Appeal No. 94-3603
Application 08/001,121
As we discussed in our decision in parent Application
07/889,660, Appeal No. 94-3636, Kita does not search file
contents for a search string. Many of our comments regarding
Kita are applicable to limitations in the claims before us.
A "string" is a finite sequence of alphanumeric characters and a
"string search" is a search for that sequence of characters. 3
A string search is inconsistent with the image information stored
by Kita. Kita stores and retrieves images using hierarchical
category and sub-category menus. While the menu items in the
broad sort name menu 81a are strings of characters, Kita does not
search contents for that string. The menu items lead to
sub-category menu items as in menu 81b and then to a list of
files as in data area 81c. The files are categorized by titles
and keywords input by the operator (column 6, lines 47-51). The
files are retrieved by addresses attached to these titles and
keywords in the secondary information storage region (e.g.,
column 7, lines 23-27), not by a string search on the contents of
For the examiner's benefit we cite the following common3
examples of a string search: (1) the "Find" command from the
Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide (Ver. 4.0)(1988); (2) the "Search"
and "Word Search" commands from the WordPerfect manual (Ver. 4.1)
(1985); and (3) the "Find" command in the Macintosh Operating
System (as used with HyperCard) from The Complete HyperCard
Handbook by Danny Goodman (2d ed. 1988), pages 47-56. Copies of
the references are attached to this decision. We make no
comments regarding the patentability of the claims over the
references.
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