Reexamination Control No. 90/005,742
Patent 5,253,341
1 accordingly limited to the merits of the rejections now before us.
2 E. Appellant's invention
3 Appellant's invention is directed to a method and an apparatus whereby an end user
4 station (EUS) transmits a query to a remote server in order to obtain audio/visual (AV) data
5 and/or graphical/tabular information which resides at the server. '341 patent, col. 2, ll. 24-30.
6 Figure 1 is a system overview showing the details of EUS 10 ("the EUS"), which can be
7 one of a plurality of EUS's. The EUS includes a remote query communication system 12 that
8 can communicate with the global server network 29 in any of three different ways: (a) via a DDS
9 (direct dial service) telephone line 33 and an optional concentrator device 19 to the end user's
10 local server 11A; (b) via a CATV adapter 22, cable 26A, and local CATV service center 26 to
11 the CATV's local server 11B; and (c) via an auxiliary input device 16, radio frequency link 37,
12 and local auxiliary service center 18 to the auxiliary's local server 11C. Id. at col. 3, ll. 21-32.
13 In operation, the EUS transmits a query to the host/server for the purpose of initiating a
14 process in the host/server. Id. at col. 2, ll. 29-30. The server, which is more powerful than the
15 EUS, responds to the query by performing processes such as indexing into a very large database,
16 data compression, and high-speed processing to generate a response. Id. at col. 2, ll. 30-35. The
17 less powerful EUS performs appropriate inverse processing (including data decompression
18 where appropriate) on the response. Id. at col. 2, ll.35-38. Because most of the processing
19 power resides in the server, the system is referred to as "asymmetric." Id. at col. 2, ll. 39-44.
appealable matter. Decision at 4 n.2.
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