Terminal configuration manager
First Claim
1. A terminal configuration manager for use in a microprocessor based computer terminal, said terminal including a microprocessor, a display screen, a keyboard, memory, and appropriate hardware and firmware for allowing said microprocessor to interact with said display screen and keyboard, said terminal configuration manager comprising:
- a plurality of configuration registers, selected bits of each of which are adapted to store configuration data that defines a particular configuration parameter within said terminal;
non-volatile read only storage means for storing a set of standard configuration data;
non-volatile read/write storage means for storing a set of long term configuration data;
first transfer means for transferring said set of standard configuration data from said non-volatile read only storage means to said non-volatile read/write storage means, whereby said long term configuration data becomes the same as said standard configuration data;
second transfer means for transferring said long term configuration data from said non-volatile read/write storage means to said configuration registers;
verification means for verifying the data transfer performed by said second transfer means and for declaring an error condition whenever said data transfer cannot be verified;
configuration management means for selectively modifying the configuration data stored in said configuration registers;
means for displaying on said display screen a table that summarizes said configuration parameters defined by the configuration data stored in said configuration registers; and
third transfer means for transferring said configuration data from said configuration register to said non-volatile read/write storage means after said data has been modified by said configuration management means, whereby said long term configuration data becomes the same as said modified configuration data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A terminal configuration management system manages the configuration of a microprocessor-based computer terminal which includes three types of memory elements: non-volatile read only memory, non-volatile read/write memory, and volatile random access memory, including configuration registers for storing short term configuration data that defines the configuration of the terminal. The read only memory has a block of standard configuration data, as well as configuration management processing routines stored therein which allow configuration parameters defined by the configuration data to be selectively displayed on the display screen of the terminal and to be readily modified and/or summarized through the use of specially labeled keys of a keyboard included in the terminal which correspond to the labeling used to identify the choices of configuration parameter values and groupings displayed on menu lists. Simplified table structures allow many such menu lists to be managed by few processing routines, using vocabulary strings which allow phrases and phrase fragments which are defined only once in the terminal'"'"'s memory. Standard configuration data stored in the non-volatile read only memory is transferred to the configuration registers upon initial power up of the terminal. Modified short term configuration data may be transferred to the non-volatile read/write memory where it becomes long term configuration data. Such long term configuration data is transferred back to the configuration registers upon subsequent application of power to the terminal.
141 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A terminal configuration manager for use in a microprocessor based computer terminal, said terminal including a microprocessor, a display screen, a keyboard, memory, and appropriate hardware and firmware for allowing said microprocessor to interact with said display screen and keyboard, said terminal configuration manager comprising:
-
a plurality of configuration registers, selected bits of each of which are adapted to store configuration data that defines a particular configuration parameter within said terminal; non-volatile read only storage means for storing a set of standard configuration data; non-volatile read/write storage means for storing a set of long term configuration data; first transfer means for transferring said set of standard configuration data from said non-volatile read only storage means to said non-volatile read/write storage means, whereby said long term configuration data becomes the same as said standard configuration data; second transfer means for transferring said long term configuration data from said non-volatile read/write storage means to said configuration registers; verification means for verifying the data transfer performed by said second transfer means and for declaring an error condition whenever said data transfer cannot be verified; configuration management means for selectively modifying the configuration data stored in said configuration registers; means for displaying on said display screen a table that summarizes said configuration parameters defined by the configuration data stored in said configuration registers; and third transfer means for transferring said configuration data from said configuration register to said non-volatile read/write storage means after said data has been modified by said configuration management means, whereby said long term configuration data becomes the same as said modified configuration data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for configuring a microprocessor-based computer terminal having a microprocessor, a display screen, a keyboard, a ROM, and a RAM, said RAM including a group of configuration registers, the contents of said configuration registers being adapted to define a short term configuration of said terminal, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) placing a set of standard configuration data in said ROM beginning a known location; (b) including within said terminal a non-volatile read/write memory having the capacity for holding a set of long term configuration data, said set of long term configuration data being of equal size as said set of standard configuration data; (c) copying said set of standard configuration data into said non-volatile read/write memory when power is first applied to said terminal, thereby causing the long term configuration data to initially assume the values of said standard configuration data; (d) copying the long term configuration data held in said non-volatile read/write memory to the configuration registers of said RAM as part of the normal power-up cycle of said terminal, thereby causing the short term configuration data of said terminal to assume the values of said long term configuration data each time power is applied to the terminal; (e) selectively invoking configuration management means within said terminal for allowing the short term configuration data held in the configuration registers to be selectively displayed on the display screen and easily modified and summarized as desired via manual commands and selections entered into the terminal through said keyboard; and (f) selectively copying the short term configuration data, as modified by said configuration management means, from the configuration registers to the non-volatile read/write memory, thereby causing the long term configuration data to assume the value of the modified short term configuration data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification