"Any change to that plan would be relayed through official Company communications."

Time does not stand still.....IMO, there will be no problem with the re-exam.

FWIW...

My preliminary and initial comments of the prior art now presented in the 774 re-Exam regarding claim 1 and 19, other claim issues to be considered, however, it's a start if anyone has an interest to join in.

DETAILED EX PARTE REEXAMINATION OFFICE ACTION

link to 774 which issued on February 13, 1996 to Norris et al., hereinafter "the '774 patent". 0536792 A2to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, published 04/14/1993, hereinafter Sharp";4,452,768to Sudoh et al., filed 11/05/1992, hereinafter "Sudoh"; et al"; 5,267,218 to Elbert, issued 11/30/1993, hereinafter "Elbert"..

Claims 1-5, 18, and 19 will be reexamined.

This Office action addresses the claims for which reexamination has been requested and a substantial new question of patentability has been determined to exist; that are patent claims 1-5, 18, and 19 of United States Patent No. 5,491,774...

Reexamination was not requested for claims 6-17, and 20-22 of the `774 patent; and therefore they will not be reexamined.

Claims 1-5, 18, and 19 have been reexamined; and they have been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b) and 35 U.S.C. 102(e), or 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as discussed follows.

REFERENCES CITED IN THIS OFFICE ACTION

The following prior art patents and publications, hereinafter "the references", relied upon in this Office Action.

1. Kimura et al., entitle, "Development of an IC-Card Sound Recorder," Sharp technical Journal, Vol. 55, March 1993 - Certified English translation, hereinafter "Kimura et al"; What type memory , for what type of use? Can not locate

2. EP Pat. Application Publ. No.

From the patent: “Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to audio sound recording/reproducing apparatuses, and more specifically to an audio sound recording/reproducing apparatus for converting an analog signal obtained from a microphone or the like into a digital signal for recording in a semiconductor memory, converting a digital signal recorded in the semiconductor memory into an analog signal at the time of reproduction, and outputting the converted signal as an audio sound through a speaker or the like.” This would equate to digital memory and digital field of use only…a comparative to claim 1 analog to digital conversion….

claim 19 “flash memory” does not include analog to digital issues.

e.Digitals 774 initial filing was ..Application Number: 08/229,731 Customer Number: - Filing or 371 (c) Date: 04-19-1994

Application/Control Number: 90/011,302 Page 3

art Unit: 3992

3. U.S. Pat. No. ,

From the patent:“In a recording and reproducing apparatus, a plurality of data groups having arbitrary data capacities are recorded in and reproduced from a memory card formed of a plurality of batch erasable semiconductor memories having equal capacities. At least one of the plurality of semiconductor memories is set to be a spare memory which does not contain recorded data. To erase only one data group, those data groups (other than the data group to be erased) stored in the same semiconductor memory containing the data group to be erased are recorded in the spare memory. Individual index data and card index data including updated reproduction order data and rewrite number data are also recorded in the spare memory. Thereafter, the semiconductor memory containing the data group to be erased is batch-erased and becomes a new spare memory.”

CLAIM 13.“when only one of said data groups is to be erased, one or more data groups, other than the data group to be erased, in the semiconductor memory containing said data group to be erased is recorded in said spare memory, said individual index data as well as said total index data, of which reproduction order data and rewrite number data have been updated, are recorded in said spare memory, and said semiconductor memory containing said data group to be erased is batch-erased and changed into a new spare memory.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus, and in particular, to an audio recording and reproducing apparatus which carries out a recording operation in such a manner that analog signals obtained, e.g., through a microphone, are converted into digital signals and is recorded in a semiconductor memory, and also carries out a reproducing operation in such a manner that the digital signals recorded in the semiconductor memory are converted into the analog signals and output, e.g., through a loud speaker.

This method of storing indexed data utilizes RAM resource to manage erase blocks and is sized accordingly in order to move data and update files used for the indexing of data files…..Digital does not manage utilizing this type of directive structure method. To edit data, or add data to a file e.Digital does not have to perform this block batch management service…..see patent 5787445 and the BAN comparison. …

AgainDigital field of use only, a comparative to claim 1 analog to digital conversion….claim 19 “flash memory” does not include analog to digital issues. “The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus,” the patent descriptive is for an operating system similar to Ban described in the 445 patent and, is not a patent for a recording device as described in 774.

4. U.S. Pat No.

From the patent: “A nonvolatile memory card is described. The nonvolatile memory card includes a plurality of memories arranged in an array. Each of the plurality memories includes memory cells that are electrically programmable and electrically erasable. Each of the plurality of memories requires a device power supply voltage and a reprogramming voltage. The memory card also includes the device power supply input for receiving a power supply voltage for the memory card, and voltage conversion means coupled to receive the device power supply voltage at the power supply input for providing the device power supply voltage to the plurality of memories and for generating the reprogramming voltage for erasing and programming the plurality of memories. The voltage conversion means further includes (1) a charge pump coupled to the power supply input for generating the reprogramming voltage for erasing and programming the plurality of memories, and (2) a control logic coupled to the charge pump for allowing the charge pump to generate the reprogramming voltage. The control logic causes the charge pump not to generate the reprogramming voltage when the memory card does not require a reprogramming operation in order to protect data integrity of the memory card. When the memory card requires a reprogramming operation, the control logic causes the charge pump to generate the reprogramming voltage.”

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a reprogrammable nonvolatile memory card with a single power supply input, wherein each nonvolatile memory on the memory card requires dual supply voltages. Another object of the present invention is to provide circuitry for generating an erase/program supply voltage within the nonvolatile memory card.

e.digital is not involved in the physical makeup, or specifics of memory. This issue surrounds voltage charge pump….which allows EPROM…. A one voltage only issue… electrically programmable read only memory….to move into EEPROM or a two voltage issue by way of charge pump, allowing for…..erasable electrically programmable read only memory ..two voltages are required one for erase and one for program. The industry has advanced to where one voltage will erase and program at the same level. E.Digital utilized the flash of Intel having those interface issues,however, it‘s patents have nothing to do with charge pump issues. ?????

"As noted in the Reexamination Order filed on 01/11/2011, all the above-cited references qualify as prior art to the `774 patent."

doni

SUMMARY