The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 1976
Filed:
Sep. 07, 1973
Brittain Norman Catron, Rochester, MN (US);
Eugene Francis Dumstorff, Rochester, MN (US);
Phillip Christian Schloss, Rochester, MN (US);
Larry Lloyd Schroeder, Rochester, MN (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
In a control unit having a read only memory, a control program is provided which has provision for all features with which the machine may be equipped and for a selected number of future features. The control program contains one or more mainline control loops which interrogate mainline and feature functions sequentially to determine whether a function requires service. If a function is present and requires service, the appropriate routine is executed whereafter the mainline control program proceeds to execute the next indicated control program instruction. If a function is present, but does not require service, a normal return or other procedure is executed to return to the control loop. When a feature is addressed which is not present, a feature return is executed forcing the control program back to the instruction following the last branch.