State machine programming language, a method of computer programming and a data processing system implementing the same
OwnerTimothy James Hogan, Paul Leslie Carter +1inventors
InventorsTimothy James Hogan, Paul Leslie Carter, Joshua Elliott
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Abstract
A state machine language having a syntax requiring each state to be uniquely named and having associated state definition information including: i) the definition of each action to be executed upon transition to that state; and ii) the definition of each event which will cause transition to another state and the name of the next state to which operation will progress.
Claims27
A method of computer programming utilizing a state machine programming language including the steps of:
- defining a plurality of states according to the syntax of the state machine programming language, each state having state definition information including:
- i) a definition of each action to be executed upon transition to that state;
- and
- ii) a definition of each event which will cause transition to another state and the name of the next state to which operation will progress;
- wherein functions called by actions are defined separately from the state definitions.
A data processing system including:
- a storage device containing state information according to the syntax of a state machine programming language including:
- definitions for a plurality of states in which each state definition includes:
- i) a definition of each action to be executed upon transition to that state;
- and
- ii) a definition of each event which will cause transition to another state and the next state to which operation will progress;
- and
- iii) a processor which executes the actions in accordance with the state information for the current state and effects state transitions in response to event information;
- wherein functions called by actions are defined separately from the state definitions.
(Cancelled)
A system as claimed in 16 wherein the system is an automated voice-prompting telephone answering system.
A computer programmed to operate according to a state based programming language wherein to create a program the computer requires a user to enter state information according to a required syntax for each state including:
- i) a state name;
- ii) actions to be executed upon transition to the state;
- and
- iii) each event which will cause transition to another state and the name of the next state;
- wherein functions called by actions are defined separately from the state information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.