Appeal No. 2001-0656
Application No. 08/976,645
requires a “channel skip message” rather than a transfer message)
to the primary station in order to transfer the communication
link to another matched secondary station. The primary station
transmits a release request to the secondary station to which the
link has been set up and issues a link establishment request to
establish a link with the other matched secondary station.
Accordingly, the claims require the secondary station that is
already in communication with the primary station, to go through
the primary station in order to transfer the link.
In contrast, Yamashita appears to disclose a chief sub-unit,
which is already in communication with the main unit, which does
not transmit a transfer request to the main unit, only other sub-
units that wish to become the chief sub-unit. The examiner
points to steps S406 and S409 in Figure 29 of Yamashita. These
steps are concerned with transmitting an assignment signal and
changing over the chief sub-unit but we find nothing therein
which would contradict appellants’ position that the chief sub-
unit changeover means is used by another sub-unit that is not in
communication with the main unit. A sub-unit designates itself
as the new chief sub-unit. There is no communication with the
primary station in order to transfer the link to another matched
secondary unit, or sub-unit, as required, in one form or another,
-8–
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