Appeal No. 2004-0292
Application 09/726,369
Representative claim 1 is reproduced below:
1. A method for optimizing access operations to and from a
data storage disc comprising steps of:
(a) calculating which data sectors to be accessed are on a
given track;
(b) constructing a skip mask according to the sectors to be
accessed on the track;
(c) pointing to a first skip mask bit in the skip mask with
a skip mask pointer;
(d) interpreting a current bit pointed to in the skip mask;
(e) transferring data in the data sector if the current bit
is one; and
(f) incrementing the skip mask pointer to a next mask bit.
The following references have been relied on by the examiner
in the final rejection:
“Automated Hardware Processing of Direct Access Storage Device
Skip Masks” (AHP), 39 IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, no. 5,
May 1996, pp. 121-22
“Skip Mask Operation in a No-ID Disk Drive” (SMO), 39 IBM
Technical Disclosure Bulletin, no. 6, June 1996, pp. 47-50
Claims 1, 2 and 4 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
being anticipated by AHP. As clarified by the examiner in the
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007