Appeal No. 1998-0219 Page 6
Application No. 08/265,000
that the sub-master stations transmit a predetermined time
after the master station, because time delays in
communications due to air interface interference/propagation
are well known in the art (Col. 7;12-16).” (Paper No. 21 at
4.) He explains, ”even a microsecond delay, no matter how
infinitesimal, would cause transmissions to happen at
different times.” (Id. at 6-7.) The examiner also alleges,
“Schuermann discloses the use of CSMA protocols, which prevent
all sub-masters from transmitting at the same time, because a
collision would result and both sub-masters would transmit at
a later time.” (Id. a 7.)
“‘[T]he main purpose of the examination, to which every
application is subjected, is to try to make sure that what
each claim defines is patentable. [T]he name of the game is
the claim ....’” In re Hiniker Co., 150 F.3d 1362, 1369,
47 USPQ2d 1523, 1529 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (quoting Giles S. Rich,
The Extent of the Protection and Interpretation of Claims --
American Perspectives, 21 Int'l Rev. Indus. Prop. & Copyright
L. 497, 499, 501 (1990)). Here, claim 4 specifies in
pertinent part the following limitations:
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