Appeal 2007-1978
Application 10/185,702
address where the data is stored in the storage device, the transfer start logic
address (LEA) and the transfer length (LEN). (Findings 4-6.) We note that
similarly to Appellants’ identification of a first sector and the memory sector
length, Matsunami teaches the use of a start logic address and a transfer
length when the read request is submitted.
Further, we appreciate Beardsley’s teachings as evidence of how one
of ordinary skill in the art would have construed the transfer length disclosed
in Matsunami. We note that, similarly to Appellants’ invention and
Matsunami, Beardsley teaches a client issuing a SCSI command specifying a
logical block address and a transfer length to a controller to request the
transfer of data between a storage device and the client. Further, Beardsley
specifies that the transfer length indicates to the number of contiguous
blocks of data to be transferred from a logical block address. (Finding 7.)
We find that the transfer length discussed in both Matsunami and Beardsley
is being used in the same way, and in a similar SCSI environment.
Therefore, we agree with the Examiner that the ordinarily skilled artisan
would have construed Matsunami’s transfer length to similarly indicate the
number of contiguous blocks of data to transfer from the storage device to
the host device via the switch.
Additionally, Appellants argue that the claimed contiguous sectors
pertain to physical sectors in memory that are contiguous. (App. Br. 5.)
We find this argument to be unpersuasive. Neither Appellants’ claims nor
the Specification suggests that the contiguous memory sectors are in effect
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