Method for operating a local terminal to execute a downloaded application program
AssigneeVeri Fone Inc.
InventorsJames M. Carron, Brian K. Uechi, Mohammed A. Khan, Clifton W. Royston, III, Jay A. Abel, Bradley J. Ferlane, Robert K. L. Loui, William R. Pape, III
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal which includes a programmable computer so that the terminal executes a pre-arranged application program. More specifically, the present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal according to a pre-arranged application program which is created on a remote computer, then communicated by a communication channel to the local terminal where it is stored for execution.
Claims18
In a method for operating a local terminal which includes a local computer system comprising a central processor unit, a read only memory coupled to said central processor unit, a random access memory coupled to said central processor unit, and a communication channel coupled to said central processor unit for communicating with a remote computer system, the steps of:
- a. establishing a set of general purpose operation routines to be executed by said local computer system, each of said general purpose operation routines comprising a set of instructions for execution by said central processor unit in a prearranged manner to accomplish a specific task;
- b. storing said set of general purpose operation routines in said read only memory;
- c. defining a set of commands where each command of said set of commands is associated with a specific general purpose operation routine and including at least an operation code of a plurality of operation codes relating said command to said specific general purpose operation routine, each of said commands having an associated command code length which is either equal to or, in most cases, substantially less than the code length of said specific general purpose operation routine;
- d. establishing at said remote computer system at least one application program module comprising a prearranged sequence of said commands;
- e. communicating said application program module from said remote computer system to said local computer system via said communication channel, including the step of storing for each of said set of commands said operation code associated with said prearranged sequence of commands in said random access memory;
- and
- f. establishing in said local computer system a program execution routine for enabling said central processor unit to execute said application program module by repetitively performing the steps of:
- (1) reading said associated operation code stored in said random access memory;
- (2) accessing a specific general purpose operation routine associated with said read operation code;
- and
- (3) executing said specific general purpose operation routine.
In a method for operating a local terminal which includes a local computer system comprising a central processor unit, a read only memory coupled to said central processor unit, a random access memory coupled to said central processor unit, and a communication channel coupled to said central processor unit for communicating with a remote computer system, the steps of:
- a. defining a set of different specific tasks to be carried out by said local computer system;
- b. establishing a set of general purpose operation routines to be executed by said local computer system, each comprising a set of instructions for execution by said central processor unit in a prearranged manner to accomplish one of said specific tasks;
- c. storing said set of general purpose operation routines in said read only memory;
- d. defining a set of commands where each command of said set of commands is associated with a specific one of said general purpose operation routines and including at least an operation code relating said command to said specific general purpose operation routine, each of said commands having an associated command code length which is either equal to or, in most cases, substantially less than the code length of said associated general purpose operation routine;
- e. establishing at said remote computer system at least one application program module comprising a prearranged sequence of said commands defining a desired functional feature for said local terminal;
- f. communicating said application program module from said remote computer system to said local computer system via said communication channel, including the step of storing for each of said set of commands said operation code associated with said prearranged sequence of commands in said random access memory;
- and
- g. establishing in said local computer system a program execution routine for enabling said central processor unit to execute said application program module by repetitively performing the steps of:
- (1) reading said associated operation code stored in said random access memory;
- (2) accessing a specific general purpose operation routine associated with said associated operation code;
- and
- (3) executing said specific general purpose operation routine.
In a method for operating a local terminal to perform a set of predefined functions, said local terminal including a local computer system comprising a central processor unit, a read only memory coupled to said central processor unit, a random access memory coupled to said central processor unit, and a communication channel coupled to said central processor unit for communicating with a remote computer system, and input means for selecting one of said predefined functions, the steps of:
- a. establishing a set of general purposes operation routines to be executed by said local computer system, each of said general purpose operation routines comprising a set of instructions for execution by said central processor unit in a prearranged manner to accomplish a specific task;
- b. storing said set of general purpose operation routines in said read only memory;
- c. defining a set of commands where each command of said set of commands is associated with a specific general purpose operation routine and including at least an operation code relating said commands to said specific general purpose operation routine, each of said commands having an associated command code length which is either to or, in most cases, substantially less than the code length of said specific general purpose operation routine;
- d. establishing at said remote computer system a plurality of application programs, each of said application programs comprising a different set of application program modules which together define a different set of predefined functions for a local terminal to perform, each of said application program modules comprising a prearranged sequence of said set of commands to provide one of said predefined functions;
- e. communicating a preselected application program from said remote computer system to said local computer system via said communication channel, including the step of storing for each of said set of commands said operation code associated with said prearranged sequence of commands in each of said application program modules of said preselected application program in said random access memory;
- and
- f. establishing in said local computer system a program execution routine for enabling said central processor unit to execute a selected one of said application program modules in response to said input means by repetitively performing the steps of:
- (1) reading said associated operation code associated with said selected application program module stored in said random access memory;
- (2) accessing a specific general purpose operation routine associated with said associated operation code;
- and
- (3) executing said specific general purpose operation routine.
In a method for programming a local terminal, the steps of:
- establishing a tokenized interpretive programming language having a plurality of commands and corresponding syntax including a source level command and parameter syntax, an associated object level command and parameter syntax including a defined operation code for each of said commands, a program module structure, application modules and a compiler for translating source level commands in said application modules to said object level command capable of being assembled and linked into binary code;
- establishing a set of operation routines for execution by said terminal to perform a set of terminal tasks;
- storing said operation routines in said local terminal;
- defining a set of commands using said source level command and parameter syntax, each being associated with one of said operation routines;
- creating an application program comprising a sequence of said source level command in accordance with said program module structure;
- compiling said application program using said compiler;
- assembling and linking said program using a standard machine code assembler and linker program;
- communicating said program to said terminal for storage in local memory therein;
- and
- operating said terminal using said application program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.