Abstract: The creation of address spaces that need not map in their address range all of the routines of the operating system basic control program (BCP) is provided. The BCP, though, will have easy access to (addressability of) the home address space, i.e. to the virtually mapped and addressable control blocks therein. Addressability can be switched from a previously dispatched address space to the home address space. The dispatcher becomes capable of addressing the home address space when predetermined bits in a program status word are set. Once the home address space becomes addressable, the BCP is now capable of easily accessing control blocks in the home address space without the need to modify CPU status or pointers to any other address spaces. If pointers to any other address space are modified, current address translation in the home address space would not be affected. Providing access to the home address space increases performance and reduces complexity.

Abstract: An improved internal reader function is disclosed in which all internal reader jobs are dynamically created (and scheduled) and canceled. The operator no longer needs to guess how many internal readers to create and cancel in order to handle the ever-changing computer system workload. Instead, a subsystem of the computer system operating system continuously and optimally handles the workload by automatically creating new internal reader jobs or assigning work to previously automatically created internal reader jobs which have completed processing and are waiting for additional work, i.e. data sets, to be processed. To handle this dynamic processing, a control block structure is created to keep track of the internal reader jobs. The improved subsystem also eliminates "Bottlenecks" since all data sets to be processed are transferred directly to an internal reader job data set control block.

Abstract: An in-storage table pair structure is disclosed which extends to the user of the data processing system the internal structures of a component of the operating system. The table pair structure includes pairs of tables that are pointed to by a table pair pointer. A table pair pointer is a double word of virtual storage in which the first word is the address of a user-defined table and the second word is the address of a developer-supplied table. Both tables form a table pair. The table pairs permit functional routines (IETDFs) to reference data in both developer-supplied tables as well as user-defined tables in order to tailor a component of the operating system. The IETDF locates a particular table, or set of tables, by first referencing a global control block which contains addresses of two router control blocks.

Abstract: An apparatus and method employs dual checkpoint data sets for communicating system status. A journal of changed data is implemented to reduce I/O to a subsystem's shared data area on a non-volatile shared storage device. The journal provides for an increase in the amount of time that a processor may have access to the shared data area. Also, two versions of the data area are implemented in order to insure the integrity of the continuously updated data area. The two versions flip-flop depending upon which one has the most recent updates. That is, the version that has the most recent updates becomes the to-be-read-from data area and is read by the processor that currently has access to the shared data area during this series of I/O operations. The other version becomes the to-be-written-to data area and is written to by the processor that currently has access to the data area in order to update the to-be-written-to version to the current level.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for processing instructions in higher level virtual machines by a 370-XA mode real machine. The real machine and a low level virtual machine each execute a version of the real machine's system control program. The low level virtual machine issues a privileged (SIE) instruction which is simulated by the real machine indicating that instructions in a higher level virtual machine are to be processed. A shadow state description is created and used by the privileged instruction for describing the higher level virtual machine directly to the real machine. Shadow address translation tables are also created in the case when the higher level virtual machine is a pageable machine so that interpretive execution hardware, invoked by the privileged instruction, can translate through the higher level virtual machine translation tables followed by translation through the shadow translation tables.

Abstract: A vector processor is disclosed which processes vectors that can have more elements than a vector register can contain at one time. Vectors are processed in sections in which the section size is determined by the number of element locations in a vector register. A vector count register controls the number of elements processed by each vector instruction. A vector interruption index points to the first or next element in a vector to be processed by a vector instruction either when it is first issued or when it is re-issued following an interruption of the vector instruction. A general purpose (length) register contains the entire length of the vector to be processed. A single instruction, which starts a vector sectioning loop, provides for the smaller of the section size or the content of the length register to be loaded into the vector count register.

Abstract: The invention relates to vector registers (VRs) which have associated therewith a vector status register (VSR) that includes VR status information in the form of vector in-use and change bits for saving and restoring (the contents of) the VRs. When the vector in-use bit for a VR is zero, the saving and subsequent restoring of the VR is eliminated because the VR is known to contain all zeros. This reduces program switching time. The vector change bit for a VR serves to reduce switching time still further by permitting the saving of a VR to be eliminated when its vector in-use bit is one but the vector change bit is zero. Although such a VR is in use, its content has not been changed since the last restore from the same save area in storage. The previously saved information is still valid. The vector change bits do not affect the restoring of vector registers and, therefore, do not reduce the restore time.

Abstract: The invention disclosed and claimed herein provides a method for a virtual machine, which maps to the V=R region of a host machine's address space, to resume program execution successfully when the host operating system terminates and subsequently restarts successfully after the occurrence of a system incident. The system incident brings the computer system down, but with a reasonable chance that the system will be able to bounce. A bounce occurs when the host operating system nucleus is reinitialized or refreshed. The virtual machine will be allowed to survive the system incident as long as its integrity can be maintained, i.e. as long as its status and in-progress work can be preserved.

Abstract: Adjunct virtual machines are disclosed that are connected to an existing base virtual machine to provide for the creation of service processors each providing a service to the base virtual machine. All communication with the user takes place through one console that is shared by the base virtual machine and its adjunct virtual machine. That is, all messages and responses between the base virtual machine and the adjunct virtual machines are directed to only one console such that each adjunct machine does not require its own separate console. Even though only one console is used, there is no requirement for one machine to log off while an operating system control program (SCP) function is executing in the other machine. As a result, implementation of the adjunct virtual machine permits the construction of host SCP console functions that have sustaining dialogs with the user while all other SCP functions are available to the user during the dialog.

Abstract: A GC/IR system for analyzing the constituents of a gas sample is disclosed and claimed in which a floating light pipe assembly is disposed in a bore and troughs of a heater chamber in a heater assembly. The floating light pipe assembly has two transfer tubes and a light pipe tube that provide a completely chemically resistant path to the flow of a gas sample and carrier gas from a GC capillary column to a supplemental GC detector. The flow path is chemically inert since no contaminating sealants are used and substantially all of the flow path is gold plated. The light pipe assembly "floats" because it is allowed to thermally expand within the heater chamber so that high reflectivity in the IR region will be maintained as the light pipe assembly is being heated by the heater plates on opposite sides of the heater chamber.

Abstract: A backlighted liquid crystal display is disclosed which includes an electroluminescent backlight having a reduced amount of phosphor acting as both a source of light for viewing the display during nighttime hours and as a light diffuser for viewing the display during daytime hours. The electroluminescent backlight is made thinner while the phosphor content is optimally reduced to provide a backlight that improves the viewability of the display especially during daytime hours without the need of a transflector. Wherein the minimal amount of phosphor is dispersed in a binder in the electroluminescent layer is substantially 1 volume unit of phosphor for every 4 to 5 volume units of binder.

Abstract: A fast response, electronic clinical thermometer for measuring body temperature is disclosed which has a probe that includes a hollow tubular probe body and a thermal sensor assembly having a low thermal mass at the temperature sensing end of the probe body. The thermal sensor assembly includes a temperature sensing element electrically connected to a thin metal plate with good thermal conductivity which is received and supported by the probe body at its temperature sensing end. The probe is sealed off at its temperature sensing end permitting only the metal plate of the thermal sensor assembly and the probe body in the vicinity of the metal plate to make contact with the tissues of the body for measuring temperature. The probe is sealed to provide resistance to contamination during use.

Abstract: Thin, amorphous electrochromic layers deposited on substrate electrodes by, for example, vacuum deposition techniques, are subjected to a special heat treatment at a selected high temperature for a selected short time to convert at least a free surface portion of each layer to be exposed to the electrolyte from the amorphous form to a crystalline form while preventing excessive water loss which might adversely affect the electrochromic properties of the layer for display purposes. Crystallization of at least the free surface portion of the electrochromic layer significantly increases its etch resistance whereas retention of water in the electrochromic layer maintains satisfactory electrochromic properties for display purposes.

Abstract: A levered scale for weighing human beings is disclosed in which weight measurement is produced by direct tensile loading of at least one stress-dependent transducer that is bonded to the central member of an improved tension link plate which is pivotally supported at one end by a U-shaped bracket and pivotally coupled at the opposite end to lever arms. The thin tension link plate, which is made of elastically deformable sheet metal, is received between the sides of the U-shaped bracket. The tension link plate is connected directly to the U-shaped bracket by a first cross pin and to the lever arms by a second cross pin. The resultant force produced by the weight of the load applied to the scale produces vertically downward movement of the lever arms thereby providing tensile loading of the tension link plate and the stress-dependent transducers bonded or deposited thereto.

Abstract: An electronic analog timepiece is disclosed that utilizes digital storage devices for setting alarm time and when selectively displaying, in response to the activation of a setting member, either alarm time or actual, updated time by the timepiece hands. When setting the alarm time, the minute hand and second hand are positioned on the timepiece display to indicate alarm time in hours and minutes, respectively. Specifically, the minute and second representations of the minute hand and second hand positions on the display are transformed, in a selected storage device, to alarm time hour and minute representations, respectively. When displaying either alarm time or actual, updated time from the other time presently being displayed, the setting member is activated to produce fast rotation of the hands from one time setting to the other.

Abstract: A watch assembly is disclosed which includes a watchcase that has frames along opposite sides which define the perimeter of the watchcase platform on which is mounted a crystal having at least one opening which receives a rocker switch for controlling watch functions. The recess formed by the opening in the crystal when the crystal is attached by adhesion substantially to the entire top surface of the watchcase platform has at least one hole at the bottom of the recess to provide for the rocker switch to have access to at least one switch contact inside the case. The rocker switch includes a manually-operated actuator arm disposed in the recess and having at least one projecting leg extending through at least one hole in the platform in the watchcase to actuate at least one switch contact mounted on a timekeeping circuitry module inside the case.

Abstract: A telephone subscriber's terminal equipment, which is part of a telecommunications network, is disclosed which includes ring suppress circuitry that prevents a ringing signal, which indicates the presence of an incoming call, from dinging the bell in the terminal equipment until the calling party is identified. The ring suppress circuitry also permits required loop current through the subscriber's terminal equipment to provide subscriber billing protection for the telephone company. The terminal equipment includes a microprocessor that detects the ringing signal and activates a relay in the ring suppress circuitry to prevent the terminal bell from dinging. Suppression of the ding is attributable to two back-to-back zener diodes connected in series with the relay contact and between the tip and ring conductors of the terminal equipment.

Abstract: An electroluminescent lamp driver circuit is disclosed, which includes a timer circuit acting as a retriggerable astable multivibrator interfacing with transistor-transistor logic (TTL) circuitry. The timer circuit sets the operating frequency of the entire lamp driver circuit while the TTL circuitry includes a transistor for controlling the operating voltage of the TTL circuit and two additional transistors for providing the switching for periodically exciting the phosphor in the lamp to luminesce.

Abstract: An electronic analog timepiece with time zone and time setting modes selected by appropriate rotation and axial movement of a crown that controls a high speed stepping motor is disclosed. The stepping motor provides high frequency signals to produce time correction rotation of the timepiece hands. The speed of the stepping motor is reduced by a deceleration ramp from high speed prior to stopping the motor at the end of time correction. The time setting mode may be selected when the watch is in the shutdown mode and the time zone mode is selected when the watch is in the normal clockwise running mode by rotating the crown in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The shutdown mode may be selected from the normal running mode by pulling the crown to its out/setting position and the normal running mode may be selected from the shutdown mode by pushing the crown to its on/run position.

Abstract: A horological instrument includes a liquid crystal electro-optical display which simulates the movement of hands about a center by activating circumferentially spaced radial conductive segments. Generally, for the liquid crystal material between two corresponding segments to be activated an electrical potential must be applied between the segments which is, typically to achieve full brightness, substantially greater than the activation voltage of the liquid crystal material. The present invention effects activation of a selected segment-hand by applying an electrical potential, predetermined greater than the activation voltage, between the selected segment-hand and a corresponding segment or electrode.