Appeal 2007-1427
Application 09/826,240
claim 25 as being anticipated by Mittal for the same reasons set forth in the
Answer.
Dependent claim 29
We consider next the Examiner’s rejection of claim 29 as being
anticipated by Mittal.
Appellant notes that claim 29 additionally requires the determining
step of claim 28 (from which claim 29 depends) to include aggregating a
number of switching transitions associated with the node. Appellant argues
that it cannot be found where Mittal determines a number of switching
transitions associated with a node (Br. 14).
In response, we note again that the frequency of switching transitions
in clock-driven digital circuits (e.g., a microprocessor) is determined by the
clock frequency (or a function of the clock frequency). Mittal explicitly
discloses dividing a system clock by two to implement a reduced-power
mode (col. 8, ll. 29-32, Fig. 2). Therefore, we find Mittal discloses the
argued feature of determining a number of switching transitions associated
with a node (i.e., by altering the clock frequency).
We further find the argued feature of determining a number of
switching transitions associated with a node is met by Mittal’s up/down
counter that, in one embodiment, increments its contents by one during each
clock cycle (i.e., switching cycle or switching transition) that the functional
unit (i.e., node) is active, as discussed supra (see also Mittal, col. 6, ll. 12-
19). Thus, we agree that Mittal’s counter determines the number of
switching transitions by counting. We find the counter value represents the
aggregate number of switching transitions. Therefore, we agree with the
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