1 Application for patent filed August 27, 1993.
cycle, to compare not only the two bits currently
being clocked through the cell, but also to consider
whether all of the
previously considered pairs of bits have also shown
equivalence. Consequently, Batcher’s equivalence
function is incapable of performing the claimed
function. (Brief-pages 36 and 37.)
The Examiner responds:
Regarding claim 14 and its dependent claims 15, 24 and 32
and single bit and multibit operation; as stated
above; Batcher’s lowest level processing elements
are single bit devices, however, since they are
arranged in an array (rows and columns) Batcher could
also be viewed as a column of multibit devices, with
the associated multibit operands and masks. Guttag
discloses a graphics data processor which has a
plurality of bit cells connected together as a multibit
apparatus in order to process pixels. Individual bits
or fields are masked utilizing transparency masks or
plane masks. It would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
made to provide masks appropriate to the data field being
processed in order to provide functionality for the
intended application, such as image processing, pattern
matching etc. The size of the data field (single bit or
multibit) being processed would be specific to the
intended application. Regarding claims 14-15; Batcher
discloses an equivalence function using an (inclusive) OR
gate in Col. 9, which has as inputs the P and G registers
and outputs a one when the inputs are equal, the output
is put on the data bus and can feed the next processing
element as the P input to its comparator operation.
(Answer-pages 12 and 13.)
Again, the Examiner has not shown Appellant’s
claimed implementation to be shown or suggested by the cited
1 11
1Application for patent filed August 27, 1993.
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