Appeal No. 1998-3424
Application No. 08/315,792
amounts of power, which has an adverse effect on the length of time a portable device
comprising the FIFO can operate without recharging.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A method of operating a first in-first out computer device having N storage
stages capable of storing N entries between an input and output, the computer device
responding to read and write commands for entries to be read from and written into the
computer device, the method comprising the step of: controlling the output so no
transition occurs thereon after a last one of said stages having an unread value stored
therein is read when a read command is supplied to the device without a write command
being supplied to the device.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Ward et al. (Ward) 4,864,543 Sep. 05, 1989
McClure 5,502,655 Mar. 26, 1996
(filed Apr. 1, 1994)
Claims 1, 5-17 and 20-22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as anticipated by
either one of Ward or McClure.
Reference is made to the brief and answer for the respective positions of appellant
and the examiner.
OPINION
Independent claim 1 is directed to the situation where the output is controlled so
that no transition occurs after a last one of the stages having an unread value stored
therein is read when a read command is supplied to the device without a write command
being supplied to the device. Independent claim 5 is directed to the situation where the
output is controlled so no transition occurs thereon in response to a command for erasing
all entries in the device. Independent claim 8 is directed to the situation wherein
2
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