throbber
;·,
`
`'\.,/
`UNITED STATES DiFARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: a:IMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
`Washington, D.C. 20231
`
`RUNG DATE
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`08/48!:5,507
`
`06/07/95
`
`HARVEY
`
`THOMAS .J SCOTT JR
`HOWREY AND SIMON
`12':19 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW
`WASHINGTON DC 20004
`
`:26M!/l:210
`
`VU.H
`ART UNIT
`
`2607
`DATE MAILED:
`
`PAPeR NUMIIEA
`
`/a
`
`12/10/96
`
`This Is a communication from lha examiner In charge of your application.
`COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
`
`OFRCEAcnONSUMMARY
`~pensive tocommunlcatlon(s) filed on _____ ____Jb!IOil_-___:(:....1.,1o<':....--L'7....:~:::._ __________ __ _
`0 This acUon Is FINAL.
`0 Since this appfication is in condition for allowance except for fonnal matters, prosecution as to the merits Is closed in
`accordance with the pracUce under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 D.C. 11; 453 O.G. 213.
`J --- month(s), or thirty days,
`-
`A shortened staMory period for response to this action is set to expire
`whichever is longer, from the mailing date of this communication. Failure to respond within the period for response will cause
`the application to become abandoned. (35 U.S.C. § 133). Extensions of time may be obtained under the provisions of 37 CFR
`1.136(a).
`
`Disposition of Claims
`~m(s) -----...f£--1-------------------- is/are pending in the application.
`Of the above, claim(s) _ _;_ ____________________ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`0 CJim(s) - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - - - - - . . , . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - is /a re allowed.
`ifclaim(s) - - - - -+ - - ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i s /a re rejected.
`0 Claim(s) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - is /a re objected to.
`0 Claims _______________________ are subject to restriction or election requirement.
`
`Application Papers
`0 See the attached Notice of Draftsperson's Patent Drawing Review, PT0-948.
`0 Jhe drawing(s) filed on
`is/are objected to by the Examiner.
`0 The proposed drawing correction, filed on
`is 0 approved 0 disapproved.
`0 The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`0 The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner.
`Priority unc:ier 35 u.s.c. § 119
`0 ACkn()VIledgement Is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)·(d).
`0 All 0 Some• 0 None
`of the CERTIFIED copies of the priority documents have been
`0 received.
`0 received in Application No. (Series Code/Serial Number)-----------
`0 received In this national stage application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`*Certffiedco~esnmrecelved: _______________________________________ .
`
`0 Acknowledgement is made of a claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e).
`Attachment( a)
`~otice of Reference Cited, PT0-892
`0 lnfonnation Disclosure Statement(s), PT0-1449. Paper No(s). ______ _
`0 Interview Summary, PTD-413
`0 Notice of Draflsperson's Patent Drawing Review, PT0-948
`0 Notice of Informal Patent Application, PT0-152
`- SEE OFFICE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES -
`
`PTOL-326 (Rav. 10/95)
`
`• US GPO: 1996-409-290140029
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 1
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-2-
`
`1.
`
`Preliminary amendments of 6/7/95 and 6/12/96 have been received and
`
`entered. Claims 1 and 2 have been canceled. Information disclosure statements filed
`
`on 12/11/95, 12/22/95, 2/6/96 and 4/17/96 have also been received and considered.
`
`2.-
`
`Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: disabled
`
`information and instruct-to-enable information are not the same. Therefore, the claim
`
`seems to be self-contradictory. Words such as "include" or "comprise" perhaps would
`
`have better served the intended meaning of the claim than the existing word "is" in
`
`line 1 of claim 5. Appropriate correction is required.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being
`
`indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter
`
`which applicant regards as the invention.
`
`Regarding claim 8,
`
`line 13, the recitation "said broadcast or cablecast
`
`transmission" lacks proper antecedent basis.
`
`Regarding claim 9, line 19, the recitation "said instruct-to-enable signal" lacks
`
`clear antecedent basis since it is unclear as to whether it refers to the instruct-to-
`
`enable signal generated by the transmission station (see line 1 0) or to the instruct-to-
`
`enable signal generated by the receiver station (see line 14). Referring to lines 18-19,
`
`the recitation "said transmitter station" also lacks clear antecedent basis.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 2
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-3-
`
`4.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102
`
`that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
`
`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless
`
`(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or
`in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for
`patent in the United States.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 3-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1 02(b) as being anticipated by
`
`Fletcher et al (hereinafter referred to as Fletcher) (USP 4,504,911).
`
`As to claim 3, Fletcher teaches a system for enabling programming presentation
`
`at a receiver station. The system comprises a tuner and demod 308 as a receiver for
`
`receiving at least some of an information transmission, video processor 306,
`
`comparator 302, buffer 304, generator 326, video and sync recombiner 328 as one
`
`or more enabling devices, microprocessor 310 (processor) and CRT 330) as an output
`
`device. Tuner and demod 308 of terminal 300 receives an information transmission
`
`from a remote. data base (receiving information transmission from remote source)
`
`wherein
`
`the
`
`information
`
`transmission comprises disabled video signals. The
`
`comparator 302 and buffer 204 of terminal 300 together identify a permission
`
`message and pass it to microprocessor 31 0 for processing (detecting the presence of
`
`instruct-to-enable signal and passing it to processor). In response to the received
`
`permission message microprocessor 31 0 of terminal 300 adjusts the way in which
`
`terminal 300 grabs the specific control program (modifying a station in which the
`
`station locates, identifies, or receives enabling information). Terminal 300 then loads
`
`in the selected control program based on the page numbers defined in the permission
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 3
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-4-
`
`message (locating, identifying, or receiving enabling information). The control program
`
`enables terminal 300 to grab rows of video signals for displaying on the terminal
`
`display (enabling disable information and outputting programming presentation). See
`
`figures 4-7, col. 8, lines 53-62, col. 9, lines 33-40 and lines 47-67, col. 42, lines 7-
`
`10, col. 43, lines 5-12 and col. 49, lines 28-36.
`
`As to claim 4, the control programs correspond to the enabling information or
`
`the second instruct-to-enable signal. Terminal 300 outputs the video signals based
`
`on the received control programs.
`
`As to claim 5, the programming video signals correspond to the second instruct-
`
`to-enable signal. The control programs are stored in the local memory 332 of terminal
`
`300. See col. 44, lines 33-48.
`
`As to claim 6, the storage of the control programs in the local memory 332
`
`evidences the reception and identification of control programs.
`
`As to claim 8, since terminal 300 can further communicate and transmit the one
`
`of the received programs to a remote device via a processor controlled port of 1/0
`
`interface 314 (see col. 45, lines 46-58), terminal 300 serves as both a receiver station
`
`and a transmitter station. The permission message (instruct-to-enable signal) is
`
`generated by the remote data base. The video signals and the permission message are
`
`broadcasted over a TV distribution system.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 4
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-5-
`
`6.
`
`Claims 3-9 are rejected under 35 U. S.C. 1 02(b) as being anticipated by Block
`
`et al (hereinafter referred to as Block) (USP 4,225,884).
`
`As to claim 3, Block teaches a method and system for enabling program
`
`presentation at a subscriber station equipment which comprises receiver 22,
`
`unscrambler 24 (enabling device), control unit 26 (processor), modulator 28 (output
`
`device). Receiver 22 receives the disabled television programming from the central
`
`station equipment (receiving an
`
`information
`
`transmission containing disabled
`
`information). The knob selection signal from subscriber control unit 30 is passed to the
`
`combination of category code generator which is a part of the control unit 26
`
`(processor). The category code generator then generates a category code signal which
`
`os used by the control unit to modify the fashion in which the unit locates, identifies,
`
`or receives category programs and their corresponding program scrambling codes and
`
`unscramble control signals VCS' and ACS' (modifying a fashion in which the station
`
`locates, identifies, or receives enabling information). The station then locates and
`
`receives a scrambling code signal RSC and unscramble control signals VCS' and ACS'
`
`(locates,
`
`identifies and
`
`receives enabling
`
`information). Unscrambler 24 then
`
`unscrambles the scrambled program based on the unscramble control signals VCS'
`
`and ACS' (enabling disabled information based on the step of locating enabling
`
`information). Finally, modulator 28 outputs the program presentation based on the
`
`unscrambled program it receives from unscrambler 24. See figures 1-4 and 6, col. 3,
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 5
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-6-
`
`line 62 to col. 4, line 20, col. 5, lines 23-26 and lines 33-37, col. 6, lines 1-8, col. 6,
`
`line 62 to col. 7, line 4, col. 9, lines 60-68, col. 10, lines 23-31 and lines 50-63.
`
`As to claim 4, the scrambling code signal corresponds to the enabling
`
`information or the second instruct:· to-enable signal. Unscrambler 24 and modulator 28
`
`output the unscrambled programming signals based on the scrambling code signal.
`
`As to claim 5, the scrambling code signal corresponds to the second instruct-to-
`
`enable signal. The scrambling code signal is stored in the signal storage device 68 of
`
`the receiver station. See figure 4 and col. 7, lines 5-8.
`
`As to claim 6, the temporary storage of the scrambling code signal in
`
`comparator 66 evidences the reception and identification of scrambling code signal.
`
`As to claim 7, Block teaches that a receiver station can communicate
`
`information that the program is actually viewed (evidencing the outputting of the
`
`program presentation) to the central station via access unit 32 for convenient billing
`
`purposes. See col. 5, lines 33-46.
`
`As to claim 8, transmitter 16 received scrambled program signals (receiving at
`
`a
`
`transmission station an
`
`information
`
`transmission which contains disabled
`
`information). Program ID code generator 50 generates a program code signal which
`
`causes the receiver station to unscramble scrambled program by modifying the way
`
`in which the receiver station locates, identifies, or receives the scrambling code
`
`(generating an
`
`instruct-to-enable signal). Transmitter 16 then broadcasts the
`
`scrambled program along with the program code. It is observed that at the receiver
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 6
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-7-
`
`the received program code is detected by detector 94 for used in the program
`
`comparison and identification of the scrambling code for the program. See figures 3'
`
`and 6.
`
`As to claim 9, Block teaches that control unit 26 receives from subscriber
`
`control unit 30 an accept signal ACC which effects the control unit of the subscriber
`
`station equipment to generate scramble code signals for enabling unscrambler 24 to
`
`unscramble the disable programming (receiving an instruct signal to effect the receiver
`
`station to generate an instruct-to-enable signal). Scramble code generator 50 receives
`
`from video sync detector a video sync signal (transmitter control signal) for generating
`
`a scramble code signal and transmitting it to transmitter 16 (receiving a transmitter
`
`control signal). The scrambled video signal is transmitted from the transmitter station
`
`to the receiver station. The accept signal ACC is transmitted from the subscriber
`
`control unit 30 to the Control unit 26. The video sync signal is transmitted from the
`
`video sync detector to the scramble code generator 50.
`
`7.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S. C. 1 03(a) which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as
`set forth in section 1 02 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be
`patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious
`at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject
`matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was
`made.
`
`I
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 7
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2607
`
`-8-
`
`8.
`
`Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1 03(a) as being unpatentable over Fletcher
`
`in view of Block et al (USP 4,225,884).
`
`Fletcher differs from the claim in that Fletcher does not teach the step of
`
`communicating to a remote station information evidencing one of the step of enabling
`
`disabled information and the step of outputting the programming presentation.
`
`However, Block teaches that a receiver station can communicate information that the
`
`program is actually viewed (evidencing the outputting of the program presentation) to
`
`the central station for convenient billing purposes. Thus, It would have been obvious
`
`to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to apply Block's teaching
`
`of transmitting information that the program is actually viewed (evidencing the
`
`outputting of the program presentation) from the receiver station to the central station
`
`with the motivation being to provide a convenient way of sending billing information.
`
`9.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure. Yanagimachi et al (USP 3,936,595), Jeffers et al (USP
`
`4,739,51 0) and Matsumoto et al {USP 4,245,245) teach different tv/video program
`
`reception systems with program selection control.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 8
`
`

`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-2-
`
`1.
`
`This action is in response to the amendment filed June 12,
`
`1996.
`
`2.
`
`This action wi~l not attempt to determine the effective
`
`filing date of this application. The action will apply art
`
`against the claims using two possible effective filing dates,
`
`i.e. serial number 06/317,510, filed November 3, 1981, and serial
`
`number 07/096,096, filed September 11, 1987. Applicants can
`
`overcome the art rejections by establishing that the art applied
`
`does not meet the claimed limitations or that the art does not
`
`have an early enough 'filing date.
`
`The action will make initial double patenting rejections
`
`presuming that all·of the present claims were fully disclosed in
`
`both the 1 81 and 1 87 cases.
`In any rejections made under 35 usc 112, first paragraph,
`
`applicants will be asked to clarify, where required by the
`
`examiner, how the present claims are fully disclosed in both the
`
`1 81 and 1 87 cases.
`
`3. Applicants are reminded of their duty to maintain a line of
`
`(patentable demarcation between related applications. It has been
`
`noted by the PTO that many of the pending applications have
`
`similar claimed subject matter.
`
`In the related 327 applications
`
`(the serial numbers' are included in a list below), it is
`
`estimated that there may be between 10,000 and 20,000 claims.
`
`Applicants should insure that substantially duplicate claims do
`
`not appear in different cases, and should bring to the PTO's
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 9
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-3-
`
`attention instances where similar claims have been treated
`
`inconsistently, i.e •. rejected in one case but not in another.
`
`4. Applicants are cautioned that their continual use of
`
`alternatives in the claims raises questions concerning the exact
`
`claim meaning. More importantly, it raises questions whether the
`
`disclosure supports every possible embodiment or permutation that
`
`can be created by the alternative language.
`
`5.
`
`The double patenting rejections in this action are based on
`
`the premise that all of the present claims were fully .disclosed
`
`in u.s. Patents 4,694,490; 4,704,725; 4,965,825; and 5,109,414.
`
`Since there was a restriction made in 5,233,654, there will be no
`
`double patenting made on that patent or 5,335,277.
`
`6.
`
`The. PTO's copie~ of the parent files are in poor form since
`
`they have been copied many time by members of the public. The
`
`files also are missing some of the papers. The double patenting
`
`rejections below presumes that there were no requirements for
`
`restriction made in·any of the parent files.
`
`7.
`
`There are three types of double patenting rejections:
`
`a)
`
`statutory double patenting rejection under 35 usc 101,
`
`b) Nonstatutory obvious type double patenting,
`
`c) Nonstatutory non-obviousness type double patenting.
`
`In this action, the rejections of the third type that are
`
`directed to the claims of the parent patented files will have two
`
`different versions. The first rejects the claims because they
`
`have not been established to be independent and distinct from the
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 10
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-4-
`
`patented claims. The second version includes that premise, and
`
`further supports the rejection by establishing that
`
`representative claims from this application have common subject
`
`matter with representative ones of the patented claims.
`
`8.
`
`Claims 3-9 (a~l of the claims in this application) are
`
`rejected under the judicially created doctrine of non-obviousness
`non-statutory double patenting over the patented claims in u.s.
`Patents 4,694,490; 4,704,725; 4,965,825; and 5,109,414 since the
`
`claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to
`
`exclude" already granted in those patents.
`
`The subject matter claimed in the instant application is
`
`fully disclosed in the patents and is covered by the patents
`
`since the patents and the application are claiming common subject
`
`matter, as follows: a signal processing apparatus and method
`
`including an interactive communications system apparatus and
`
`method. Furthermore, there is no apparent reason why applicants
`
`were prevented from presenting claims corresponding to those of
`
`the instant application during prosecution of the parent
`
`applications which matured into patents.
`
`In re Schneller, 397
`
`F.2d 350, 158 USPQ 210 (CCPA 1968). See also MPEP § 804.
`
`A review of the claims in each of the four parent patents
`
`(5,109,414; 4,964,825; 4,704,725; 4,694,490) was made. These
`
`patented claims do not appear "independent and distinct" from the
`
`claims in this application. The present claims are directed to a
`
`method and apparatus for controlling communications including
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 11
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-5-
`
`television communications or programming. The claims in patent
`
`5,109,414 were directed to a processing system and method for
`
`signal distribution including television. The claims in patent
`
`4,965,825 were directed to a system and process for signal
`
`processing including carrier communications. The claims in
`
`patent 4,704,725 were directed to a method of communicating data
`
`to receiver stations. The claims in patent 4,694,490 were
`
`directed to a method for communicating and processing television
`
`programs.
`
`Applicants• invention can be envisioned at in three parts.
`
`As with most cable TV systems, there is a head end station which
`
`generates the video programming. Applicants have included an
`
`intermediate station which receives transmissions, from the head
`
`end or subscriber stations, and distributes the programming to
`
`each subscriber. The subscriber station receives the
`
`programming, and can communicate to the intermediate station with
`
`requests or instructions. Even if the claims directed to each
`
`station were "independent and distinct" from the claims directed
`
`to the other stations, there would be no reason to "restrict"
`
`between the three stations since their overall function is so
`
`interrelated that the stations have the same search area, i.e the
`
`PTO could not establish a burden if required to search for all
`
`three stations.
`
`It is believed that CCPA in Schneller used the "independent
`
`and distinct" standard as the main factor in its determination
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 12
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-6-
`
`that the double pate~ting rejection should be affirmed. The CCPA
`
`stated that the fundamental reason supporting the principle of
`
`non-statutory double patenting rejections is to prevent
`
`unjustified timewise extension of the right to exclude granted by
`
`a patent no matter how the extension is brought about. Further
`
`the CCPA stated at 158 USPQ 210 (214):
`
`"··· To conform to this reason and to prevail here,
`appellant has the burden of establishing that the invention
`in his patent is "independent and distinct" from the
`invention of the appealed claims. The public policy
`considerations underlying 35 U.S.C. 121 permit separate
`patents on "independent and distinct" inventions which are
`initially "claimed in one application." The statute places
`initial responsibility for this determination on the
`Commissioner of Patents. Where, as here, no such
`determination has been made, it is necessary to scrutinize
`carefully an applicant's voluntary alleged determination of
`this issue for it can lead to the improper proliferation of
`patents on the same invention with the inherent result of
`extending timewise a patentee's right to exclude others from
`the invention disclosed in the original application and on
`which his patent has issued."
`
`The CCPA further stated at page 215 the length of time between an
`
`earlier patent and a later filed application should be
`
`considered. The filing date of this application was over seven
`
`years after the first patent issued (serial number 06/317,510,
`
`filed November 3, 1981, patented as 4,694,490 on September 15,
`
`1987) and over four years after the first CIP issued as a patent
`
`(serial number 07/096,096, filed September 11, 1987, patented as
`
`4,965,825 on October 23, 1990).
`
`To the extent that one would view Schneller and In re
`
`Kaplan, 789 F.2d 1574, 229 USPQ 678 (Fed. Cir. 1986) to be in
`
`conflict, it is clear that Schneller is the controlling precedent
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 13
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-7-
`
`to the factual situation here.
`
`In Schneller, the Court
`
`specifically distinguished a situation of the same applicant from
`
`one where the application and patent had different inventive
`
`entities.
`
`In Kaplan, the inventive entities between the patent
`
`and application were ·different, as was required at the time of
`
`the Kaplan invention, since Kaplan's filing date was before the
`
`Patent Law Amendments Act of 1984.
`
`In this present case, as with
`
`Schneller, the inventive entities of the application and patent
`
`are the same. Clearly, Kaplan was required, or entitled, to file
`
`separate applications, whereas applicants and Schneller did not
`
`have reason to do so. Finally, decisions of a three-judge panel
`
`of the Federal Circuit cannot overturn prior precedential
`decisions of the CCPA. See UMC Elec. co. v. United states 2
`
`USPQ2d 1465.
`
`9.
`
`Claims 3-9 (all of the claims in this application) are
`
`rejected under the judicially created doctrine of non-obviousness
`non-statutory double patenting over the patented claims in u.s.
`
`Patents 4,694,490; 4,704,725; 4,965,825; and 5,109,414 since the
`
`claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to
`
`exclude" already granted in those patents.
`
`This rejection incorporates the rejection above. That
`
`double patenting rejection is further supported by Schneller
`
`because the great majority of the patented claims are
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 14
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-8-
`
`"comprising" type claims. 1 While it is recognized that the
`
`specific claim limitations in the application may not have been
`
`claimed in the patents, that alone does not establish grounds for
`
`overcoming this rejection. The patent claims were directed to
`
`parts of applicants• total disclosed system or process.
`
`Therefore the recitation of "comprising" enables those patented
`
`claims to "cover" claim features now recited by applicants•
`
`present application.qlaims.
`
`Since the head end, intermediate~ and subscriber stations
`
`are part of the overall system, claims to one part "cover" the
`
`other part(s) under' the Schneller decision· (page 215), since the
`
`preferred embodiment would include all three parts of the main
`
`system, i.e. head, intermediate, and subscriber stations. For
`
`example, claims to the subscriber station still cover the
`
`intermediate station because the subscriber station would be
`
`processing information that had to come from the intermediate
`
`station. A second example would be that claims to one aspect or
`
`function of the intermediate station would cover the invention of
`
`another aspect or fu~ction of the intermediate station since both
`
`functions could be performed with the other. Applicants•
`
`disclosed system includes similar features in the head,
`
`intermediate, and subscriber stations. For example, the stations
`
`1The claims that recite neither "comprising" nor
`"consisting" are considered to recite open claim language, i.e.
`equivalent to "comprising". See, for example, claim 1 of Patent
`5,109,414.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 15
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-9-
`
`can transmit and receive, and have computer, processor and
`
`controller capabilities. For that reason, the disclosure will
`
`permit broadly drafted claims to read on either the head,
`
`intermediate, or subscriber station. Patent claims that recite
`
`receiving and transmitting can cover both intermediate and
`
`subscriber stations. The fact that patent claims and application
`
`claims are directed to different elements does not prohibit this
`
`rejection if there is common or interrelated subject matter
`
`recited. The Court in Schneller stated at page 215:
`
`They "cover" the preferred form ABCXY, common to'the
`"
`patent and this application, in the same sense. The fact
`that X and Y are distinct elements, performing, independent
`functions, so ~hat either can be employed without the other,
`does not change this fact. Neither does appellant's
`omission of reference to the lip_Y from his patent claims."
`
`Application ciaim 8 is a representative claim. It is
`
`directed to a method of enabling a program presentation by
`
`receiving an information transmission containing disabled
`
`information, generating an instruct to enable signal designating
`
`enabling information which is effective to cause a receiver to
`
`enable the disabled information and transmitting the transmission
`
`and instruct to enable signal.
`
`A review of representative ones of the patented claims will
`
`demonstrate that th~ patented claims cover the invention claimed
`
`i
`
`in this application:
`
`a)
`
`In patent 4,694,490, claim 7 is representative of the
`
`claimed method for communicating TV program information to a
`
`receiver station. The receiver station receives the video
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 16
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-10-
`
`data, displays it, detects the presence of overlay
`
`information using an instruct signal, and has computers
`
`generate and transmit this overlay info to the display.
`
`b)
`
`In patent 4,704,725, claim 3 is representative, and, as
`
`summarized below, recites a method of communicating data
`
`comprising:
`
`c)
`
`a) multiple receivers, each with a computer,
`b)
`transmitting instruct to transmit signals to the
`computers,
`detecting the signals and coupling them to the
`selected computers,
`having the computers control their own selected
`output device.
`
`d)
`
`c)
`
`In patent 4,965,825, claim 24 is representative, and,
`
`as summarized below, recites generating a computer output
`
`having the steps of:
`
`a)
`b)
`
`c)
`
`having multiple receivers, each with a computer,
`transmitting an instruct to generate signal to the
`computers,
`causing the computers to generate individual user
`output information.
`
`d)
`
`In patent:5,109,414, claim 15 is representative, and,
`
`as summarized below, recites a signal processing system
`
`(including):
`
`a)
`b)
`c)
`
`d)
`
`e)
`
`receiver/distribution means,
`switch means,
`control signal detector means for transferring
`data to storage means,
`storage means for storing and transferring data to
`processor means,
`processor means for controlling.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 17
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-11-
`
`While claim 15 is an apparatus claim, a method claim and
`
`apparatus claim do not in themselves establish groups that
`
`are "independent and distinct".
`
`The patented claims,are also primarily directed to methods or
`
`structure to control element(s) either directly at that station
`
`or at another remote station. This control is generally
`
`completed with the reception or recognition of an instruct
`
`signal. The same common concept exists in application claim 8.
`
`All of the claims, both patented and pending in this application,
`
`when considered together, effectively recite parts of the
`
`preferred embodiment, i.e. a head, intermediate, and subscriber
`
`station. The patented claims "cover" the claims of the
`
`application because.the patented limitations do not exclude the
`
`limitations of this;application.
`
`In the arguments above, the examiner, when discussing
`
`several of the patents, stated that the patented claims were
`
`broad enough to read on multiple stations. While it is believed
`
`this analysis is correct, it is not critical to this rejection.
`
`Since the patented claims recite limitations that are
`
`interrelated with other similar features claimed in this
`
`I
`
`application, it is the examiner's position that those patented
`
`claims "cover" the application claims because all of these
`
`claimed features (both in the patent and application) describe
`
`what is effectively the preferred embodiment.
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 18
`
`

`
`•
`
`Serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`•
`
`-12-
`
`The claims in this application, if allowed without a
`
`terminal disclaimer, would continue patent protection of the
`
`preferred embodiment, i.e. the complete system of the head,
`
`intermediate, and subscriber stations, beyond the expiration of
`
`applicants• parent patents.
`
`10. A determination of a possible non-statutory double patenting
`
`rejection obvious-type in each of the related 327 applications
`
`over each other will be deferred until a later time. This action
`
`is taken if view of.the possibility that many of these
`
`applications may be: abandoned or merged.
`
`11. Claims 3-9 are:rejected under the judicially created
`doctrine of double patenting over the claims of copending u.s.
`application 08/113,329 and the following related u.s.
`applications (all of the application are series 08):
`
`APPLE Exhibit 1047
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00755
`Page 19
`
`

`
`•
`
`serial Number: 08/485,507
`Art Unit: 2619
`
`ser. No.
`#
`397371
`1
`435757
`4
`437045
`7
`437791
`10
`437887
`13
`438206
`16
`439668
`19
`440837
`22
`441575
`25
`441749
`28
`441942
`31
`442327
`34
`442383
`37
`444643
`40
`444758
`43
`444787
`46
`445045
`49
`445294
`52
`446123
`55
`446430
`58
`446494
`61
`447380
`64
`67
`447416
`447448
`70

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket