,
`
`"-
`
`UTILITY
`PATENT APPLICATION
`TRANSMITTAL
`(Only tor new non provisional applications under 37 CFR 1. 53(b))
`
`Attorney Docket No.
`
`First Inventor
`
`-
`t:a ~-
`(,? i
`
`"-.
`
`APPLICATION ELEMENTS
`See MPEP chapter 600 concerning utility patent application contents.
`
`ADDRESS TO:
`
`'
`
`;:-: i
`
`D
`....
`""""
`S:: "I ..
`
`-
`
`D
`
`7.
`
`CD-ROM or CD-R in duplicate, large table or
`Computer Program (Appendix)
`8. Nucleotide and/or Amino Acid Sequence Submission
`(if apoab/e, all necessary)
`a.
`Computer Readable Form {CRF)
`
`1
`
`b.
`
`Specification Sequence Listing on:
`
`i. D
`
`ii. D
`
`CD-ROM or CD-R (2 copies); or
`
`Paper
`
`c.
`
`D
`Statements verifying identity of above cooies
`ACCOMPANYING APPLICATION PARTS
`
`PTO/SB/05 (08-03)
`Approved for use through 0713112006. OMB 0651-0032
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`- '11nder the Paoerwork Reduction Act of 1995 no nersons are reouired lo resoond to a collection of information unless it disolavs a valid OMB control number .
`.,...
`...._
`SCH001020-C
`TASLER
`Flexible Interface
`Title
`Express Mail Label No. EV541427914 US
`Mail Stop Patent Application
`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria VA 22313-1450
`
`1 .0
`2. [!]
`3. 0
`
`Fee Transmittal Form (e.g., PTO/SB/17)
`(Submit an original and a duplicate for fee processing)
`Applicant claims small entity status.
`See 37 CFR 1.27.
`[Total Pages 23
`Specification
`(preferred arrangement set forth below)
`- Descriptive title of the invention
`- Cross Reference to Related Applications
`- Statement Regarding Fed sponsored R & D
`- Reference to sequence listing, a table,
`or a computer program listing appendix
`- Background of the Invention
`- Brief Summary of the Invention
`- Brief Description of the Drawings (if filed)
`- Detailed Description
`-Claim(s)
`- Abstract of the Disclosure
`[Total Sheets 2
`4. 00 Drawing(s} (35 U.S.C. 113)
`[Total Sheets 3
`5. Oath or Declaration
`a .o Newly executed (original or copy)
`
`D
`9.
`10. D
`
`I
`l
`
`13. D
`14. 0
`
`15. D
`
`1s. D
`
`17. IX]
`
`b.
`
`~
`Copy from a prior application (37 CFR 1.63(d))
`(for continuation/divisional with Box 18 completed)
`LO DELETION OF INVENTOR{S}
`Signed statement attached deleting inventor(s)
`name in the prior application, see 37 CFR
`1.63(d)(2) and 1.33(b ).
`
`6 .0 Application Data Sheet. See 37 CFR 1.76
`
`D
`
`Assignment Papers (cover sheet & document{s))
`0 Powerof
`37 CFR 3.73(b) Statement
`(when there is an assignee)
`Attorney
`11.D
`English Translation Document (i'[!!J/icable)
`Copies of IDS
`12.0 Information Disclosure
`Statement (I DS)/PT0-1449
`Citations
`Preliminary Amendment
`Return Receipt Postcard (MPEP 503)
`(Should be specifically itemized)
`Certified Copy of Priority Document(s)
`(if foreign priority is claimed)
`Nonpublication Request under 35 U.S.C. 122
`(b)(2)(B)(i). Applicant must attach form PTO/SB/35
`or its e~ivalent.
`Other: ... ~.i:t.ifi9~~-~- 9f. !;~P.~~.l?. m~!I;. ~-~.VQ9~ti9fL ....
`. . Qf P.r:iQr ;;1.11P. .G.nim. 9.f. N..ew. P.9w~.~ Rf .Attl:lm!i':v. ...
`18. If a CONTINUING APPLICATION, check appropriate box, and supply the requisite information below and in the first sentence of the
`specification following the title, or in an Application Data Sheet under 37 CFR 1. 76:
`0 Continuation
`of prior application No.:1.~f.?~~~~~~- ............
`Continuation-in-part (CIP)
`D
`Divisional
`Examiner Harold J. Kim
`Att Unit: 2182
`Prior application infonnation:
`For CONTINUATION OF DIVISIONAL APPS only; The entire disclosure of the prior application, from which an oath or declaration is supplied under Box
`Sb, is considered a part of the disclosure of the accompanying continuation or dlvislonal application and is hereby incorporated by reference.
`The incorporation can only be relied upon when a portion has been inadvertently omitted from the submitted applicatlon parts.
`19. CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS
`
`Customer Number:
`
`I 22862
`
`0
`
`Name
`
`Address
`
`City
`Country
`Name (Print/Type) I Michael A. Glenn
`I ~~
`Signature
`
`I
`
`OR D
`
`Correspondence address below
`
`I ZipCode I
`I State I
`I Telephone I
`I Fax
`I
`Registration No. (Attorney/Agent) I 30 176
`I Date I March 11, 2005
`
`This collection of mformatton 1s required by 37 CFR 1.53(b). The information 1s required to obtam or retam a benefit by the public which 1s to file (and by the
`USPTO to process) an application. Confidentiality is governed by 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14. This collection is estimated to take 12 minutes to complete,
`including gathering, preparing, and submitting the completed application form' to the USPTO. Time will vary depending upon the individual case. Any comments
`on the amount of time you require to complete this form and/or suggestions for reducing this burden, should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Patent
`and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS
`ADDRESS. SEND TO: Mail Stop Patent Application, Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
`If you need assistance in completing the fonn, call 1-BOO-PT0-9199 and select option 2.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 1
`
`

`
`~
`Effective on 12/0812004.
`Fees fJUrsuant to the Consolidated AfJfJtoDriations Act. 2005 (H.R. 4818).
`
`Application Number
`
`PTO/SB/17 (12-04)
`Approved for use through 07/31/2006. OMB 0651-0032
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`. .
`..
`t JnrtP.r thP. P:inP.rwnrk RArlur:tinn Art nf 1 !=a~fi nn nP.rsnn!;; MA rP.nuirM tn rP.snonc1 tn A r.nUP.ciinn nf infnrmminn t mlp_c;s it rti.~nb:l~ ::. valirf OMR r.nntml numhP.r
`Complete if Known
`Unknown
`March 11 , 2005
`First Named Inventor TASLER
`Unknown
`Examiner Name
`
`"
`
`FEE TRANSMITTAL Filing Date
`For FY 2005
`[Z] Applicant claims small entity status. See 37 CFR 1.27
`\._TOTAL AMOUNT OF PAYMENT I($) 500.00
`
`Art Unit
`
`Attorney Docket No.
`
`Unknown
`SCH00102D-C
`
`~
`
`METHOD OF PAYMENT (check all that aoolv)
`
`D Check D Credit Card D Money Order 0None DJother w'1ease identify):
`0 Deposit Account Deposit Account Number: 07 -1445
`
`[Z]lcharge fee(s} indicated below
`
`Deposit Account Name: Glenn Patent Group
`For the above-identified deposit account, the Director is hereby authorized to: (check all that apply)
`[]J Charge fee(s} indicated below, except for the filing fee
`IIZJ Credit any overpayments
`
`~Charge any additional fee(s} or underpayments of fee(s)
`under 37 CFR 1.16 and 1.17
`WARNING: Information on this form may become public. Credit card Information should not be Included on this form. Provide credit card
`Information and authorization on PT0-2038.
`FEE CALCULATION
`1. BASIC FILING, SEARCH, AND EXAMINATION FEES
`FILING FEES
`EXAMINATION FEES
`SEARCH FEES
`Small Entitll
`Small Entitll
`Small Entitll
`AQQlication Tl£Qe ~ ~ ~ Fee($) ~ ~ Fees Paid {~}
`300
`200
`IOO
`500
`150
`250
`Utility
`500
`200
`IOO
`100
`130
`65
`50
`200
`160
`100
`300
`150
`80
`300
`600
`150
`500
`250
`300
`200
`0
`0
`100
`0
`0
`
`Design
`
`Plant
`
`Reissue
`
`Provisional
`2. EXCESS CLAIM FEES
`Small Entitll
`~
`Fee DescriQtion
`~
`25
`Each claim over 20 or, for Reissues, each claim over 20 and more than in the original patent
`50
`IOO
`Each independent claim over 3 or, for Reissues, each independent claim more than in the original patent 200
`360
`180
`Multiple dependent claims
`Multi(!le De(!endent Claims
`Extra Claims ~ Fee Paid (il
`Total Claims
`~ Fee Paid m
`= 0.00
`16
`- 20 or HP=
`x
`0
`HP = highest number of total claims paid for, if greater than 20
`0.00
`Extra Claims ~ Fee Paid{~}
`lndeQ. Claims
`= 0.00
`- 3 or HP =
`x
`0
`3
`HP =highest number of independent claims paid for, if greater than 3
`3. APPLICATION SIZE FEE
`If the specification and drawings exceed 100 sheets of paper, the application size fee due is $250 ($125 for small entity)
`for each additional 50 sheets or fraction thereof See 35 U.S.C. 4l(a)(l)(G) and 37 CFR l .l6(s).
`Number of each additional 50 or fraction thereof ~ Fee Paid lil
`Total Sheets
`Extra Sheets
`=
`/50 =
`(round up to a whole number} x
`- 100 =
`4. OTHER FEE(S)
`Non-English Specification, $130 fee (no small entity discount)
`Other:
`
`Fees Paid (il
`
`SUBMITTED BY
`Signature
`
`I Registration No. .30 176
`
`IAttomev/Aoentl
`
`,
`
`Telephone {650) 474-8400
`h
`March 11, 2005
`Name (PrintfTvoel Michael A. Glenn
`Date
`This collection of information is required by 37 CFR 1.136. The information is required to obtain or retain a benefll by the public which is to file (and by the
`USPTO to process) an application. Confidentiality is governed by 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14. This collection is estimated to take 30 minutes to complete,
`including gathering, preparing, and submitting the completed application form to the USPTO. Time will vary depending upon the individual case. Any comments
`on the amount of time you require to complete this form andfor suggestions for reducing this burden, should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Patent
`and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS
`ADDRESS. SEND TO: Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
`If you need assistance in completing the form, call 1-800-PT0-9199 and select option 2.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 2
`
`

`
`~··
`
`~·
`
`(12-97)
`PTO/SB/92
`Approved for use through 9130/00. OMB 0651-0031
`Patent and Trademark Office; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it contains a valid OMB control number.
`
`Certificate of Mailing under 37 CFR 1.10
`
`Express Mail Label No. EV 541427914US
`I herebycertifythatthis correspondence is being deposited with the United States
`Postal Service with sufficient postage as Express Mail in an envelope addressed to:
`
`COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Docket No. SCH00102D-C
`
`March 11 , 2005
`on - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`Date
`
`Kristianne Serrano
`
`Typed or printed name of person signing Certificate
`
`Note: Each paper must have its own certificate of mailing, or this certificate must identify
`each submitted paper.
`
`Attached to this coversheet please find the following documents:
`
`- Certificate of Mailing (1 page);
`- Utility Patent Application Transmittal (1 page);
`- Fee Transmittal (1 page, in duplicate);
`- Copy of Combined Oath and Declaration (signed) (3 pages);
`- Copy of Revocation of Prior and Grant of New Power of Attorney (1 page);
`- Specification (23 pages);
`- Drawings (2 pages); and
`- Return postcard.
`
`Burden Hour Statement: This form is estimated to take 0.03 hours to complete. Time will vary depending upon the needs of the individual case.
`Any comments on the amount of time you are required to complete this form should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, Patent and Trademark
`Office, Washington, DC 20231. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND TO: Assistant Commissioner for Patents,
`Washington, DC 20231.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 3
`
`

`
`,
`
`"-
`
`UTILITY
`PATENT APPLICATION
`TRANSMITTAL
`(Only tor new non provisional applications under 37 CFR 1. 53(b))
`
`Attorney Docket No.
`
`First Inventor
`
`-
`t:a ~-
`(,? i
`
`"-.
`
`APPLICATION ELEMENTS
`See MPEP chapter 600 concerning utility patent application contents.
`
`ADDRESS TO:
`
`'
`
`;:-: i
`
`D
`....
`""""
`S:: "I ..
`
`-
`
`D
`
`7.
`
`CD-ROM or CD-R in duplicate, large table or
`Computer Program (Appendix)
`8. Nucleotide and/or Amino Acid Sequence Submission
`(if apoab/e, all necessary)
`a.
`Computer Readable Form {CRF)
`
`1
`
`b.
`
`Specification Sequence Listing on:
`
`i. D
`
`ii. D
`
`CD-ROM or CD-R (2 copies); or
`
`Paper
`
`c.
`
`D
`Statements verifying identity of above cooies
`ACCOMPANYING APPLICATION PARTS
`
`PTO/SB/05 (08-03)
`Approved for use through 0713112006. OMB 0651-0032
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`- '11nder the Paoerwork Reduction Act of 1995 no nersons are reouired lo resoond to a collection of information unless it disolavs a valid OMB control number .
`.,...
`...._
`SCH001020-C
`TASLER
`Flexible Interface
`Title
`Express Mail Label No. EV541427914 US
`Mail Stop Patent Application
`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria VA 22313-1450
`
`1 .0
`2. [!]
`3. 0
`
`Fee Transmittal Form (e.g., PTO/SB/17)
`(Submit an original and a duplicate for fee processing)
`Applicant claims small entity status.
`See 37 CFR 1.27.
`[Total Pages 23
`Specification
`(preferred arrangement set forth below)
`- Descriptive title of the invention
`- Cross Reference to Related Applications
`- Statement Regarding Fed sponsored R & D
`- Reference to sequence listing, a table,
`or a computer program listing appendix
`- Background of the Invention
`- Brief Summary of the Invention
`- Brief Description of the Drawings (if filed)
`- Detailed Description
`-Claim(s)
`- Abstract of the Disclosure
`[Total Sheets 2
`4. 00 Drawing(s} (35 U.S.C. 113)
`[Total Sheets 3
`5. Oath or Declaration
`a .o Newly executed (original or copy)
`
`D
`9.
`10. D
`
`I
`l
`
`13. D
`14. 0
`
`15. D
`
`1s. D
`
`17. IX]
`
`b.
`
`~
`Copy from a prior application (37 CFR 1.63(d))
`(for continuation/divisional with Box 18 completed)
`LO DELETION OF INVENTOR{S}
`Signed statement attached deleting inventor(s)
`name in the prior application, see 37 CFR
`1.63(d)(2) and 1.33(b ).
`
`6 .0 Application Data Sheet. See 37 CFR 1.76
`
`D
`
`Assignment Papers (cover sheet & document{s))
`0 Powerof
`37 CFR 3.73(b) Statement
`(when there is an assignee)
`Attorney
`11.D
`English Translation Document (i'[!!J/icable)
`Copies of IDS
`12.0 Information Disclosure
`Statement (I DS)/PT0-1449
`Citations
`Preliminary Amendment
`Return Receipt Postcard (MPEP 503)
`(Should be specifically itemized)
`Certified Copy of Priority Document(s)
`(if foreign priority is claimed)
`Nonpublication Request under 35 U.S.C. 122
`(b)(2)(B)(i). Applicant must attach form PTO/SB/35
`or its e~ivalent.
`Other: ... ~.i:t.ifi9~~-~- 9f. !;~P.~~.l?. m~!I;. ~-~.VQ9~ti9fL ....
`. . Qf P.r:iQr ;;1.11P. .G.nim. 9.f. N..ew. P.9w~.~ Rf .Attl:lm!i':v. ...
`18. If a CONTINUING APPLICATION, check appropriate box, and supply the requisite information below and in the first sentence of the
`specification following the title, or in an Application Data Sheet under 37 CFR 1. 76:
`0 Continuation
`of prior application No.:1.~f.?~~~~~~- ............
`Continuation-in-part (CIP)
`D
`Divisional
`Examiner Harold J. Kim
`Att Unit: 2182
`Prior application infonnation:
`For CONTINUATION OF DIVISIONAL APPS only; The entire disclosure of the prior application, from which an oath or declaration is supplied under Box
`Sb, is considered a part of the disclosure of the accompanying continuation or dlvislonal application and is hereby incorporated by reference.
`The incorporation can only be relied upon when a portion has been inadvertently omitted from the submitted applicatlon parts.
`19. CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS
`
`Customer Number:
`
`I 22862
`
`0
`
`Name
`
`Address
`
`City
`Country
`Name (Print/Type) I Michael A. Glenn
`I ~~
`Signature
`
`I
`
`OR D
`
`Correspondence address below
`
`I ZipCode I
`I State I
`I Telephone I
`I Fax
`I
`Registration No. (Attorney/Agent) I 30 176
`I Date I March 11, 2005
`
`This collection of mformatton 1s required by 37 CFR 1.53(b). The information 1s required to obtam or retam a benefit by the public which 1s to file (and by the
`USPTO to process) an application. Confidentiality is governed by 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14. This collection is estimated to take 12 minutes to complete,
`including gathering, preparing, and submitting the completed application form' to the USPTO. Time will vary depending upon the individual case. Any comments
`on the amount of time you require to complete this form and/or suggestions for reducing this burden, should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Patent
`and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS
`ADDRESS. SEND TO: Mail Stop Patent Application, Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
`If you need assistance in completing the fonn, call 1-BOO-PT0-9199 and select option 2.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 4
`
`

`
`~
`Effective on 12/0812004.
`Fees fJUrsuant to the Consolidated AfJfJtoDriations Act. 2005 (H.R. 4818).
`
`Application Number
`
`PTO/SB/17 (12-04)
`Approved for use through 07/31/2006. OMB 0651-0032
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`. .
`..
`t JnrtP.r thP. P:inP.rwnrk RArlur:tinn Art nf 1 !=a~fi nn nP.rsnn!;; MA rP.nuirM tn rP.snonc1 tn A r.nUP.ciinn nf infnrmminn t mlp_c;s it rti.~nb:l~ ::. valirf OMR r.nntml numhP.r
`Complete if Known
`Unknown
`March 11 , 2005
`First Named Inventor TASLER
`Unknown
`Examiner Name
`
`"
`
`FEE TRANSMITTAL Filing Date
`For FY 2005
`[Z] Applicant claims small entity status. See 37 CFR 1.27
`\._TOTAL AMOUNT OF PAYMENT I($) 500.00
`
`Art Unit
`
`Attorney Docket No.
`
`Unknown
`SCH00102D-C
`
`~
`
`METHOD OF PAYMENT (check all that aoolv)
`
`D Check D Credit Card D Money Order 0None DJother w'1ease identify):
`0 Deposit Account Deposit Account Number: 07 -1445
`
`[Z]lcharge fee(s} indicated below
`
`Deposit Account Name: Glenn Patent Group
`For the above-identified deposit account, the Director is hereby authorized to: (check all that apply)
`[]J Charge fee(s} indicated below, except for the filing fee
`IIZJ Credit any overpayments
`
`~Charge any additional fee(s} or underpayments of fee(s)
`under 37 CFR 1.16 and 1.17
`WARNING: Information on this form may become public. Credit card Information should not be Included on this form. Provide credit card
`Information and authorization on PT0-2038.
`FEE CALCULATION
`1. BASIC FILING, SEARCH, AND EXAMINATION FEES
`FILING FEES
`EXAMINATION FEES
`SEARCH FEES
`Small Entitll
`Small Entitll
`Small Entitll
`AQQlication Tl£Qe ~ ~ ~ Fee($) ~ ~ Fees Paid {~}
`300
`200
`IOO
`500
`150
`250
`Utility
`500
`200
`IOO
`100
`130
`65
`50
`200
`160
`100
`300
`150
`80
`300
`600
`150
`500
`250
`300
`200
`0
`0
`100
`0
`0
`
`Design
`
`Plant
`
`Reissue
`
`Provisional
`2. EXCESS CLAIM FEES
`Small Entitll
`~
`Fee DescriQtion
`~
`25
`Each claim over 20 or, for Reissues, each claim over 20 and more than in the original patent
`50
`IOO
`Each independent claim over 3 or, for Reissues, each independent claim more than in the original patent 200
`360
`180
`Multiple dependent claims
`Multi(!le De(!endent Claims
`Extra Claims ~ Fee Paid (il
`Total Claims
`~ Fee Paid m
`= 0.00
`16
`- 20 or HP=
`x
`0
`HP = highest number of total claims paid for, if greater than 20
`0.00
`Extra Claims ~ Fee Paid{~}
`lndeQ. Claims
`= 0.00
`- 3 or HP =
`x
`0
`3
`HP =highest number of independent claims paid for, if greater than 3
`3. APPLICATION SIZE FEE
`If the specification and drawings exceed 100 sheets of paper, the application size fee due is $250 ($125 for small entity)
`for each additional 50 sheets or fraction thereof See 35 U.S.C. 4l(a)(l)(G) and 37 CFR l .l6(s).
`Number of each additional 50 or fraction thereof ~ Fee Paid lil
`Total Sheets
`Extra Sheets
`=
`/50 =
`(round up to a whole number} x
`- 100 =
`4. OTHER FEE(S)
`Non-English Specification, $130 fee (no small entity discount)
`Other:
`
`Fees Paid (il
`
`SUBMITTED BY
`Signature
`
`I Registration No. .30 176
`
`IAttomev/Aoentl
`
`,
`
`Telephone {650) 474-8400
`h
`March 11, 2005
`Name (PrintfTvoel Michael A. Glenn
`Date
`This collection of information is required by 37 CFR 1.136. The information is required to obtain or retain a benefll by the public which is to file (and by the
`USPTO to process) an application. Confidentiality is governed by 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14. This collection is estimated to take 30 minutes to complete,
`including gathering, preparing, and submitting the completed application form to the USPTO. Time will vary depending upon the individual case. Any comments
`on the amount of time you require to complete this form andfor suggestions for reducing this burden, should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Patent
`and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS
`ADDRESS. SEND TO: Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
`If you need assistance in completing the form, call 1-800-PT0-9199 and select option 2.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 5
`
`

`
`~··
`
`~·
`
`(12-97)
`PTO/SB/92
`Approved for use through 9130/00. OMB 0651-0031
`Patent and Trademark Office; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it contains a valid OMB control number.
`
`Certificate of Mailing under 37 CFR 1.10
`
`Express Mail Label No. EV 541427914US
`I herebycertifythatthis correspondence is being deposited with the United States
`Postal Service with sufficient postage as Express Mail in an envelope addressed to:
`
`COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Docket No. SCH00102D-C
`
`March 11 , 2005
`on - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`Date
`
`Kristianne Serrano
`
`Typed or printed name of person signing Certificate
`
`Note: Each paper must have its own certificate of mailing, or this certificate must identify
`each submitted paper.
`
`Attached to this coversheet please find the following documents:
`
`- Certificate of Mailing (1 page);
`- Utility Patent Application Transmittal (1 page);
`- Fee Transmittal (1 page, in duplicate);
`- Copy of Combined Oath and Declaration (signed) (3 pages);
`- Copy of Revocation of Prior and Grant of New Power of Attorney (1 page);
`- Specification (23 pages);
`- Drawings (2 pages); and
`- Return postcard.
`
`Burden Hour Statement: This form is estimated to take 0.03 hours to complete. Time will vary depending upon the needs of the individual case.
`Any comments on the amount of time you are required to complete this form should be sent to the Chief Information Officer, Patent and Trademark
`Office, Washington, DC 20231. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND TO: Assistant Commissioner for Patents,
`Washington, DC 20231.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 6
`
`

`
`Flexible Interface
`
`Description
`
`The present invention relates to the transfer of data and in particular to interface
`devices for communication between a computer or host device and a data
`transmit/receive device from which data is to be acquired or with which two-way
`communication is to take place.
`
`Existing data acquisition systems for computers are very limited in their areas of
`
`application. Generally such systems can be classified into two groups.
`
`In the first group host devices or computer systems are attached by means of an
`interface to a device whose data is to be acquired. The interfaces of this group are
`
`normally standard interfaces which, with specific driver software, can be used with a
`
`variety of host systems. An advantage of such interfaces is th.at they are largely
`independent of the host device. However, a disadvantage is that they generally require
`very sophisticated drivers which are prone to malfunction and which limit data
`
`transfer rates between the device connected to the interface and the host device and
`vice versa. Further, it is often very difficult to implement such interfaces for portable
`systems and they offer few possibilities for adaptation with the result that such
`
`systems offer little flexibility.
`
`The devices from which data is to be acquired cover the entire electrical engineering
`
`spectrum. In a typical case, it is assumed that a customer who operates, for example, a
`diagnostic radiology system in a medical engineering environment reports a fault. A
`
`field service technician of the system manufacturer visits the customer and reads
`system log files generated by the diagnostic radiology system by means a portable
`computer or laptop for example. If the fault cannot be localized or if the fault is
`intermittent, it will be necessary for the service technician to read not only an error
`
`log file but also data from current operation. It is apparent that in this case fast data
`transfer and rapid data analysis are necessary.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 7
`
`

`
`2
`
`Another case requiring the use of an interface could be, for example, when an
`
`electronic measuring device, e.g. a multimeter, is attached to a computer system to
`
`transfer the data measured by the multimeter to the computer. Particularly when long(cid:173)
`
`term measurements or large volumes of data are involved is it necessary for the
`
`interface to support a high data transfer rate.
`
`From these randomly chosen examples it can be seen that an interface may be put to
`totally different uses. It is therefore desirable that an interface be sufficiently flexible
`
`to permit attachment of very different electrical or electronic systems to a host device
`
`by means of the interface. To prevent operator error. it is also desirable that a service
`
`technician is not required to operate different interfaces in different ways for different
`
`applications but that, if possible, a universal method of operating the interface be
`
`provided for a large number of applications.
`
`To increase the data transfer rates across an interface, the route chosen in the second
`
`group of data acquisition systems for the interface devices was to specifically match
`the interface very closely to individual host systems or computer systems. The
`
`advantage of this solution is that high data transfer rates are possible. However, a
`
`disadvantage is that the drivers for the interfaces of the second group are very closely
`
`matched to a single host system with the result that they generally cannot be used with
`
`other host systems or . their use is very ineffective. Further, such types of interface
`
`have the disadvantage that they must be installed inside the computer casing to
`
`achieve maximum data transfer rates as they access the internal host bus system. They
`
`are therefore generally not suitable for portable host systems in the form of laptops
`
`whose minimum possible size leaves little internal space to plug in an interface card.
`
`·A solution to this problem is offered by the interface devices of IOtech (business
`
`address: 25971 Cannon Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44146, USA) which are suitable for
`
`laptops such as the WaveBook/512 (registered trademark). The interface devices are
`
`connected by means of a plug-in card. approximately the size of a credit card, to the
`
`PCMCIA interface which is now a standard feature in laptops. The plug-in card
`
`converts the PCMCIA interface into an interface known in the art as IEEE 1284. The
`
`said plug-in card provides a special printer interface which is enhanced as regards the
`
`data transfer rate and delivers a data transfer rate of approximately 2 MBps as
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 8
`
`

`
`3
`
`compared with a rate of approx. 1 MBps for known printer interfaces. The known
`
`interface device generally consists of a driver component, a digital signal processor, a
`
`buffer and a hardware module which terminates in a connector to which the device
`
`whose data is to be acquired is attached. The driver component is attached directly to
`
`the enhanced printer interface thus permitting the known interface device to establish
`
`a connection between a computer and the device whose data is to be acquired.
`
`In order to work with the said interface, an interface-specific driver must be installed
`on the host device so that the host device can communicate with the digital signal
`
`processor of the interface card. As described above, the driver must be installed on the
`
`host device. If the driver is a driver developed specifically for the host device, a high
`
`data transfer rate is achieved but the driver cannot be easily installed on a different
`
`host system. However, if the driver is a general driver which is as flexible as possible
`
`and which can be used on many host devices, compromises must be accepted with
`
`regard to the data transfer rate.
`
`Particularly in an application for multi-tasking systems in which several different
`
`tasks such as data acquisition, data display and editing are to be performed quasi(cid:173)
`
`simultaneously, each task is normally assigned a certain priority by the host system. A
`
`driver supporting a special task requests the central processing system of the host
`
`device for processor resources in order to perform its task. Depending on the
`
`particular priority assignment method and on the driver implementation, a particular
`
`share of processor resources is assigned to a special task in particular time slots.
`
`Conflicts arise if one or more drivers are implemented in such a way that they have
`
`the highest priority by default, i.e. they are incompatible, as happens in practice in
`
`many applications. It may occur that both drivers are set to highest priority which, in
`
`the worst case, can result in a system crash.
`
`EP 0685799 Al discloses an interface by means of which several peripheral devices
`
`can be attached to a bus. An interface is connected between the bus of a host device
`
`and various peripheral devices. The interface comprises a finite state machine and
`
`several branches each of which is assigned to a peripheral device. Each branch
`
`comprises a data manager, cycle control, user logic and a buffer. This known interface
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 9
`
`

`
`4
`
`device provides optimal matching between a host device and a specific peripheral
`
`device.
`
`The specialist publication IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 05, page
`
`245; "Communication Method between Devices through FDD Interface" discloses an
`
`interface which connects a host device to a peripheral device via a floppy disk drive
`
`interface. The interface consists in particular of an address generator, an MFM
`encoder/decoder, a serial/parallel adapter and a format signal generator. The interface
`
`makes it possible to attach not only a floppy disk drive but also a further peripheral
`device to the FDD host controller of a host device. The host device assumes that a
`
`floppy disk drive is always attached to its floppy disk drive controller and
`
`communication is initiated if the address is correct. However, this document contains
`
`no information as to how communication should be possible if the interface is
`
`connected to a multi-purpose interface instead of to a floppy disk drive controller.
`
`It is the object of the present invention to provide an interface device for
`communication between a host device and a data transmit/receive device whose use is
`
`host device-independent and which delivers a high data transfer rate.
`
`This object is achieved by an interface device according. to claim 1 or 12 and by a
`
`method according to claim 15.
`
`The present invention is based on the finding that both a high data transfer rate and
`host device-independent use can be achieved if a driver for an input/output device
`customary in a host device, normally present in most commercially available host
`
`devices, is utilized. Drivers for input/output devices customary in a host device which
`
`are found in practically all host devices are, for example, drivers for hard disks, for
`
`graphics devices or for printer devices. As however the hard disk interfaces in
`common host devices which can be, for example, IBM PCs, IBM-compatible PCs,
`Commodore PCs, Apple computers or even workstations, are the interfaces with the
`highest data transfer rate, the hard disk driver is utilized in the preferred embodiment
`of the interface device of the present invention. Drivers for other storage devices such
`
`as floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives or tape drives could also be utilized in order to
`
`implement the interface device according to the present invention.
`
`ZTE (USA) 1003, Page 10
`
`

`
`5
`
`'
`As described in the following, the interface device according to the present invention
`
`is to be attached to a host device by means of a multi-purpose interface of the host
`device which can be implemented, for example, as an SCSI interface or as an
`
`enhanced printer interface. Multi-purpose interfaces comprise both an interface card
`
`and specific driver software for the interface card. The driver software can be
`
`designed so that it can replace the BIOS driver routines. Communication between the
`host device and the devices attached to the multi-purpose interface then essentially
`
`takes place by means of the specific driver software for the multi-purpose interface
`and no longer primarily by means of BIOS routines of the host device. Recently
`
`however drivers for multi-purpose interfaces can also already be integrated in the
`
`BIOS system of the host device as, alongside classica