Patent US 4,041,471

A data processing system in which a programmed supervisor data processing machine and a programmed object data processing machine are interconnected. The object machine is typically a controller which receives input signals from and delivers output signals to interface vector buffer stores under control of an object machine program. The buffer stores connect to and from user devices. The supervisor machine operates to execute a supervisor machine program. The supervisor machine halts and starts the object machine, causes supervisor instructions to be executed in the object machine, extracts information from the object machine and restores the object machine to its prehalt status allowing the object machine to continue processing the object machine program.