International Business Machines Corporation

Michael I Davis

Ronald John Bowater

John A Wiseman

Daniel T Sze

Michael J Garrett

Robert W Farr

Colin V Powell

The specification describes a method of storing alphanumeric characters in a graphics display terminal comprising a raster-scan display device and a refresh buffer including a plurality of bit planes each having a respective bit storage location corresponding to each addressable pel position on the screen of the display device. In the method, a first bit plane stores high resolution luminance data defining alphanumeric characters each as a selection of 'on' bits within a respective n.times.m array where n is the width of the character box in the scan line direction, and at least one further bit plane stores low resolution color data for the characters. The attribute plane comprises a respective n-bit set of storage locations which corresponds to each n-bit wide by one pel deep portion of a character box in the luminance plane and defines at least the color and/or intensity of the foreground and background of the character for the width of the character box in respect of a single scan line. The specification also describes a graphics display terminal in which data in the luminance and attribute planes may be selectively decoded either as alphanumeric data stored as above, or as bit-mapped graphics data.

Graphics display terminal and method of storing alphanumeric data therein

An electronic assembly with forced convection cooling comprises an elongate support plate having a plurality of electronic equipment cabinets mounted side by side on a common surface of the plate in the longitudinal direction thereof. At least one air distribution channel extends longitudinally of the plate in the said common surface, and a cooling fan is mounted on the same surface of the plate as the cabinets for forcing air along the air distribution channel and into the cabinets for cooling electrical components therein. The assembly preferably includes means for directing air from the channel selectively in different quantities to different components according to their cooling requirements, such means including a plurality of secondary air distribution channels which branch laterally from the first mentioned channel, and means for confining air from the first mentioned channel to flow into the secondary channels.

Electronic assembly with forced convection cooling

A processor intercommunication system includes a plurality of stations which are interconnected by a transmission link, each station having an associated processor. Further, each station comprises means which provide a data link protocol mechanism for establishing and maintaining a multiplicity of logical connections or transfer sessions between the station and several other stations. Thus application programs of all kinds in the processors can communicate with programs or data files in remote processors and need not be involved in communication operations which are handled by the stations. Link access circuitry is provided also in each station for absorbing the physical and topological characteristics of the transmission link so that the data protocol circuitry establishing and maintaining logical connections is independent of these characteristics.

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Winchester, United Kingdom

Michael I Davis