A. This is the generic class for electrical computers and digital data processing systems and corresponding data processing methods including methods and apparatus for controlling operations of computers and digital data processing systems.
B. This class also includes certain fields of information processing. Examples include robotic control and simulation.
In practical terms these fields of information processing relate to applications of computers operating on data and information taking place within the boundaries of a computer system or digital data processing system.
C. This class also provides for digital data processing systems or methods for data processing for (a) static presentation (i.e., hard copy).
D. This class does not provide for methods and apparatus for moving or processing specified information except for (a) robotic control and (b) the processing of data for static presentation (hard copy) or display as noted in C above. For methods and apparatus for processing other types of specified information, see the SEARCH CLASS notes, below.
(1) Note. In this class, the glossary term data is used to modify processing in the term data processing; whereas the term digital data processing system refers to a machine performing data processing.
(2) Note. In an effort to avoid redundant constructions, in this class, where appropriate, the term address data processing is used in place of address data data processing.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSESSEE OR SEARCH CLASS
235, Registers, various subclasses for basic machines and associated indicating mechanisms for ascertaining the number of movements of various devices and machines, plus machines made from these basic machines alone (e.g., cash registers, voting machines), and in combination with various perfecting features, such as printers and recording means. In addition, search Class 235 for various data bearing record controlled systems.
326, Electronic Digital Logic Circuitry, appropriate subclasses for generic digital logic devices, circuity, and subcombinations thereof, wherein nonarithmetical operations are performed upon discrete electrical signals representing a value normally described by numerical digits.
340, Communications: Electrical,
825+, for controlling one or more devices to obtain a plurality of results by transmission of a designated one of plural distinctive control signals over a smaller number of communication lines or channels, particularly subclass 825.02 for tree or cascade selective communication, subclasses 825.03+ for channel selection, subclass 825.05 for a plurality of controlled devices connected by a communication line in a closed series configuration, subclasses 825.06+ for communication systems where status of a controlled device is communicated, subclasses 825.2+ for synchronizing selective communication systems, subclasses 825.5+ for lockout or
priority in selective communication systems, subclasses 825.52+ for addressing, and subclasses 825.52+ for pulse responsive actuation.
341, Coded Data Generation or Conversion, various subclasses for electrical pulse and digit code converters (e.g., systems for originating or emitting a coded set of discrete signals or translating one code into another code wherein the meaning of the data remains the same but the formats may differ).
345, Computer Graphics Processing, Operator Interface Processing, and Selective Visual Display Systems, various subclasses for the selective control of two or more light generating or light controlling display elements in accordance with a received image signal, and
1+, for visual display systems with selective electrical control including display memory organization and structure for storing image data and manipulating image data between a display memory and display device.
360, Dynamic Magnetic Information Storage or Retrieval, which is an integral part of Class 369 following
18, for record carriers and systems wherein information is stored and retrieved by interaction with a medium and there is relative motion between a medium and a transducer, for example, magnetic disk drive devices and control thereof, per se.
364, Electrical Computers and Data Processing Systems, 130+, for data processing control systems and subclasses 400+ for application of computers in various environments.
365, Static Information Storage and Retrieval, various subclasses for addressable static singular storage elements or plural singular storage elements of the same type (i.e., the internal elements of memory, per se).
369, Dynamic Information Storage or Retrieval, various subclasses for record carriers and systems wherein information is stored and retrieved by interaction with a medium and there is relative motion between a medium and a transducer.
370, Multiplex Communications, for the simultaneous transmission of two or more signals over a common medium, particularly
254+, for network configuration determination, subclasses 351+ for pathfinding or routing which includes circuit switching or packet switching, and subclasses 465+ for adaptive communication which includes processing or converting of communication protocols.
375, Pulse or Digital Communications, various subclasses for
generic pulse or digital communication systems and synchronization of clocking signals from input data.
377, Electrical Pulse Counters, Pulse Dividers, and Shift Registers: Circuits and Systems, various subclasses for generic circuits for pulse counting.
379, Telephonic Communications, various subclasses for two-way electrical communication of intelligible audio information of arbitrary content over a link including an electrical conductor.
380, Cryptography,
3+, for stored information access or copy prevention (e.g., software program protection or computer virus detection) in combination with data encryption, and subclasses 22 through 25 and 50 for electric signal modification and other appropriate subclasses.
381, Electrical Audio Signal Processing Systems and Devices, various subclasses for wired one-way audio systems, per se. 382, Image Analysis, various subclasses for operations performed on image data with the aim of measuring a characteristic of an image, detecting variations, detecting structures, or transforming the image data, and for procedures for analyzing and categorizing patterns present in image data.
388, Electricity: Motor Control Systems, cross-reference art collection 907.5 for computer or processor control of D.C. motor acceleration or speed.
399, Electrophotography,
9+, for diagnostics, subclasses 38+ for controls, subclasses 130+ for image formation, subclasses 168+ for charging, subclasses 177+ for exposure, subclasses 222+ for development, subclasses 297+ for transfer, subclasses 320+ for fixing, subclasses 343+ for cleaning, and subclasses 361+ for document handling.
455, Telecommunications, appropriate subclasses for modulated carrier wave communication, per se, and
26.1, for subject matter which blocks access to a signal source or otherwise limits usage of modulated carrier equipment.
701, Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, and Relative Location, appropriate subclasses for vehicular or navigational data processing.
702, Data Processing: Measuring, Calibrating, or Testing, appropriate subclasses for the application of computers in measuring, calibrating, and testing.
704, Data Processing: Speech Signal Processing, Linguistics, Language Translation, and Audio Compression/Decompression for speech, language or audio compression/decompression processing.
705, Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, or Cost/Price Determination, appropriate subclasses for data processing related to business, finances, management, or cost/price determining.
706, Data Processing: Intelligent Processing Systems and Methods, various subclasses for artificial intelligence systems that represent, apply, and acquire knowledge (i.e., knowledge processing systems). 707, Data Processing: Databases and File Management, Data Structures, and Document Processing appropriate subclasses for database structure, database/file management, or document processing.
708, Electrical Computers: Arithmetic Processing and Calculating, appropriate subclasses for computer arithmetic processing and calculating.
709, Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems: Multiple Computer or Process Coordinating, appropriate subclasses for computers and digital processing related to plural computers or plural process coordinating.
710, Electrical Computers and Digital Data Processing Systems: Input/Output ,
1+, for input/output data processing, subclasses 100+ for intrasystem connection (including: bus transaction processing, e.g., arbitration), subclass 200 for access locking, subclass 220 for access polling, subclasses 240+ for access arbitrating, and subclasses 260+ for interrupt processing.
711, Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems: Memory, appropriate subclasses for storage accessing, control, or addressing in a computer or digital processing system.
712, Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems: Processing Architectures and Instruction Processing (e.g., Processors), appropriate subclasses for computer or digital processing system architecture or instruction processing.
713, Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems: Support, appropriate subclasses for computer or digital processing system support (e.g., security, power supply, and timing, etc.)
714, Error Detection/Correction and Fault Detection/Recovery, appropriate subclasses for generic error checking of digital
devices.
GLOSSARY:
The terms below have been defined for purposes of classification in this class and are shown in underlined type when used in the class and subclass definitions. When these terms are not underlined in the definitions, the meaning is not restricted to the glossary definitions below. ACCESS
To obtain entry to or locate, read into memory, and prepare for some operation (e.g., an operation regarding disks, files, or records; a procedure for network entry).
ADDRESS DATA
Data that represent or identify a source or destination. (Also see Data in this Glossary)
APPLICATION PROGRAM
A computer program design to perform a certain type of work, such as an application to manipulate text, numbers, s:graphics, or a combination of these elements. An application program differs from an operating system (which runs a computer), a utility program (which performs maintenance or general-purpose chores), and a language (with which computer programs are created).
BUS
A conductor used for transferring data, signals, or power.
COMPUTER
A machine that inputs data, processes data, stores data, and outputs data.
DATA
Representation of information in a coded manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing. Also see Address Data; Instruction Data; Status Data; and User Data in this Glossary. DATA PROCESSING
See PROCESSING, below.
DATA TRANSFER
The moving of data from one location to another, or the passing of program control from one portion of a program to another.
DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM
An arrangement of processor(s) in combination with either memory or peripherals, or both, performing data processing.
END EFFECTOR
A terminal on a robot arm that carries a hand, welding gun, painting nozzle, or other tool.
ENTITY
An item that can be treated as a unit and, often, as a member of a particular category or type.
ENVIRONMENT A set of resources made available to the user of a system which defines specifications such as a command path (where to look for files), a system prompt and, sometimes, the location of resources or working files.
ERROR
Manifestation of a fault as an undesired event that occurs when actual behavior deviates from the behavior that is required by initial specifications.
FAILURE
Manifestation of an error as a nonperformance of an expected system service as required by the initial specifications.
FAULT
A flaw in a functional unit (hardware or software).
INFORMATION
Meaning that a human being assigns to data by means of the conventions applied to that data.
INSTRUCTION DATA
Data that represent an operation and identify its operands, if any. (Also see Data in this Glossary)
INTERFACE A connection between two elements so that they can work with one another
MEMORY
A functional unit to which data can be stored and from which data can be retrieved.
MULTITASKING
A mode of operation in which a computer works on more than one task at a time.
NETWORK
A group of computers and associated devices that are connected by communications facilities which exists to provide users of the computers with the wherewithal for communicating and transferring data electronically. Some types of communication are simple user-to-user messages; others (viz., distributed processing), can involve several computers sharing workloads or cooperating to perform a task.
OBJECT
A variable comprising routines and data that is treated as a discrete entity.
OPERATING SYSTEM
Software responsible for controlling the allocation and usage of hardware resources such as memory, central processing unit- (CPU-) time, disk space, and peripherals. The operating system is the foundation on which applications programs (e.g.; word processing, spreadsheets) are built. PERIPHERAL
A functional unit that transmits data to or receives data from a computer to which it is coupled.
PROCESS
A coherent sequence of steps undertaken by a program to manipulate data such as transferring data internally or externally, handling an interrupt, or evaluating a function.
PROCESSING
Methods or apparatus performing systematic operations upon data or information exemplified by functions such as data or information transferring, merging, sorting, and computing (i.e., arithmetic operations or logical operations).
PROCESSOR
A functional unit that interprets and executes instruction data.
PROTOCOL
A set of rules or processes for enabling computers to exchange data with as little error as possible.
RECOVERY Responding to a fault in a system by either returning a system to a previous level of correct operation, achieving a degraded level of correct operation, or safely shutting down the system.
RESOURCE
Any part of computer or a network, such as a disk drive, printer, or memory, that can be allotted to a program or process while it is running. In programming, a resource can be used by more than one program or in more than one place in a program; for example, dialog boxes, bit maps, and fonts are resources in many windowing programs.
ROBOT
A powered arm structure having or capable of having an end effector.
ROUTING
Receiving transmitted messages within a network and forwarding them to their correct destinations over a available route selected according to a predetermined criteria.
SECURITY
Extent of protection for system hardware, software, or data from maliciously caused destruction, unauthorized modification, or unauthorized disclosure.
SERVER
A computer running administrative software that controls access to all or part of a network and its resources (e.g., disk drives, printers). A computer acting as a server allocates resources to computers acting as workstations on the network.
STATUS DATA Data that represent conditions of data, digital data processing systems, computers, peripherals, memory, etc. (Also see Data in this Glossary)
SYNCHRONIZATION
Matching of timing between separate computers or among the components of a system so that all are coordinated.
TASK
A standalone application or a subprogram that is run as an independent entity.
USER DATA
Data other than address data, instruction data, or status data. (Also see Data in this Glossary)