Multi-level priority micro-interrupt controller
US4636944A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 17, 1984 |
| Grant date | Jan 13, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 17, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/4812
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multi-level priority micro-interrupt controller for a micro-program controlled computer handles a plurality of interrupt signals at a plurality of levels of priority, wherein only one interrupt signal for each level of priority may be active at any moment. When an interrupt occurs which has a higher priority than that of the interrupt currently being handled, the control store address of the next instruction to be executed is stacked and the interrupt handler subroutine for the higher priority interrupt is initiated. When an interrupt occurs which has a lower priority than that of the interrupt currently being handled, it is queued. After an interrupt has been handled, the stack is popped and execution is resumed at the control store address at the top of the stack. The control store address of the interrupt handler subroutine for a particular interrupt is decoded from the interrupt signals in two parts, the second part also being used to control the branching to the interrupt handler subroutine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.