received groups of pulses, including (1) means responsive to each pulse within a group for applying to said plurality of conductors a set of signals tantamount to actuation of that one of said switches which corresponds to the bit location of the pulse within a group, and (F) means constituted by said computer with its instruction memory for transferring the contents of said first register to successively higher memory address locations after each group of pulses has been received by said means (E).
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21. In a system for sending data or instruction words into a computer from a base remote from the computer site, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, instruction memory, data memory and address trunk, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a machine-language console and console interface for entering information in machine language, said console and interface comprising (a) a plurality of switches for entry of signals sequentially one bit at a time, (C) said computer with its instruction memory and interface constituting (1) means responsive to signals from said switches for setting up any desired binary word in a first register, (2) means responsive to signals from a second register for transferring the contents of said first register into a memory address location represented by the contents of the second register, (D) means at said base for transmitting over a communication link to said computer site a succession of pulse groups, with each group representing a word and with one or the other of two levels at each time location within a group so as to represent 1 or 0 bit values for each bit place within the word, (E) means at the computer site for receiving each pulse group and producing successive signals or sets of signals for each 1 value in a bit place, each bit place corresponding to one of said switches and the signal or sets of signals resulting from a 1 level in any bit place being unique in relation to the others, (F) means responsive to the signals or sets of signals from said means (E) for setting up in said first register the binary word represented by a pulse group received at said means (E), (G) means responsive to and after completion of receipt in said first register of a binary word corresponding to a first pulse group for transferring the first group word contents from said first register to said second register, and (H) means operative after each second and subsequent pulse group word is set up in said first register for (i) activating said means (C)(2) and (ii) incrementally changing the contents of said second register.
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22. In a system for entering information into and taking information from a digital computer by transmission of serial pulse trains between the computer site and a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a digital computer including a clock, control unit, arithmetic unit, system bus, and memory. (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a machine-language console and console interface with first and second connections therebetween for (a) sending input signals from the console to the interface and thence to the computer and for (b) sending output signals from the interface to the console for display purposes, (C) a microcomputer having output and input memory lines coupled to said respective ones of said first and second connections, pulse train input and output connectors, and a stored instruction program (i) to produce at said output connector a first train of pulses which in binary content corresponds to the output signals sent from said interface to said console and appearing on said second connection, and (ii) to produce at said output memory lines, and as input signals on said first connection, sets of signals which correspond in binary content to a second train of pulses on said input connector, (D) a communication link connected to said input and output connectors to transmit said first train of pulses from said output connector to said home base, and to transmit a second train of pulses from home base to said input connector, (E) selectively actuatable means at said home base to supply to said link (D) second trains of pulses containing desired information, and (F) means at said home base responsive to a first train of pulses received over said communications link.
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24. In a system for entering information into and taking information from a digital computer by intelligence transmission over two channels between the computer site and a distant home base, the combination comprising
(A) a computer including memory for instruction and data words, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a system bus, and a machine-language console; - said console having
(1) a plurality of switches for manual entry of instruction, data, or address words in binary machine language, (2) a plurality of indicators excitable to display a word in binary machine language, (B) said computer further including and being characterized by (1) a console interface, (2) a first set of conductors extending from said switches to the console interface, (3) a second set of conductors extending from the console interface to said indicators, (4) means responsive to actuation of said switches for inputting signals over said first conductors to the interface and thence to the computer, and (5) means for outputting signals over said second conductors to display on said indicators selected words existing within the computer, (C) a microcomputer having (1) output lines of writable memory tapped into said first set of conductors, (2) input lines of readable memory tapped into said second set of conductors, (3) an asynchronous pulse receiver-transmitter connected as readable and writable memory and adapted to receive and transmit time-spaced input and output pulse trains, and (4) a stored instruction program iteratively executed when the minicomputer is turned on to convert received pulse trains into corresponding word signals on said output lines of memory and to convert input signals on said input lines of memory into corresponding output pulse trains, (D) selectively actuatable means at said home base to send pulse trains containing desired information to the receiver portion of said receiver-transmitter (C)(3), (E) means at said home base to receive and respond to pulse trains sent by the transmitter portion of said receiver-transmitter (C)(3). - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
- said console having
Specification