Ex Parte Shipley

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Apr 23, 2018

13784177 (P.T.A.B. Apr. 23, 2018)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
13/784, 177 03/04/2013 Arie SHIPLEY
30636 7590 04/23/2018
FAY KAPLUN & MARCIN, LLP
150 BROADWAY, SUITE 702
NEW YORK, NY 10038
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
40101122301 (2012.003) 1076
EXAMINER
FANG,PAKEE
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2642
MAILDATE DELIVERY MODE
04/23/2018 PAPER
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte ARIC SHIPLEY
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
Technology Center 2600
Before DENISE M. POTHIER, JUSTIN BUSCH, and SCOTT E. BAIN,
Administrative Patent Judges.
BUSCH, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 134(a), Appellant appeals from the
Examiner's decision to reject claims 1-20, which constitute all the claims
pending in this application. We have jurisdiction over the pending claims
under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We affirm.
CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER
Appellant's invention is generally directed to receiving from a smart
card, via close-proximity radio communication, and verifying a digital
signature prior to booting a smartphone. Spec. i-fi-13-5. If the verification
succeeds, the smartphone will securely boot, whereas if verification fails, the
smartphone will be disabled, "prevent[ing] malicious software applications
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
and/or unauthorized operating systems from loading during the system start-
up process of the device." Spec. i-f 29; id. i-fi-128-29. Claims 1, 8, and 15 are
independent claims. Claim 1 is illustrative and reproduced below:
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a mobile platform, a digital certificate from
an integrated circuit card ("ICC") via close-proximity radio
communication prior to booting the mobile platform;
verifying the digital certificate with a digital signature
stored on the mobile platform prior to booting the mobile
platform; and
booting the mobile platform upon verification of the
digital certificate of the ICC.
REJECTIONS
Claims 1-5, 8-12, and 15-18 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as obvious in view ofKanemura (US 2009/0204806 Al; Aug. 13, 2009) and
Kudo (US 2006/0026429 Al; Feb. 2, 2006). Final Act. 2--4.
Claims 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, and 20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as obvious in view ofKanemura, Kudo, and Kato (US
2006/0200681 Al; Sept. 7, 2006). Final Act. 4--5.
ANALYSIS
We have reviewed the Examiner's rejections in light of Appellant's
arguments that the Examiner erred. In reaching this decision, we have
considered all evidence presented and all arguments Appellant made.
Arguments Appellant could have made, but chose not to make in the Briefs,
have not been considered and are deemed waived.
The Examiner finds Kanemura teaches every limitation recited in the
independent claims, except that Kanemura does not "explicitly teach the
loading as part of booting"; the Examiner further finds "Kudo discloses
(Figs. 1 and 7) booting the mobile platform upon verification of the digital
2
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
certificate of the storage (Fig. 7 steps 715-725) [0008, 0046-556]." Final
Act. 2-3. The Examiner also provides a reason for combining Kudo's
teaching of performing verification prior to booting the platform with
Kanemura's cited teachings-i.e., to quickly and securely boot the platform.
Final Act. 3 (citing Kudo i-f 11 ).
CLAIMS 1-5, 8-12, AND 15-18
Appellant argues only that the combination of Kanemura and Kudo
fails to teach or suggest "receiving, by a mobile platform, a digital certificate
from an integrated circuit card ('ICC') via close-proximity radio
communication prior to booting the mobile platform," as recited in
independent claim 1. App. Br. 3---6; Reply Br. 2-6. Specifically, Appellant
contends (1) Kanemura discloses performing its mutual attestation process
"after the boot processes of both machines are completed," App. Br. 3--4,
(2) "booting the mobile platform" is not the same as starting an application,
App. Br. 4--5, (3) Kudo does not disclose "setting up a hosting environment
by receiving a digital certificate via close-proximity radio communication,"
App. Br. 5, and (4) combining Kudo's setup techniques with Kanemura's
teachings, App. Br. 5-6.
Appellant's Specification explains that, in some embodiments, the
claimed ICC (smart card) may be "a U.S. Government issued Common
Access Card ('CAC') used by military personnel and federal employees ...
stor[ing] an encrypted digital certificate issued from the public key
infrastructure ('PKI') provider." Spec. i-f 10. The Specification further
describes tying such a CAC "to a commercial off the shelf ('COTS')
handset, such as [a] mobile platform (e.g., a smartphone )"by "re-purposing
these cards as a hardware root of trust." Id. i-fi-1 11, 16; see id. at Fig. 1. In
3
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
one disclosed embodiment, when a smartphone is placed within near field
communications ("NFC") range of the CAC, the smartphone may read
authentication credentials (i.e., the digital certificate) from the CAC, verify
the credentials, and either boot the smartphone or render the smartphone
unusable, depending upon the verification result. Id. i-fi-121, 24, 27-29.
Appellant's Specification explains that such a process "helps prevent
malicious software applications and/or unauthorized operating systems from
loading during the system start-up process of the device." Id. i129.
Appellant does not argue for a special definition and, as indicated
above, Appellant's Specification does not explicitly define the disputed
phrase. Accordingly, we construe "booting a mobile platform" according to
the plain and ordinary meaning, as understood by a person of ordinary skill
in the art at the time of the invention. One dictionary provides a definition
of booting as "[t]o start or reset" the mobile platform, or "[t]o execute the
bootstrap loader program." See MICROSOFT COMPUTER DICTIONARY 69 (5th
ed. 2002) (definition of boot as a verb). This dictionary further explains
some of the context of these terms in its definition of "boot," when used as a
noun, defining boot as "[t]he process of starting or resetting" the mobile
platform, wherein the mobile platform "executes the software that loads and
starts the [mobile platform's] more complicated operating system and
prepares it for use." Id. (definition of boot as a noun). The same dictionary
defines a platform, in everyday usage, as "the type of computer or operating
system being used." Id. at 407---08.
Although Appellant's Specification does not provide an explicit
definition of "booting" or "mobile platform," let alone "booting a mobile
platform," the above dictionary definitions are consistent with Appellant's
4
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
Specification. See, e.g., Spec. i-fi-f l-2, (describing smart phones as an
exemplary mobile platform), 12 (explaining that "any mobile computing
devices, such as, but not limited to smartphones, mobile phones, tablet
computers, mobile computers, laptops, embedded devices, mobile Point of
Sale ('POS') devices, mobile printers, etc." may be used with the invention),
25 (explaining that security credential are to be entered "each time the
device is started, or booted'' (emphasis added)), 29 (describing the disclosed
secure booting method as helping to "prevent malicious software
applications and/or unauthorized operating systems from loading during the
system start-up process of the device"). Therefore, consistent with
Appellant's Specification, the plain and ordinary meaning of a "mobile
platform" is the hardware, firmware, and operating system of a portable
computing device. We note that originally filed claims 15-20 are also
consistent with this definition. Furthermore, the plain and ordinary meaning
of "booting a mobile platform" is starting the mobile platform, including
executing the software that loads the mobile platform's operating system.
Although we agree with Appellant that loading applications is not
equivalent to booting the mobile platform, see App. Br. 4--5 (quoting What is
Booting? Definition and Meaning, available at BusinessDictionary.com), we
note that the Examiner finds Kudo discloses "booting the mobile platform
upon verification of the digital certificate of the storage." Final Act. 3
(emphasis added) (citing Kudo i-fi-18, 46-56, Figs. 1, 7). Therefore,
notwithstanding the Examiner's statements in the Answer's Response to
Argument section, Kanemura need not disclose the entirety of the receiving
step because the Examiner relies on the combination of Kanemura and Kudo
to teach or suggest the receiving step. Final Act. 2-3.
5
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Application 13/784, 177
Kudo discloses that "[i]mmediately before a computer resource starts
the booting process, it reads a boot image and verif[ies] the e-signature of
the boot image, using the public key held in the computer resource." Kudo
i-f 8 (emphases added), 25. More specifically, Kudo further discloses a
computer resource BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) receiving a Wake Up
On LAN (Local Area Network) command that starts the booting process.
Kudo i-f 47. Similar to Appellant's disclosed invention, see Spec. i-fi-121, 27-
29, Kudo's BIOS then receives thee-signature via a storage area network,
verifies the e-signature, and either continues or aborts booting, depending
upon the verification result. Kudo i-fi-1 48-52.
Appellant asserts Kudo does not cure Kanemura's deficiency because
Kudo uses a network boot technique but fails to disclose performing its
function "by receiving a digital certificate via close-proximity radio
communication." App. Br. 5. Appellant's argument is not persuasive of
Examiner error because it is not responsive to the rejection as articulated by
the Examiner. Non-obviousness cannot be established by attacking
references individually where, as here, the ground of unpatentability is based
upon the teachings of a combination of references. In re Keller, 642 F.2d
413, 426 (CCPA 1981). As discussed supra, the Examiner relies on
Kanemura as disclosing receiving a digital certificate via close-proximity
radio communication. See Final Act. 2 (citing Kanemura i-fi-11196-1197,
1485).
Appellant also contends Kudo merely "continue[ s] a boot process that
was already initiated," but "does not disclose a terminal that performs any
function prior to the start of the boot process." Reply Br. 6 (citing Kudo
i-fi-147, 51-52, Fig. 7). First, this argument is unpersuasive because it is not
6
Appeal2017-008295
Application 13/784, 177
commensurate with the scope of the receiving step---namely, claim 1 recites
receiving the digital certificate "prior to booting the mobile platform." A
person of ordinary skill in the art, in light of our construction provided
above, would have understood that Kudo' s loading and verification of each
boot image are a preliminary part of initiating Kudo' s booting process. Put
another way, actions taken prior to Kudo finishing its booting process can
constitute actions taken "prior to booting" Kudo' s platform because Kudo
has not booted its platform until the process has completed. This
understanding is consistent with our claim construction, which is further
consistent with Appellant's claims 15-20 that define the mobile platform as
including a storage medium and a processor that receives a digital
certificate prior to booting the mobile platform.
Finally, Appellant argues that it would not have been obvious to
combine Kanemura's receiving step with Kudo's techniques because
processes run in "substantially different" ways before and after booting, such
that the recited receiving step generally "would require a fully booted
operating system for performance." App. Br. 5. Appellant further contends
the claimed method, which performs the receiving step before booting, "is
intended to provide a differentiating capability for operating systems on
mobile platforms." App. Br. 6.
Appellant does not contest that Kanemura discloses receiving a digital
certificate via close proximity radio communication. Furthermore, we agree
with the Examiner that Kudo discloses receiving and verifying a certificate
prior to booting its platform. The Examiner provides a reason with a
rational underpinning for combining Kudo's and Kanemura's asserted
teachings. Final Act. 3. Appellant's Specification provides an exemplary
7
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Application 13/784, 177
embodiment using a known smart card with a known mobile platform and
provides insufficient explanation regarding how invention performs the
receiving step differently than the prior art. See Spec. i-fi-f l 0-11, 16
(explaining that the claimed smartcard may be a known CAC and the
claimed mobile platform may be a known COTS (commercial off the shelf)
smartphone). Therefore, Appellant's argument does not persuasively rebut
the Examiner's rationale, and we agree with the Examiner that Kanemura' s
and Kudo' s combined would have at least suggested the recited receiving
step to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
For the reasons discussed above, we are no persuaded the Examiner
erred in rejecting independent claim 1, or claims 2-5, 8-12, and 15-18, not
argued separately with particularity. See App. Br. 6. Accordingly, we
sustain the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-5, 8-12, and 15-18 under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a).
CLAIMS 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, AND 20
The Examiner rejects claims 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, and 20 under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as obvious in view of Kanemura, Kudo, and Kato. Final Act. 4--5.
Appellant argues only that Kato does not cure the identified deficiencies in
Kanemura and Kudo and, therefore, claims 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, and 20 are
patentable for the same reasons asserted with respect to independent claim 1.
App. Br. 7; Reply Br. 6-7. Because we find no deficiency in the Examiner's
findings and conclusions with respect to independent claims 1, 8, and 15, we
sustain the Examiner's rejection of claims 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, and 20 under 35
U.S.C. § 103(a).
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Application 13/784, 177
DECISION
We affirm the Examiner's decision to reject claims 1-20 under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a).
No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with
this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a)(l )(iv).
AFFIRMED
9
Application/Control No. Applicant(s)/Patent Under Patent
Appeal No.
Notice of References Cited
13/784,177 2017-008295
Examiner Art Unit
2642
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
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NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS
* Include as applicable: Author, Title Date, Publisher, Edition or Volume, Pertinent Pages)
u Microsoft Computer Dictionary Fifth Edition, Microsoft Press
v
w
x
*A copy of this reference is not being furnished with this Office action. (See MPEP § 707.05(a).)
Dates in MM-YYYY format are publication dates. Classifications may be US or foreign.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
PT0-892 (Rev. 01-2001) Notice of References Cited Part of Paper No.
Page 1 of 1
Classification
Classification
Microsoft~
omputer
ictionar
Fifth Edition
PUBLISHED BY
Microsoft Press
A Division of Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
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Copyright © 2002 by Microsoft Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
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Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, ActiveStore. ActiveSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
BackOffice, BizTalk, ClearType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, Directlnput, DirectMusic,
DirectPlay, DirectShow, DirectSound, DirectX, Entourage, FoxPro, FrontPage, Hotmail, IntelliEye,
lntelliMouse, IntelliSense, JScript, MapPoint, Microsoft, Microsoft Press. Mobile Explorer, MS-DOS,
MSN, Music Central. NetMeeting, Outlook, PhotoDraw, PowerPoint, SharePoint, UltimateTV, Visio,
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Win32, Win32s, Windows, Windows Media, Windows NT, Xbox are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and
company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places.
and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product,
domain name, e-mail address, logo, person. place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
Acquisitions Editor: Alex Blanton
Project Editor: Sandra Haynes
Body Part No. XOS-41929
Boolean operator
Boolean operator n. An operator designed to work with
Boolean values. The four most common Boolean opera-
tors in programming use are AND (logical conjunction).
OR (logical inclusion). XOR (i;.:xclusive OR). and NOT
(logical negation). Boolean operators are often used as
qualifiers in database searches-for example.find all
records where DEPARTMENT= "marketing" OR
DEPARTMENT= "sales" AND SKILL= "word process-
ing ... Also called: logical operator. See also AND, exclu-
sive OR, NOT. OR.
Boolean search n. A database search that uses Boolean
operators. See also Boolean operator.
boost vb. To strengthen a network signal before it is
transmitted further.
boot1 11. The process of starting or resetting a computer.
When first turned on (cold bool) or reset (warm boot). the
computer executes the software that loads and starts the
computer's more complicated operating system and pre-
pares it for use. Thus. the computer can be said to pull
itself up by its own bootstraps. Also called: bootstrap. See
also BIOS. bootstrap loader, cold boot, warm boot.
boot2 vb. L To start or reset a computer by turning the
power on. by pressing a reset button on the computer case.
or by issuing a software command to restart. Also called:
bootstrap. boot up. See also reboot. 2. To execute the
bootstrap loader program. Also called: bootstrap. See also
bootstrap loader.
bootable adj. Containing the system files necessary for
booting a PC and iunning it. See also boot2•
bootable disk n. See boot disk.
boot block 11. A portion of a disk that contains the operat-
ing-system loader and other basic information that enables
a computer to start up. See also block 1 (definition 5).
boot disk 11. A floppy disk that contains key system
files from a PC-compatible operating system and that
can boot. or start. the PC. A boot disk must be inserted
in the primary floppy disk drive (usually drive A:) and
is used when there is some problem with starting the PC
from the hard disk. from which the computer generally
boots. Also called: bootable disk. See also A:, boot
2
,
boot drive, hard disk.
Bootstrap Protocol
boot drive 11. In a PC-compatible computer. the disk drive
that the BIOS uses to automatically load the operating sys-
tem when the computer is turned on. Generally. the default
boot drive is the primary floppy disk drive A: in PC-com-
patible computers with MS-DOS, Windows 3x. or Win-
dows 9x operating systems. If a floppy disk is not found in
that drive. the BIOS will check the primary hard disk next,
which is drive C:. The BIOS for these operating sys-
tems can be reconfigured to search drive C: first by
using the BIOS setup program. See also A:. BIOS, disk
drive, hard disk.
boot failure n. The inability of a computer to locate or
activate the operating system and thus boot. or start, the
computer. See also boot2.
boot files 11. The system files needed to start Microsoft
Windows. The boot files include Ntldr and Ntdetectcom.
See also partition boot sector.
boot loader 11. See bootstrap loader.
BOOTP 11. See Bootstrap Protocol.
boot partition 11. The partition on a hard disk that con-
tains the operating system and support files that the sys-
tem loads into memory when the computer is turned on or
restarted.
boot record n. The section of a disk that contains the
operating system.
boot sector n. The portion of a disk reserved for the
bootstrap loader (the self-starting portion) of an operating
system. The boot sector typically contains a short machine
language program that loads the operating system.
bootstrap1 11. See boot 1.
bootstrap2 vb. See boot2•
bootstrap loader 11. A program that is automatically run
when a computer is switched on (booted). After first per-
forming a few basic hardware tests. the bootstrap loader
loads and passes control to a larger loader program. which
typically then loads the operating system. The bootstrap
loader typically resides in the computer's read-only mem-
ory (ROM).
69
Bootstrap Protocol 11. A protocol used primarily on
TCP/IP networks to configure diskless workstations.
RFCs 951 and 1542 define this protocol. DHCP is a later
boot configuration protocol that uses this protocol. The
pixel map
pixel map n. A data structure that dcscrihcs the pixel
image of a graphic. including such features as color.
image. resolution. dimensions. storage format. and num-
ber of bits used to describe each pixel. See also pixel, pixel
image.
PJL 11. See Printer Job Language.
PJ/NF 11. Acronym for projection-join normal form. See
normal form (definition l ).
PKUNZIP n. A shareware utility program that uncom-
presses files compressed by the PKZIP shareware utility
program. PK UNZIP is generally made available with
PKZIP; distribution of PK UNZIP for commercial pur-
poses is not permitted without obtaining permission from
its publisher, PK ware. Inc. See also PKZIP.
PKZIP n. A widely used shareware utility program for
compressing tiles. Developed by PK ware. Inc .. in 1989
and available from a wide variety of sources. PKZIP can
combine one or more files into a compressed output file
having the extension .zip. A companion utility program.
PK UNZIP. is required to uncompress the compressed
files. See also PK UNZIP. shareware. utility program.
PLA n. Acronym for programmable logic array. See field-
programmable logic array.
placeholder n. I. A character that masks or hides another
character for security reasons. For example. when a user
types a password. an asterisk is displayed on the screen to
take the place of each character typed. 2. Text or some
other element used in an application as an indicator that
the user should enter in his or her own text.
Plain Old Telephone Service fl. See POTS.
plaintext fl. I. Nonencrypted or decrypted text. See also
decryption, encryption. 2. A file that is stored as plain
ASCII data. Com11are ciphertext.
plain vanilla adj. Ordinary; the standard version of hard-
ware or software without any enhancements. For example,
a plain vanilla modem might have data transfer capability
but no fax or voice features.
.plan fl. A file in a UNIX user's home directory that is dis-
played when other users finger that account. Users can
enter information into .plan files at their discretion to pro-
vide information in addition to that normally displayed by
the finger command. See also finger.
platform
planar adj. 1. In computer graphics. lying within a plane.
2. In the fabrication of semiconductor materials. maintain-
ing the original flat surface of the silicon wafer throughout
processing. while the chemicals that make up the elements
that control the flow of current are diffused into (and
beneath) the surface.
planar transistor 11. A special form of transistor that is
fabricated with all three elements (collector. emitter. and
base) on a single layer of semiconductor material. The
structure of a planar transistor permits it to dissipate rela-
tively large amounts of heal. making this design suitable
for power transistors. Sec the illustration.
Insulating layer
Collector
Planar transistor.
plasma display n. See gas-discharge display.
plastic leadless chip carrier n. See PLCC.
plastic transistor 11. A transistor produced entirely from
plastic rather than the traditional silicon. A plastic transis-
tor is flexible enough to be embedded in curved surfaces
or folded. Production of plastic transistors begins with a
thin piece of clear plastic. onto which layers of plastic are ~
printed or sprayed through a mesh. The result is a light- ..-
weight. flexible and transparent transistor that can be man-
ufactured in high volumes for a fraction of the cost of
silicon transistors. The flexibility and low-cost of plastic
transistors make them useful in applications from trans-
parent foldable displays to one-use product containers. See
also electronic paper.
407
platen 11. The cylinder in most impact printers and type-
writers. around which the paper wraps and against which
the print mechanism strikes the paper. The paper bail. a
spring-loaded bar with small rollers. holds the paper
smoothly against the platen just above the print mechanism.
platform 11. 1. The foundation technology of a computer
system. Because computers are layered devices composed
Platform.for lntemetContent,$election
of a chip-level hardware layer, a firmware and operating-
system layer, and an applications program layer, the bot-
tommost layer of a machine is often called a platform.
2. In everyday usage, the type of computer or operating
system being used.
Platform for Internet Content Selection n. A specifi-
cation for rating and labeling Internet content. Originally
developed by the World Wide Web Consortium to enable
parents, teachers, administrators, and other caretakers to
control the material to which children have online access,
its use has expanded to include the protection of privacy
and intellectual property. PICS is not itself a system for rat-
ing Internet content. Rather, it specifies the format conven-
tions to be used by rating systems in devising labels that
can be read by PICS-compatible software. Acronym: PICS.
Platform for Privacy Preference Project n. See P3P.
Platform for Privacy Preferences n. See P3P.
platform invoke n. The functionality provided by the run
time to enable managed code to call unmanaged native
DLL entry points.
platter n. One of the individual metal data storage disks
within a hard disk drive. Most hard disks have from two to
eight platters. See the illustration. See also hard disk.
Platter.
player n. In relation to digital audio, a program that plays
music and other audio files that have been ripped (trans-
ferred from a compact disc to a hard disk) and then
encoded in a playable format, such as MP3. See also
encoder, MP3, ripper.
PlayStation n. Sony Corporation's console computer
entertainment gaming system. PlayStation 2, the latest
version, is a 128-bit system that features a 300-Mhz pro-
plotter
cessor, 32 MB of Direct RDRAM main memory, and a
floating-point performance of 6.2 GFLOPS. PlayStation 2
also offers the capability to play CDs and DVDs. See also
computer game, console game. Compare Dreamcast,
GameCube, Xbox.
PL/C n. A version of the PL/I programming language
developed at Cornell University and used on mainframe
computers. See also PL/I.
PLCC n. Acronym for plastic Ieadless chip carrier. An
inexpensive variation of the leadless chip carrier (LCC)
method of mounting chips on boards. Although the two
carriers are similar in appearance, PLCCs are physically
incompatible with leadless chip carriers. which are made
from a ceramic material. See also leadless chip carrier.
PLO n. See programmable logic device.
PL/In. Acronym for Programming Language I (One). A
programming language developed by IBM ( 1964-1969),
designed to bring together the key features of FORTRAN,
COBOL, and ALGOL while introducing such new con-
cepts as condition-based error handling and multitasking.
The result of this effort was a compiled, structured lan-
guage that was so complex that it never gained widespread
acceptance. Nevertheless. PL/I is still used in some aca-
demic and research environments. See also ALGOL,
COBOL, compiled language, FORTRAN.
PL/M n. Acronym for Programming Language for
Microcomputers. A programming language derived from
PL/I and developed in the early 1970s by Intel Corpora-
tion for microprocessors. PL/tvt was used primarily for the
creation of operating systems. See also PL/I.
plot vb. To create a graphic or a diagram by connecting
points representing variables (values) that are defined by
their positions in relation to a horizontal (x) axis and a ver-
tical (y) axis (and sometimes a depth. or z, axis).
plotter n. Any device used to draw charts, diagrams. and
other line-based graphics. Plotters use either pens or elec-
trostatic charges and toner. Pen plotters draw on paper or
transparencies with one or more colored pens. Electro-
static plotters "draw" a pattern of electrostatically charged
dots on the paper and then apply toner and fuse it in place.
Plotters use three basic types of paper handling: flatbed,
408