Appeal No. 1997-0895 Application 08/286,107 Hedberg: The software run by the host computer needs minimal changes to adapt to the network. Routing, connections, synchronization, network management and network protocol processing are handled by the crossbar interface 11 or 12 rather than by the host. Communications between crossbar interfaces 11 and 12 are handled by sub-network protocols running among crossbar interfaces; the host computers 13 and 14 do not directly participate in sub-network transmissions. Standard host network protocols and messages communicate “on top of” the underlying network provided by the crossbar interfaces and crossbar switch. Applications and network layers running on the host computers communicate with their peer layers running on other hosts within the network, unaware of the activity of the crossbar interfaces and crossbar switching. (Column 5, lines 13-28.) (Emphasis added.) As pointed out above, Hedberg teaches the obviousness of using components of different composition (e.g., fiber optic), and uses different protocols, or at least protocol layers. Thus, we will sustain the Examiner’s rejection of claim 26. Likewise, since all claims stand or fall together, we will sustain the Examiner’s rejection of claims 34 and 49 through 66. In view of the foregoing, the decision of the Examiner rejecting claims 26, 34 and 49 through 66 under 35 9-9-Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007