area network. Specifically, the invention has a programmable
switching mechanism having a plurality of ports corresponding
to each of the network devices. The switching mechanism
interconnects a programmably selectable set of said plurality
of ports together in any programmably selectable ordered
sequence to form a ring network.
Representative claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A wiring hub for interconnecting a plurality of
network
components to form a local area network, each of said
plurality
of network components capable of sending and/or receiving
digital
communications signals, said wiring hub comprising:
a data signal bus; and
a programmably controlled switching mechanism connected
to said data signal bus, said switching mechanism including a
plurality of ports, wherein when said plurality of network
components is connected to said switching mechanism each of
said plurality of ports is electrically coupled to a different
one of the plurality of network components so as to pass
digital communications signals to and receive digital
communications signals from the network component to which it
is coupled, said programmably controlled switching mechanism
interconnecting a programmably selectable set of said
plurality of ports together through said data signal bus and
in any programmably selectable ordered sequence to form a ring
network.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Moran 4,032,893 June 28, 1977
Peterson 4,255,741 Mar. 10, 1981
Blount et al. (Blount) 4,633,245 Dec. 30, 1986
Franaszek 4,845,706 July 04, 1989
The following rejections are before us on appeal:
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