# 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. - **Patent:** US 2799449 - **Original title:** Data storage transfer means for a digital computer - **Owner:** Nat Res Dev - **Granted:** 1957 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 17 - **Field:** semiconductors, software ## What it does 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. The Pilot ACE computer 2. Early mercury delay line memory systems ## Why it matters 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2799449/turing-computer-data-storage **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US2799449 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Early Hard Disk Drives Accessed Data Quickly](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3503060/hard-disk-drive) — A 1970 patent detailing a mechanical system for moving read-write heads across magnetic disks to retrieve stored information rapidly. - [How Wang An Invented the Magnetic Pulse Memory Core](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2708722/magnetic-core-memory-wang) — A 1949 invention by An Wang that used magnetic cores to store and transfer binary data, forming the backbone of early computer memory. - [How the ENIAC Computer Processes Data Using Electronic Pulses](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3120606/eniac-electronic-computer) — A foundational 1964 patent describing how the ENIAC computer used sequences of electronic pulses to store, read, and process numerical and qualitative data. - [How IBM's Storage Controllers Keep Data Backups in the Right Order](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5682513/cache-queue-entry-linking-for-dasd-record-updates) — A method for storage controllers to track and sequence data updates in a specific order, ensuring that remote backups remain consistent with the original data during a system failure. - [How Multi-Level Cell Memory Stores More Data in Less Space](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5903495/semiconductor-device-and-memory-system) — Toshiba's 1999 patent describes a method for storing multiple bits of data in a single memory cell by precisely controlling voltage levels during programming.