Appeal No. 2002-2237 Page 2
Application No. 09/336,046
BACKGROUND
Appellants' invention relates to formed linked lists using
content addressable memory (CAM). An understanding of the
invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary claim 1,
which is reproduced as follows:
1. In a computing system, a method for traversing a linked
list comprising the following steps:
(a) accessing a first entry in the linked list; and,
(b) accessing a second entry in the linked list, including
the following substep;
(b.1) searching a content addressable memory, which
contains at least a portion of the second entry, for a reference
to the first entry in the linked list, the reference functioning
as a pointer from the second entry to the first entry, wherein
existence of the pointer within a valid entry is sufficient
identification of the valid entry as being uniquely the second
entry.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Holtz 4,366,551 Dec. 28, 1982
Smith et al. 5,283,882 Feb. 1, 1994
(Smith)
Claims 1, 3, 4, and 21 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Holtz.
Claims 2 and 5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
being unpatentable over Holtz in view of Smith.
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