Appeal No. 1997-3842
Application No. 08/385,074
through 12, 14 through 20, 22, 24 through 26, 28 through 30,
and 35 through 44.
Each of independent claims 1, 16, 25, 36, 37, and 38
recites, in pertinent part, plural read decoders and write
decoders , with the decoders arranging the memory cells of a1
search memory into simultaneously and independently readable
blocks and independently writable blocks, respectively. Each
claim further requires that each writable block shares at
least one memory cell with each readable block.
The examiner states (Answer, page 13) that "each one of
the picture element datas, i.e. X1, X2 ... X16, A1, ... A8 is
considered a block of data." He continues (Answer, page 14)
that "each one of the blocks of data as shown in Figure 8-11a
of Hirano contains a memory cell that is writable and
readable, and as such, the particular limitation of 'each of
the writable blocks shares at least one memory cell with each
of the readable blocks' as argued by the appellants is
nevertheless being considered met by Hirano." We cannot agree
1Claim 16 recites a means for arranging the cells rather than
specifying decoders.
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