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:
Aug. 29, 1978
Filed:
Feb. 17, 1977
David Cronshaw, Torrance, CA (US);
Jack E Shemer, Los Angeles, CA (US);
William D Turner, San Marino, CA (US);
David Hartke, Pasadena, CA (US);
James R Keddy, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
Wilbur E DuVall, Victorville, CA (US);
Warren M Sterling, Hermosa Beach, CA (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A distributed function processing system utilizing a conventional microprocessor operated as a text processor in combination with a plurality of other autonomous processing devices arranged to operate in a coherent processing system. One of the autonomous processors which is a memory control processor serves to periodically overlay a random access accelerator memory with the contents of a main memory system and concurrently resolves conflicts among various other autonomous memory service requests. This processor, therefore, accommodates the data rates of the main memory. The other processor is a display processor which generates signals to a video display system to provide a visual interface to the user and is therefore tied to the video rate. Accordingly, the processing burden is distributed within processors entailing differing rates operating autonomously. The memory control processor resolves and accommodates all of the memory service requests in the system and also performs control operations to support high speed I/O devices. Logic is provided to handle the other interrupts. Also, there is page mapping for context switching of a reference page and repeating logic for decoupling this processor from the other processors. This arrangement allows convenient expansion into plural work stations each sharing a common memory.