Appeal No. 2003-1153
Application No. 09/349,214
"a crash classification mask" and "a restraint deployment code."
Therefore, our first step is to determine the meaning of the
terms "crash classification mask” and "restraint deployment
code."
Upon review of Appellants' application in entirety, we find
that Appellants do not provide a special meaning for the term
"mask." Therefore, the term "mask" in the claim is accorded its
ordinary and customary meaning. We rely on the attached
definition of the term "mask" in Computer Dictionary, Microsoft
Press, Second Edition 1994, for its ordinary meaning:
A binary value used to selectively screen out or let
through certain bits in a data value. Masking is
performed by using a logical operator (AND, OR, XOR,
NOT) to combine the mask and the data value. For
example, the mask 00111111, when used with the AND
operator, removes (mask off) the two uppermost bits in
a data value but does not affect the rest of the value.
This is shown in the figure, which uses the data value
11010101. See also logic operator, mask bit.
11010101 Data value
AND 00111111 Mask
00010101 Resulting value
Mask
An example of a masking operation using the logical
operator AND
Returning to Appellants' specification, at page 5,
Appellants disclose:
[T]he present invention is directed to a control
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