Appeal 2007-1084
Application 09/764,543
because of the nature of its management functions, may be aptly
characterized as a network infrastructure device as claimed.
The corresponding arguments as to this feature at pages 4 and 5 of the
Reply Brief are equally unpersuasive of patentability.
The Examiner addresses the argued absence of the claimed correlation
module beginning at the bottom of page 9 of the Answer. We agree with
this correlation. In addition to the Examiner’s relied-upon discussion of PC
112 beginning at the bottom of column 16 through the middle of column 17,
it is noted that the configuration memories discussed there are with respect
to all nodes and all devices connected to the respective outlets as shown in
figure 23. The discussion beginning at column 19, line 3 as relied upon by
the Examiner, indicates that each node may furnish its location to another
node and that the nodes actively communicate with each other. The
addressability and locatability of the respective nodes and devices are also
illustrated beginning at figure 24 of Nakamura through figure 32. A
topology map is prepared according to the flow chart function in figure 29,
element S2902. Figure 31 shows a broadly defined association, to the extent
argued not to be present in Nakamura, of the nodes and their identification
with respect to the basic functional elements and a room index and the
respective details of the nature of the devices actually located there. This
room index is displayed in figure 32 and is consistent with the home network
architecture broadly shown in figure 1.
Thus, it is readily apparent to us and to the artisan that Nakamura does
associate information location identifiers corresponding to physical
locations. The room index of Nakamura clearly identifies the room and
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