Ex Parte Agarwala et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Feb 27, 2014

11563821 (P.T.A.B. Feb. 27, 2014)

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
____________

BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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Ex parte MANISHA AGARWALA, MARIA B. H. GILL,
and JOHN M. JOHNSEN
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Appeal 2011-012366
Application 11/563,821
Technology Center 2400
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Before EDWARD A. BROWN, LYNNE H. BROWNE, and JILL D. HILL,
Administrative Patent Judges.

HILL, Administrative Patent Judge.

DECISION ON APPEAL

Appeal 2011-012366
Application 11/563,821

2
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Manisha Agarwala et al. (Appellants) seek review under 35 U.S.C.
§ 134 from the Examiner’s decision finally rejecting claims 8-37. We have
jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We REVERSE.
CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER
Claims 8, 18, and 28 are independent. Claim 8 represents the subject
matter on appeal and is reproduced below with the key disputed limitation
emphasized.
8. A method of processing emulation trace
information, comprising:
receiving emulation trace information associated with
operation of a data processor, said emulation trace
information arranged according to a selected one of a
plurality of different information log formats; and
controlling an information transfer operation wherein
said emulation trace information is transferred via an
information transfer path, including implementing a state
machine that includes a plurality of different states that
respectively correspond to said information log formats.

REJECTION
The following rejection is before us for review:
Claims 8-37 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C § 102(e) as anticipated by
Swoboda (US 6,912,675 B2; iss. Jun. 28, 2005).

Appeal 2011-012366
Application 11/563,821

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ANALYSIS
Independent Claims 8, 18, and 28
The Examiner finds that Swoboda teaches all of the limitations of
claim 8, including a state machine having a plurality of different states that
respectively correspond to the selected information log formats. Ans. 3-4.
The Examiner finds the claimed state machine in Swoboda at line 23 of
column 8. Ans. 10. The Examiner finds selection of information log
formats in Swoboda at lines 54-60 of column 8, and correspondence of states
to log formats at lines 50-53 of column 8. Swoboda discloses:
Trace displays are automatically correlated to the source code
that generated the trace log. The emulator provides both the
debug control and trace recording function.
The debug facilities are programmed using standard
emulator debug accesses through the target chips' JTAG or
similar serial debug interface. Since pins are at a premium, the
technology provides for the sharing of the debug pin pool by
trace, trigger, and other debug functions with a small increment
in silicon cost. Fixed pin formats are also supported.
Swoboda, col. 8, ll. 50-60.
While we agree with the Examiner that Swoboda teaches a state
machine and an information log, the Examiner has not explained how
Swoboda’s different state machine states correspond to its information log
formats. More specifically, the Examiner does not explain how Swoboda’s
trace displays being correlated to source code that generates a trace log
necessarily teaches the claimed different states respectively corresponding to
selected information log formats.
Because the Examiner’s finding that Swoboda teaches each and every
limitation of claim 8 is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence,
we do not sustain the rejection of claim 8 as anticipated by Swoboda.
Appeal 2011-012366
Application 11/563,821

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Independent claims 18 and 28 also recite this limitation. Claims 9-17
depend directly or indirectly from claim 8 and thus include all of the
limitations of claim 8. Claims 19-27 depend directly or indirectly from
claim 18 and thus include all of the limitations of claim 18. Claims 29-37
depend directly or indirectly from claim 28 and thus include all of the
limitations of claim 28. For these reasons we also do not sustain the
rejection of claims 9-37.
DECISION
We REVERSE the rejection of claims 8-37 under 35 U.S.C § 102(e)
as anticipated by Swoboda.

REVERSED

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