Appeal No. 2000-1703
Application No. 08/963,545
transmitting the information by a master node and wirelessly
repeating the information by a non-master node. In fact,
Gutzwiller teaches transmitting a command from the remote control
(a non-master node) only to the television set (another non-
master node) and repeating the command through power lines from
the television set to the dimmer (another non-master node).
Otherwise, power-line carrier connects and carries information
from the home controller to all the nodes and allows the
controller to send control signals over the power-line carrier
directly to each unit. Therefore, by merely using an infrared
remote control for transmitting a control signal to one of the
units, Gutzwiller does not teach or suggest that the home
controller wirelessly transmits control signals to a first non-
master node which repeats the signals to a second non-master
node, as required by Appellants’ claim 20.
We also agree with Appellants that Gutzwiller provides no
teaching or suggestion for modifying the disclosed power-line
carrier as a communication medium such that communications
between the home controller and all the appliances over the
power-line carrier may be performed wirelessly. Gutzwiller, in
fact, uses power-line carrier as the main medium to all of the
appliances and accommodates other medium such as wireless
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