Appeal 2007-1250
Application 10/458,537
all possible sources of a generated clock included in the circuit. Appellants
contend (Br. 10-11) that Daga's golden timing constraints include clocking
definitions and exceptions, but not all possible sources of a generated clock,
as timing constraints and sources of a generated clock are independent and
different concepts.
The Examiner asserts (Answer 3 and 6) that Daga's generating golden
timing constraints (104), which include clock definitions and exceptions,
"anticipates a reasonably broad interpretation of 'generating a data file
including all possible sources of a generated clock within a circuit.'" Thus,
the issue is whether Daga's golden timing constraints include all possible
sources of a generated clock included in the circuit.
Daga (col. 6, ll. 18-24) defines golden timing constraints as the user-
provided clock definitions at the start of the design and the false and multi-
cycle paths, or exceptions to single-cycle clocking. Appellants
(Specification 3: 9-10) define the initial static timing environment data as
including the design constraint file. Appellants (Specification 3: 4-7) further
define the design constraint file as the clock constraints, the design rule
constraints, and timing exceptions such as false and multi-cycle paths.
Therefore, Daga's golden timing constraints correspond to Appellants'
design constraint file, which is part of the initial conditions, and, thus, not to
all possible sources of a generated clock. We find no suggestion in Daga
that, and the Examiner has failed to present a convincing explanation as to
why, the golden timing constraints provide not only the initial constraints,
but also all possible sources of a generated clock within a circuit, as claimed.
Accordingly, we cannot sustain the anticipation rejection of claims 1 through
27 over Daga.
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