Ex parte SAYAH et al. - Page 7




          Appeal No. 96-0067                                                          
          Application 08/075,241                                                      

               Moreover, the appellants have not simply claimed mapping in            
          general.  Instead, a particular manner of mapping is required.              
          According to claim 1, each node of the second data structure maps           
          to at least one node at a single hierarchical level of the first            
          data structure.  As can be seen in the appellants' Figure 5, all            
          map linkages originating from a node of graph 200 lead to nodes             
          occupying the same level of hierarchy in tree 220.  The examiner            
          has not accounted for this feature of the invention, which has              
          not been conceded by the appellants (Br. at 8, lines 21-28).                
          We see this deficiency as another reversible error.                         
               It is further noted that claim 1 recites an interface means            
          for encapsulating the first and second data structures from the             
          inquiring applications.  The examiner states (answer at 3) that             
          Liang discloses an interface means for encapsulating, citing                
          Liang's column 6, line 45.  In the context of the appellants'               
          invention, encapsulating data structures means having symbolic              
          constructs, implemented by physical layers at lower levels of               
          abstraction, which can be specially tailored to suit particular             
          applications.  See specification, page 13, lines 22-31, page 17,            
          lines 7-13, page 18, lines 21-28.  A data hiding function is                
          implemented thereby to limit the amount of data accessed by each            
          application.  See specification, page 17, lines 11-13.  The                 


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