Ncr Corporation

Terry S Strickland

Gene F Young

Michael R Hilley

Craig A Walrath

Amit D Vashi

A memory controller intercepts data bytes destined for a memory and selectively combines them with data bytes previously read from the memory. The controller also blocks data bytes destined for the memory corresponding to data bytes previously written to the memory. The memory controller includes an input device and an output device. An output line of the input device is connected to both the memory and an input line of the output device. Also, the memory is connected to the input line of the output device.

Computer memory data merging technique for computers with write-back

In a computer, when a block of data is written to memory, it is common to attach a control word to the data. The control word is placed at a pre-arranged location, generally separate from the data. The control word contains important information about the data, such as starting address, length, etc. The presence of the control word indicates that the data is valid. Sometimes, for various reasons, the control word is written before all the data is written. This premature availability of the control word gives false information: the data is not yet completely written, yet the presence of the control word indicates otherwise. The invention prevents such a problem by preventing premature writing of the control word.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, SC, United States of America

Terry S Strickland