How Alan Turing Designed Early Computer Memory Systems
A 1951 patent by Alan Turing and colleagues describing methods for moving data between different storage types in early digital computers.
Original patent title: “Data storage transfer means for a digital computer”
A 1951 patent by Alan Turing and colleagues describing methods for moving data between different storage types in early digital computers. Granted to Nat Res Dev in 1957 with 17 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a system for managing data movement between a high-speed, limited-capacity memory (like a delay line or register) and a larger, slower secondary storage medium. It focuses on the timing and synchronization required to transfer information chunks between these two tiers. By using specific control signals, the system ensures that data is correctly addressed and read or written without losing the sequence of bits. This was essential for computers that used acoustic delay lines, where data had to be constantly refreshed.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover modern solid-state drive (SSD) flash memory architectures.
- Does not cover graphical user interface (GUI) data management.
- Does not cover cloud-based distributed storage systems.
- Does not cover non-digital or purely mechanical calculating machines.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The invention cleverly uses the physical timing of the hardware itself to dictate the flow of data, rather than relying on complex software-based interrupt systems that didn't exist yet.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
The Pilot ACE computer
Early mercury delay line memory systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents one of the earliest attempts to solve the 'memory wall' problem—the speed gap between fast processors and slow storage. It reflects the foundational work done at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, which helped define the architecture of the ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) computer.
Filed
April 23, 1951
Granted
July 16, 1957
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Modern computer architects at companies like Intel and AMD continue to refine the principles of hierarchical memory management, though they now use vastly different physical technologies like SRAM and DRAM.
Market impact
This work helped establish the feasibility of the stored-program computer, a concept that triggered the entire modern computing industry. It moved the field away from specialized, single-purpose calculators toward general-purpose machines capable of complex data processing.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a system for managing data movement between a high-speed, limited-capacity memory (like a delay line or register) and a larger, slower secondary storage medium. It focuses on the timing and synchronization required to transfer information chunks between these two tiers. By using specific control signals, the system ensures that data is correctly addressed and read or written without losing the sequence of bits. This was essential for computers that used acoustic delay lines, where data had to be constantly refreshed.
The clever bit
The invention cleverly uses the physical timing of the hardware itself to dictate the flow of data, rather than relying on complex software-based interrupt systems that didn't exist yet.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover modern solid-state drive (SSD) flash memory architectures.
- Does not cover graphical user interface (GUI) data management.
- Does not cover cloud-based distributed storage systems.
- Does not cover non-digital or purely mechanical calculating machines.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
25/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$14K – $46K
Midpoint $29K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Mathison, T. A., Watts, D. D., & Michael, W. (1957). How Alan Turing Designed Early Computer Memory Systems (U.S. Patent No. 2,799,449). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2799449/turing-computer-data-storage
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Alan Turing Designed Early Computer Memory Systems cover?
A 1951 patent by Alan Turing and colleagues describing methods for moving data between different storage types in early digital computers.
Who owns patent US 2799449?
Nat Res Dev owns this patent, granted in 1957.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 2799449 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 17 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents one of the earliest attempts to solve the 'memory wall' problem—the speed gap between fast processors and slow storage. It reflects the foundational work done at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, which helped define the architecture of the ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) computer.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover modern solid-state drive (SSD) flash memory architectures.
Patent monitoring