Appeal No. 1999-1602
Application No. 08/776,957
We thus interpret the words in accordance with their ordinary meanings. A
“polygon” is defined as a “closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.”
The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition at 961 (1982). A “hall” is a
“corridor or passageway in a building,” or a “large entrance room or vestibule in a
building; lobby.” Id. at 589. An “area” is “a section or region, as of land,” or a “distinct
part or section, as of a building, set aside for a specific function.” The word is also
considered an “inclusive” term that means any particular portion of a surface and
suggests a portion that spreads out in all directions from a center, with a vague
periphery. Id. at 126.
Instant claim 7 recites, “wherein the data indicates that each of plural objects and
an entrance hall area for collectively or panoramically displaying the objects is disposed
within a different one of the predetermined areas of the virtual space.” The claim thus
recites a function for the “entrance hall area”; in view of the disjunctive “or,” the claim
requires at least an entrance hall area for collectively displaying the objects. The
“entrance hall area” is thus interpreted as meaning visual indication of a distinct part or
section, as of a building, corresponding to a corridor, passageway, large entrance room,
or vestibule. The visual indication further requires that the virtual user may view objects
in the virtual space separated from the entrance hall area.1
1 Consistent with appellants’ disclosure, we interpret the entrance hall area as an area from which
the objects may be viewed; i.e., as not requiring any objects within the entrance hall area itself. (See
Brief, “Summary of Invention,” ¶ bridging pages 2 and 3.)
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