Appeal No. 98-3047
Application No. 08/576,539
channel failure signal 110 when a fault is detected. (Channel failure signal 110 is also shown near the
top left of Fig. 4 of the reference.)
We agree with the examiner, as pointed out on page 7 of the Answer, that the “postprocessing
circuit” as claimed reads on AIS cell generator 102 (Fig. 4). We add that the “postprocessing circuit”
also reads on several alternative structures, such as FERF cell generation unit 625 (Fig. 4), since the3
claimed “circuit” is not required to perform any function except for the implicit function of receiving
information from the monitoring circuit. As the Miyagi disclosure details, in particular at column 6, lines
43-50, in the case that the “monitor/drop bit” is set to “drop” (i.e., the virtual path ends at this particular
physical line termination), a VP-FERF cell is generated. The VP-FERF cell includes failure information
from cells received in cell stream 107 (Fig. 4), as well as information received from the circuitry’s own
AIS cell generator 102. Information concerning a line or connection failure at this location would
eventually be processed by FERF cell generation unit 625, in the event that this physical line termination
is at the end of the virtual path. Information from the monitoring circuit, concerning a line defect, is thus
passed on to FERF cell generation unit 625.
We therefore sustain the rejection of Claim 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Miyagi.
3"Far End Receive Failure,” according to column 1, lines 34-43 of Miyagi.
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