Appeal No. 2005-2299
Application No. 10/603,714
Bucklen discloses a connection cable comprising an optical
cable (28/30) and, permanently fixed to the optical cable, an
integrated electrical connector for plug-in to a matching
electrical connector on a target device (paragraphs 0023 and 0025;
figure 3). The optical fibers in the optical cable are coupled at
one end to a semiconductor laser (32) and at the other end to a
photodiode (34), and the semiconductor lasers and photodiodes are
coupled to pairs of electrical contacts (27) (paragraphs 0024 and
0028; figure 3). As indicated by a definition of “protocol” relied
upon by the appellants (brief, page 3 - “a specific set of rules,
procedures or conventions relating to format and timing of data
transmission between two devices”), Bucklen’s disclosure that the
coupling of the semiconductor lasers and the photodiodes between
the optical fibers and the electrical contacts may be accompanied
by the insertion of signal formatters (paragraph 0028) would have
been interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art as
encompassing a change in format and protocol at that point.
The appellants argue that Bucklen has no circuitry that can
make changes in framing or timing of data transmission (reply
brief, page 7; reply brief, page 4). Because a protocol is a
specific set of rules, procedures or conventions relating to format
and timing of data transmission between two devices (brief,
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