Appeal No. 2004-0545
Application No. 09/510,569
computer loads from a remote server, a portion of the BIOS. The portion of the
BIOS downloaded from the server to the computer is the POST code. See
column 18, lines 10-25. Rakavy also teaches that the POST code is used to
“initialize the standard system components” including video hardware. See
column 2, lines 12 through 16. We consider those portions of the POST code as
meeting the claimed dynamic links. We consider the act of transmitting the post
code from the server to the computer as meeting the claimed step of modifying
hardware configuration data. Further, we find that since the loader program is
running on the server and the POST data is downloaded from the server, the
data must necessarily be stored on the server. Accordingly, we find that Rakavy
teaches the claimed step of storing a hardware setup program and the step of
modifying hardware configuration data.
Appellants argue on page 6 of the brief that:
After the hardware setup operation has been completed, the data
processing system is physically de-coupled to the server data processing
system. Hence, Claim 1 (and similarly claims 5 and 17) recites a step of
“de-coupling said data processing system from said server data
processing system after a completion of said hardware setup operation “
(lines 13-14). Even though the word “physically” was not explicitly recited
in Claims 1, 7, and 17, the data processing system cannot be coupled to
the server data processing system via any software means without first
being physically coupled to the server data processing system; hence the
word “physically” is implied. (emphasis original)
Further on page 3 of the reply brief, appellants argue:
The term “coupling” generally means being joined together, and the term
“de-coupling” generally means being separated apart. In the context of
claim 1, the recited step of “de-coupling said data processing system from
said server data processing system” means that the data processing
system is being separated apart from the server data processing system.
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007