Appeal No. 2002-1491
Application 08/845,526
cubic B-spline curve represented by piecewise Bezier curves and Figure 5 shows the same cubic
curve shown in Figure 2, described instead by its equivalent Bezier control polygons B6-B10, all
in the context of providing computerized numerical control of a machine tool. The discussion of
the curve is in the context of explaining computerized numerical control of the motion of a
machine tool involving the curve. The examiner has cited to nothing which indicates that the
curve can or should be rendered by a graphics rendering pipeline by use of the same or similar
procedures as applied to numerical control of a machine tool.
The rejection of claims 1, 2, 6 and 8 is reversed.
The rejection of claims 13, 14 and 15 is affirmed.
B. The Rejection of Claim 7 for Obviousness over
Jia, Gharachorloo, Luken, Schulmeiss, and Sherman
Claim 7 depends from claim 6 which in turn depends from claim 1. The Sherman
reference was added by the examiner to account for the feature additionally recited in claim 7 as
compared to claim 6. The deficiency of the basic rejection of claims 1, 2, 6 and 8 as discussed
above is not cured or overcome by the additional reliance on the Sherman reference.
Accordingly, the rejection of claim 7 is reversed.
C. The Rejection of Claims 9 and 12 for Obviousness
over Luken, Jia, Schulmeiss, and Sherman
Claim 12 depends from independent claim 9. Claim 9 recites a method for rendering
NURBS defined curves or surfaces using the graphics rendering pipeline of a computer system
without first converting the NURBS defined curve or surface to a polygon mesh. The method
8
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