Appeal No. 2006-2217
Reexamination Control Nos. 90/006,789 and 90/007,420
contains general page mode memory controller teachings (e.g.,
Fig. 3). One of ordinary skill in the art seeking to implement a
page mode of memory access would have been led to consider the
page mode teachings of Bruce.
Patent Owner argues (Br49):
Bruce teaches clearly that the utility of its specific page
boundary detection methods depends on the unique
characteristics of graphics display systems. See Bruce at
col. 1:47-60. Therefore, the Bruce patent - according to
its own disclosure - does not address the needs of
non-graphics display systems for the detection of page
boundaries.
We disagree. The cited portion of Bruce does not state that
the method for page boundary detection and crossing is limited to
the disclosed graphics system. One of ordinary skill in the art
would have found Bruce highly relevant to the inventor's problem
of page boundary detection and crossing and, therefore, within
the scope of the prior art.
Claims 2-5, 7-11, 13-16, and 18-20
The examiner has determined amended claims 2 and 13 to be
patentable and confirmed the patentability of claims 3-5, 7-11,
14-16, and 18-20 over the additional reference to Churchward,
U.S. Patent 4,691,303. For completeness, and because we find
patent owner's arguments unpersuasive, we explain why independent
claims 2 and 13, and, hence, their dependent claims, are not
taught by Churchward, relied upon by the reexamination requester.
Patent owner's arguments that one skilled in the art would not
have been motivated to modify the refresh technique of "2164A"
because it teaches its own refresh schemes and the technique of
Churchward is incompatible therewith (Br44-46), are not
persuasive. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been
motivated to substitute a known refresh technique for its
disclosed advantages.
Claim 2 contains all of the limitations of claim 1, plus the
following limitations:
means for generating a memory refresh request signal at
predetermined intervals.
means for counting each of the refresh request signals;
means, coupled to the refresh request signal counting
means, for comparing a value of the counted refresh request
signals to a predetermined threshold value and for
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