Appeal No. 97-3423
Application 08/336,134
Referring to Figure 24, the system planar board 90
includes, inter alia, a microcontroller 232, an electrically
programmable read only memory (or "EPROM") 234, and a static
random access memory (or "SRAM") 236 (col. 19, line 54 to col.
20, line 1). In contrast to the motherboard contained in the
notebook computer, the system planar board 90 does not provide
full computer processing control; rather, its purpose is to
control the operation of the . . . motorized docking
system, control the energization of the notebook
computer 12 and selected operating components of the
docking station 14 to prevent potentially damaging
voltage mismatches, provide an operative interface
between the internal operating components in the
docking station and notebook computer, and link the
docked notebook computer to the docking station
drives 72,74,88 and the external peripheral devices
48,50 and 52. [Emphasis added.] [Col. 11, lines 50-
63.]
The examiner contends (albeit for the first time in the
Answer, at 4) that this "operative interface"
must have been configured[](at some time) for the
hardware to properly communicate between docking
units. Also, in the design of the docking system
the designer would have selected optimal options and
criteria so that the best possible docking system
would have been achieved. Swindler et al. wholly
anticipates properly interfacing between docking
units and optimal performance would have been
expected from their system.
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