Computer using optically encoded virtual memory

• US 5,430,861 A
• Filed: 08/09/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Finn
• Original Assignee: Charles Finn
• Inventors: Finn, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Joseph L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US08/104,241
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 395/425 MS, 360/97.01, 360/105, 360/106, 360/109, 369/252
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for extending the memory capacity of a computer system having a rotating optical memory storage device and a fixed memory storage includes a scanner for accessing computer information and a rotating optical read-write memory device for storing computer information and for accessing and transferring computer information to and from the scanner and to and from the discrete memory storage of the computer system. The method includes the steps of storing computer information on a scannable storage medium, accessing computer information from the scannable storage medium, and transferring the computer information to the scannable storage medium or discrete memory storage of the computer system through the use of a multi-head rotating optical memory device. The scanner uses an optical laser scanning system to encode computer information on a physical medium. The rotating optical memory device uses virtual memory techniques to store and retrieve data for use at a required time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a system, operated by a user, and having discrete memory storage block and rotating optical medium storage blocks, which stores computer information on and retrieves computer information from the rotating optical medium and the discrete memory storage, said apparatus comprising:

means for scanning to access the computer information from the rotating optical medium, said means for scanning being a plurality of optical read-write heads;

virtual memory store means for storing the computer information in one of the rotating optical medium storage blocks and the discrete memory storage block;

means for accessing and directly transferring the computer information to and from at least one of the plurality of optical read-write heads and the discrete memory storage, such that the logical configuration for the storage of computer information in said discrete memory storage block is extended to include memory locations in said rotating optical medium storage blocks; and

means for processing the computer information, the means for processing in communication with the means for scanning and the discrete memory storage, the means for processing being connected to the discrete memory storage for transferring computer information from the means for scanning to the virtual memory store means in response to instructions from the discrete memory storage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising in addition a bus for rapidly transferring the computer information to and from at least one of the plurality of optical read-write heads, the means for processing and the discrete memory storage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising in addition means for displaying computer information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for processing is connected to the discrete memory storage for transferring computer information from the means for scanning to the virtual memory store in response to instructions from the discrete memory storage.

5. The apparatus for claim 1 comprising in addition means for entering data into said accessing and transferring means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for accessing and directly transferring comprises an input/output bus system and a processor bus system for rapid and efficient transfer of said computer information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for processing transfers computer information from at least one of a means for entering data and the means for scanning via at least one of the input/output bus systems and the processor bus system to at least one of the virtual memory store means and the discrete memory storage thereby increasing rapid availability of the computer information to the host processor bus.

8. The apparatus of claims 1 wherein the computer information comprises at least one of data and program instructions.

9. A method of extending the capacity of discrete hardware memory storage in a computer system having a bus, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning a rotating optically encoded medium for computer information through the use of the one of a plurality of optical read-write head assemblies which is located closest to said computer information on said rotating optically encoded medium;

retrieving the computer information from at least one of the plurality of optical read-write head assemblies and the rotating optically encoded medium;

selectively and directly transferring the retrieved computer information to a virtual memory store means for storing computer information;

scanning the discrete memory storage for an operating system command corresponding to the user input command;

scanning one of the discrete memory storage and the rotating optically encoded medium for handling instructions corresponding to the operating system command;

retrieving the corresponding handling instruction; and

selectively and directly transferring the computer information as directed by the retrieved handling instruction to at least one of the discrete hardware memory storage and the rotating optically encoded medium through use of the virtual memory store means, thereby carrying out the user input command.

10. A method of extending the capacity of discrete hardware memory storage in a computer system having a bus, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning a rotating optically encoded medium for computer information through the use of one of a plurality of optical read-write head assemblies;

retrieving the computer information from at least one of the plurality of optical read-write head assemblies and the rotating optically encoded medium;

selectively and directly transferring the retrieved computer information to a virtual memory store means for storing computer information;

scanning the discrete memory storage for an operating system command corresponding to the user input command;

scanning the rotating optically encoded medium for handling instructions corresponding to the operating system command;

retrieving the corresponding handling instruction; and

selectively and directly transferring the computer information, as directed by the retrieved command handler, to at least one of a random access memory and the rotating optically encoded medium through the use of a cache memory and a bit slice processor.