Ex Parte Lind et al - Page 2

               Appeal 2007-0376                                                                             
               Application 10/280,259                                                                       

                                             BACKGROUND                                                     
                      Appellants’ invention is directed to bi-directional communication                     
               among electrical modules in a motor vehicle.  According to Appellants,                       
               different communication buses may be used for different purposes according                   
               to the importance of the communication (Specification 3).  An understanding                  
               of the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary independent                      
               claim 10, which is reproduced as follows:                                                    
                      10. A method of two-way digital communication between a                               
               plurality of nodes arranged at different respective positions in a vehicle,                  
               comprising the steps of:                                                                     
                      providing at least first and second serial communication busses                       
               interconnecting said nodes;                                                                  
                      separating said nodes into at least first and second groups wherein                   
               communication of nodes belonging to said first group is more critical for the                
               operation of the vehicle than communication of the nodes in the second                       
               group;                                                                                       
                      connecting said nodes of said first and second groups of nodes to said                
               first and second communication busses, respectively;                                         
                      connecting each of said busses to a gateway node; and                                 
                      transferring digital information from a node within one bus to a node                 
               in another bus which is intended to receive said information, via the gateway                
               node.                                                                                        
                      The Examiner relies on the following reference in rejecting the                       
               claims:                                                                                      
               Berstis                          US 6,823,457 B1                         Nov. 23, 2004       




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