System for controlling communications among a computer processing unit and a plurality of peripheral devices

Claim 1

A system for providing communications among a computer processing unit and a plurality of peripheral devices, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address contained in address information; the system comprising: a bus control means operatively connected with said computer processing unit and cooperating with said computer processing unit for effecting operative routing of selected address information of said address information identified by said computer processing unit regarding a particular said address identifying a particular peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices from said computer processing unit to an appropriate external bus of said plurality of external buses, said particular peripheral device being in said operative connection with said appropriate external bus, said bus control means routing data information intermediate said particular peripheral device and another of said plurality of peripheral devices or said computer processing unit via an internal bus in response to said selected address information identified by said computer processing unit; and a plurality of buffer means for establishing an operative interface between said computer processing unit and each of said plurality of external buses, said plurality of buffer means cooperating to substantially capacitively isolate each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses from other external buses of said plurality of external buses than said respective external bus; said internal bus being operatively connected to provide communication paths among said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means, and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information, said stored routing information representing each correspondence between each said particular peripheral deice and a particular buffer means of said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means effecting said routing of data information using selected routing information, said selected routing information being selected from said stored routing information in response to said selected address information.

Claim 2

A system for providing communications among a computer processing unit and a plurality of peripheral devices, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address contained in address information; the system comprising: a bus control means operatively connected with said computer processing unit and cooperating with said computer processing unit for effecting operative routing of selected address information of said address information identified by said computer processing unit regarding a particular said address identifying a particular peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices from said computer processing unit to an appropriate external bus of said plurality of external buses, said particular peripheral device being in said operative connection with said appropriate external bus, said bus control means routing data information intermediate said particular peripheral device and another of said plurality of peripheral devices or said computer processing unit via an internal bus in response to said selected address information identified by said computer processing unit; and a plurality of buffer means for establishing an operative interface between said computer processing unit and each of said plurality of external buses, said plurality of buffer means cooperating to substantially capacitively isolate each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses from other external buses of said plurality of external buses than said respective external bus; said internal bus being operatively connected to provide communication paths among said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means, and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information, said stored routing information representing each correspondence between each said particular peripheral deice and a particular buffer means of said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means effecting said routing of data information using selected routing information, said selected routing information being selected from said stored routing information in response to said selected address information.

Claim 4

A system for providing communications between a computing apparatus and a plurality of peripheral devices located externally of said computing apparatus, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; said computer apparatus including a computer processing unit; said computer processing unit and each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address; the system comprising: a plurality of buffer means for establishing an interface between said computing apparatus and said plurality of external buses, there at least being one respective buffer means of said plurality of buffer means for each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses, said plurality of buffer means cooperating to substantially capacitively isolate each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses from other external buses of said plurality of external buses than said respective external bus; an internal bus means for providing communication path routing within the system, said internal bus means operatively connecting said plurality of buffer means with said computer processing unit; and a bus control means for controlling routing of data among said computer processing unit and said plurality of peripheral devices; said bus control means being operatively connected with said internal bus means and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information representing selected correspondence between each said respective peripheral device with said at least one respective buffer means, said bus control means responding to signals received from said computer processing unit to select specified routing information from said stored routing information for establishing communication path routing required by said signals.

Claim 5

A system for providing communications between a computing apparatus and a plurality of peripheral devices located externally of said computing apparatus, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; said computer apparatus including a computer processing unit; said computer processing unit and each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address; the system comprising: a plurality of buffer means for establishing an interface between said computing apparatus and said plurality of external buses, there at least being one respective buffer means of said plurality of buffer means for each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses, said plurality of buffer means cooperating to substantially capacitively isolate each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses from other external buses of said plurality of external buses than said respective external bus; an internal bus means for providing communication path routing within the system, said internal bus means operatively connecting said plurality of buffer means with said computer processing unit; and a bus control means for controlling routing of data among said computer processing unit and said plurality of peripheral devices; said bus control means being operatively connected with said internal bus means and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information representing selected correspondence between each said respective peripheral device with said at least one respective buffer means, said bus control means responding to signals received from said computer processing unit to select specified routing information from said stored routing information for establishing communication path routing required by said signals.

Claim 6

A system for providing communications among a computer processing unit and a plurality of peripheral devices, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address contained in address information; the system comprising: a bus control means operatively connected with said computer processing unit and cooperating with said computer processing unit for effecting operative routing of selected address information of said address information identified by said computer processing unit regarding a particular said address identifying a particular peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices from said computer processing unit to an appropriate external bus of said plurality of external buses, said particular peripheral device being in said operative connection with said appropriate external bus, said bus control means routing data information intermediate said particular peripheral device and another of said plurality of peripheral devices or said computer processing unit via an internal bus in response to said selected address information identified by said computer processing unit; and a plurality of buffer means for establishing an operative interface between said computer processing unit and each of said plurality of external buses; said internal bus being operatively connected to provide communication paths among said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means, and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information, said stored routing information representing each correspondence between each said particular peripheral device and a particular buffer means of said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means effecting said routing of data information using selected routing information, said selected routing information being selected from said stored routing information i response to said selected address information.

Claim 7

A system for providing communications among a computer processing unit and a plurality of peripheral devices, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address contained in address information; the system comprising: a bus control means operatively connected with said computer processing unit and cooperating with said computer processing unit for effecting operative routing of selected address information of said address information identified by said computer processing unit regarding a particular said address identifying a particular peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices from said computer processing unit to an appropriate external bus of said plurality of external buses, said particular peripheral device being in said operative connection with said appropriate external bus, said bus control means routing data information intermediate said particular peripheral device and another of said plurality of peripheral devices or said computer processing unit via an internal bus in response to said selected address information identified by said computer processing unit; and a plurality of buffer means for establishing an operative interface between said computer processing unit and each of said plurality of external buses; said internal bus being operatively connected to provide communication paths among said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means, and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information, said stored routing information representing each correspondence between each said particular peripheral device and a particular buffer means of said plurality of buffer means, said bus control means effecting said routing of data information using selected routing information, said selected routing information being selected from said stored routing information i response to said selected address information.

Claim 9

A system for providing communications between a computing apparatus and a plurality of peripheral devices located externally of said computing apparatus, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; said computing apparatus including a computer processing unit; said computer processing unit and each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address; the system comprising: a plurality of buffer means for establishing an interface between said computing apparatus and said plurality of external buses, there at least being one respective buffer means of said plurality of buffer means for each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses; an internal bus means for providing communication path routing within the system, said internal bus means operatively connecting said plurality of buffer means with said computer processing unit; and a bus control means for controlling routing of data among said computer processing unit and said plurality of peripheral devices; said bus control means being operatively connected with said internal bus means and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information representing selected correspondences between each said respective peripheral device with said at least one respective buffer means, said bus control means responding to signals received from said computer processing unit to select specified routing information from said stored routing information for establishing communication path routing required by said signals.

Claim 10

A system for providing communications between a computing apparatus and a plurality of peripheral devices located externally of said computing apparatus, said plurality of peripheral devices being arrayed in operative connection with a plurality of external buses; said computing apparatus including a computer processing unit; said computer processing unit and each respective peripheral device of said plurality of peripheral devices being uniquely identified by an address; the system comprising: a plurality of buffer means for establishing an interface between said computing apparatus and said plurality of external buses, there at least being one respective buffer means of said plurality of buffer means for each respective external bus of said plurality of external buses; an internal bus means for providing communication path routing within the system, said internal bus means operatively connecting said plurality of buffer means with said computer processing unit; and a bus control means for controlling routing of data among said computer processing unit and said plurality of peripheral devices; said bus control means being operatively connected with said internal bus means and said computer processing unit; said bus control means including an information storage means for retaining stored routing information representing selected correspondences between each said respective peripheral device with said at least one respective buffer means, said bus control means responding to signals received from said computer processing unit to select specified routing information from said stored routing information for establishing communication path routing required by said signals.