Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for preventing a data processing system from entering a non-recoverable state

US5546588A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 1994
Grant dateAug 13, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/30083
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for preventing a data processing system (10) from entering a non-recoverable state. In one form, the present invention uses a pin (40) to indicate whether or not the execution of a non-recoverable instruction is legal. If the pin indicates that the execution of the instruction is legal, then the instruction is executed and the data processing system (10) is placed into a state that requires an external stimulus in order to recover. If the pin indicates that the execution of the instruction is illegal, then the instruction is not permitted to place the data processing system (10) into a state that requires an external stimulus in order to recover. Instead, an internal recovery mechanism is provided which returns the data processing system (10) to normal processing.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.