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Pre-Grant Publication Number: 20070260907

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Discussion (9)

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CLAIM 00001

<claim-text> A machine-readable medium having stored thereon an instruction, which if performed by a machine causes the machine to perform a method comprising: <claim-text>reading a current timer value; </claim-text><claim-text>updating the current timer value to an updated timer value; </claim-text><claim-text>storing the updated timer value into a timer storage area. </claim-text></claim-text>

Comments

Steven Pearson (12 months ago)

Upon closer examination it appears to me that the distinction the application draws between its Claim 1 and the prior art (as described even in the application itself) is the use of *an* (a single) instruction to trigger the updating steps. According to the application, this saves time compared to prior art in which multiple instructions are required to effect the timer update. However, the wording of Claim 1 does not specifically require the updating method itself to comprise a single machine instruction. The claim thus appears broader than the description suggests, and as a result, a somewhat bigger target for prior art relevance. For example, a single branch or jump instruction could cause a machine to execute a multi-instruction timer update method (subroutine). Thus, one may not need to find prior art that performs the updating steps all within one machine instruction. more...

CLAIM 00002

<claim-text> The machine-readable medium of <claim-ref idref='CLM-00001'>claim 1</claim-ref>, wherein the reading, updating, and storing are to be performed in response to a processor performing only one micro-operation. </claim-text>

Comments

Steven Pearson (12 months ago)

Perhaps this is where Claim 2 is supposed to come in. Its language appears to try to limit the updating to a single instruction; however, I think that may also fail to do so. Claim 2 says that the steps are "performed in response to...only one micro-operation". Extending my argument above concerning Claim 1, I don't think that "performed in response to" clearly enough requires this all to be part of the execution of a single machine instruction, and again propose that the single micro-operation that the update is responsive to might in prior art be a branch or jump instruction. I would find the claim more consistent with its apparent intent if it said something like "wherein the reading, updating, and storing comprise the execution of only one micro-operation". more...

CLAIM 00003

<claim-text> The machine-readable medium of <claim-ref idref='CLM-00001'>claim 1</claim-ref>, wherein the updated timer value is to be adjusted to compensate for an amount of elapsed time between the reading and the storing. </claim-text>

Comments

Steven Pearson (about 1 year ago)

The independent claims here appear to be very generic in nature; surely existing processors must already perform the steps listed therein when updating clocks/timers. I assume the potential novelty is in the inclusion of a compensating amount in the new timer value calculation, to account for any new delay introduced by the updating operation itself. This is reflected in Claim 3 for example, and those deriving from it, but not in Claim 1. I'm not certain what exactly Claim 2 is after, but it doesn't sound to this relative layman to be necessarily connected to the compensation mechanism and could be existing art as well. Claim 4 also sounds quite generic to me. more...

Steven Pearson (12 months ago)

Indeed, that does look quite relevant for at least Claim 3. Please enter that patent in the Prior Art section for this application. more...

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