Ex Parte Kubouchi et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Jun 27, 2016

13296437 (P.T.A.B. Jun. 27, 2016)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
13/296,437 11/15/2011 Shuichi KUBOUCHI
130036 7590 06/29/2016
IIPH2 [54361] c/o Stoel Rives LLP 130036
201 South Main Street, Suite 1100, One Utah Center
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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.
747351197 2713
EXAMINER
KING, DOUGLAS
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2824
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
06/29/2016 ELECTRONIC
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.
Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
following e-mail address( es):
joe.hawkins@stoel.com
slcpatent@stoel.com
j anet. wilson@stoel.com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte SHUICHI KUBOUCHI and DAIKI NAKASHIMA
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
Technology Center 2800
Before JOHN A. JEFFERY, BRADLEY W. BAUMEISTER, and
DENISE M. POTHIER, Administrative Patent Judges.
POTHIER, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner's
rejection of claims 1-5 and 9-11. App. Br. 5. 1 Claims 6-8, 13, and 14 have
been canceled. See May 23, 2013 Amendment. Claims 12 and 15-23 have
been indicated allowable. Final Act. 1, 5. We have jurisdiction under 35
U.S.C. § 6(b). We affirm.
1 Throughout this opinion, we refer to (1) the Final Action (Final Act.)
mailed October 28, 2013; (2) the Appeal Brief (App. Br.) filed May 7, 2014;
(2) the Examiner's Answer (Ans.) mailed July 9, 2014; and (3) the Reply
Brief (Reply Br.) filed September 9, 2014.
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
INVENTION
Appellants' invention is a semiconductor including an electrical fuse.
Spec. i-f 1. An electrical fuse allows information to be stored in a
non-volatile state. Id. i-f 2. In particular, a defective memory device storing
information can be replaced by a redundant memory cell by changing the
state of a fuse accessing the defective device from conductive to non-
conductive. See id. A fuse changed in this way is referred to as
disconnected. Id. But not all electrical fuses are disconnected sufficiently.
Id. i-f 3. When this happens, the reading device can determine incorrectly the
electrical fuse's state. Id. According to Appellants, the disclosed
semiconductor device addresses the problem of incorrect determinations.
Id. i-f 1. Claim 1, reproduced below, is illustrative:
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
an electrical fuse connected to a detection node via a selective
transistor;
a precharge transistor configured to precharge the detection
node in a state where the selective transistor is in an OFF state;
a bias transistor configured to pass a bias current to the
detection node and to gradually reduce an amount of the bias current
in a state where the selective transistor is in an ON state and the
precharge transistor is in an OFF state; and
a detection circuit configured to detect a potential of the
detection node in a state where the bias current is flowing into the
detection node.
The Examiner relies on the following as evidence of unpatentability:
Porter US 6,351,425 Bl Feb.26,2002
2
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
THE REJECTIONS
Claims 1-5, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
anticipated by Porter. Final Act. 2-3.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over
Porter. Final Act. 4.
THE ANTICIPATION REJECTION
Contentions
The Examiner finds that Porter discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Final Act. 2-3. In particular, the Examiner finds that Porter's PMOS (p-type
metal oxide semiconductor) transistor 20 and NMOS (n-type metal oxide
semiconductor) transistor 46 correspond to the recited precharge and
selective transistors, respectively. Id. at 2. The Examiner further finds that
NMOS transistor 30 corresponds to the bias transistor. Id. According to the
Examiner, the recited functional limitations do not distinguish Porter's
device from the claimed device given the device's structural features.
Id. at 3. Furthermore, the Examiner finds that Porter's NMOS transistor 30
inherently performs the bias transistor's function. Ans. 6.
Appellants argue that the Examiner speculates about whether Porter is
capable of functioning as claimed. App. Br. 5---6. Appellants contend that
Porter does not possess the necessary structure, hardware, or software to
meet the functional limitations of claim 1 without modification. Id. at
7-8. According to Appellants, the signals supplied to Porter's transistors
must be modified in a way not taught by Porter. Reply Br. 6. Appellants
argue that Porter lacks the programming for controlling the transistors' states
and to function as recited. App. Br. 8; see also Reply Br. 5---6.
3
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
Appellants also asserts that Porter does not precharge the detection
node. Reply Br. 6-8. According to Appellants, Porter requires that
transistor 46's state is ON during the fuse-state detection. Id. at 7 (citing
Porter col. 2, 11. 27--44; col. 4, 11. 57----67). Appellants contend that Porter
must be modified to keep transistor 46's state OFF to precharge as recited.
Reply Br. 7.
Appellants further argue that Porter lacks the recited bias transistor.
Reply Br. 7-8. Appellants understand the Examiner's position to be that
transistors 46 and 30 are not connected. Id. at 7. Appellants, however,
dispute this finding by pointing to Porter's Figure 2 and contending that
transistors 46 and 30 are connected. Id. at 7-8.
Appellants also assert that Porter does not gradually reduce the bias
current as recited. Id. at 8. In Appellants' view, Porter's signal RDFUS* is
applied to transistor 30's gate, but Porter must be modified to gradually
change this signal. Id. Appellants argue that the Examiner has not identified
any basis in fact or articulated any reasoning to support the finding that
Porter inherently discloses "the claimed features." Id. at 9.
Issues
Under§ 102, has the Examiner erred in rejecting claim 1 by finding
that Porter discloses the following claim language:
I. "a precharge transistor configured to precharge the detection node
in a state where the selective transistor is in an OFF state"?
II. "a bias transistor configured ... to gradually reduce an amount of
the bias current in a state where the selective transistor is in an ON state and
the precharge transistor is in an OFF state"?
4
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
Analysis
Appellants' arguments mainly focus on the Examiner purportedly
ignoring claim 1 's functional limitations. App. Br. 5-8. The Examiner's
position is based on Porter's structure and its capabilities. Specifically, the
Examiner finds that Porter's device is capable of performing the claimed
functions of the precharge transistor and bias transistor (i.e., functions that
follow the phrase "configured to") if given the proper signals. We disagree
with Appellants' argument that Porter must teach such signals expressly in
order for Porter to anticipate claim 1. See, e.g., Reply Br. 6 (discussing that
"at least the signals supplied to Porter's transistors must be modified.")
That is, unlike independent claim 12, independent claim 1 does not
recite supplying or controlling transistors with specific voltages to arrive at
the recited transistor states. Claim 12 recites a bias generating circuit
configured to supply "a gate of the third transistor with a bias voltage" and
"control the bias voltage to take a first level and then change from the first
level to the second level." In contrast, claim 1 merely recites that the
transistors and circuits are "configured to" perform the corresponding
functions, but claim 1 does not recite affirmatively voltages or signals.
Stated another way, claim 1 only sets forth affirmatively the transistor's
response to recited states of the selective and precharge transistors, not the
signals that bring about those states.
In In re Translogic Tech, Inc., 504 F.3d 1249, 1258 (Fed. Cir. 2007),
the Federal Circuit agreed with the Board's construction that "'coupled to
receive"' means "'capable of receiving."' Like the logic circuit in that case,
the claimed transistors here "only accept[] inputs from an external source"
and respond accordingly. Id. Additionally, like the claimed circuit in
5
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
Trans logic Tech that does not specify a particular connection of any input,
the claim terms in the instant case do not specify a particular connection for
input signals to the transistors. As such, the particular signals that
Appellants intend to be supplied are not part of the claimed invention. See
id. Thus, we disagree that the signals in Porter must be modified to teach the
recitations in claim 1. See Reply Br. 6.
Moreover, the plain meaning of transistors are semiconductors that
amplify or switch electronic signals. HARRY NEWTON, NEWTON'S TELECOM
DICTIONARY 863---64 (21st ed. 2005). As such, when behaving like a switch,
such as the transistors in Porter (e.g., 20 and 46), the transistors are capable
of being in an ON or OFF state.
Accordingly, we agree with the Examiner's reading that "configured
to" means capable of performing a function. See Final Act. 2-3; Ans. 3.
Based on this claim construction, we now address whether Porter teaches the
two claim limitations, as set forth above in the Opinion's Issues section.
I
Turning to the first issue, claim 1 recites that a precharge transistor is
"configured to precharge the detection node." The selective transistor's state
further limits this function. In particular, the precharge transistor must be
capable of performing the recited function when the selective transistor's
state is OFF as recited.
Notably, the claim does not require performing the recited function
only when the selective transistor's state is OFF. Nor does claim 1 recite
doing so in response to determining that the selective transistor is in the
recited OFF state. In essence, given its recited OFF state, claim 1 precludes
6
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
the selective transistor from affecting the precharge transistor from
precharging as recited. Accord Ans. 4 (considering whether Porter's
transistor 46 interferes with transistor 20, which is mapped to the recited
precharge transistor).
The Examiner finds that Porter's precharge transistor (e.g., 20)
performs the recited function independent of the selective transistor's state
and further finds that Porter satisfies the recited state limitation. Id. at 3--4.
We agree because the claim only requires the ability to perform the recited
function when the selective transistor's state is OFF. So, a showing that the
recited function is performed regardless of the state (i.e., in either the
selection transistor's ON or OFF state), as was done here (id.), addresses the
claimed limitation.
Specifically, Porter's transistor 20---mapped to the recited precharge
transistor-becomes nonconductive when RDFUS* is switched to an active
low signal voltage while transistors 30 and 46 are conductive. Porter, col. 2,
11. 25-34, cited in Ans. 4. Presumably, transistor 20 becomes active when
"normally high." See id. at col. 2, 1. 26. The state of transistor 46 is not
discussed in Porter when transistor 20 is conductive. See id. at col. 2, 11.
25-34. That is, the Examiner finds that transistor 20 performs the recited
precharging function when RDFUS* signal makes transistor 20 conductive
regardless of transistor 40's state. Ans. 4. We, thus, concur with the
Examiner that the state of transistor 46---mapped to the recited selective
transistor---does not affect transistor 20's operation. Id.
We are equally unpersuaded by the argument that Porter requires that
transistor 46's state be ON during the fuse-state detection. Reply Br. 7
(citing Porter col. 2, 11. 27--44; col. 4, 11. 57----67). Rather, transistor 20' s state
7
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
is controlled by RDFUS*. See Porter Fig. 2. So although transistor 46's
state is ON during the fuse-state detection in some embodiments (Reply
Br. 7), this need not always be the case; gate signal DVCRF2 controls
transistor 46, separately from transistors 20 and 30. See Porter Fig. 2. This
separate control shows that the signal RDFUS*, not transistor 46's state,
determines whether the recited function is performed. See Porter Fig. 2;
col. 2, 11. 25-34 (describing that transistor 46's gate receives a signal from
DVCRF). This, in tum, supports the Examiner's finding that Porter's
transistor 20 (i.e., the mapped precharge transistor) performs the recited
function independent of the state of transistor 46 (i.e., the mapped selective
transistor). Ans. 3--4. On this record, the weight of the evidence supports
the Examiner's finding that Porter's transistor 20 is capable of performing
the recited precharging function when transistor 20's state is OFF as recited
(id.).
Likewise, we disagree that Porter must be modified to keep transistor
46's state OFF to precharge as recited. Reply Br. 7. The modification to
which Appellants refer (id.) does not relate to any structure recited in claim
1. To be sure, Porter's RDFUS* and DVCRF signals affect the transistors'
states. Porter col. 2, 11. 25-34. But the signals are not recited in claim 1,
much less recited in such a manner to differentiate claim 1 from Porter and
its transistors' capabilities.
Additionally, the claimed transistors at issue here are unlike a
"'memory for storing"' or a "'processor for executing"' in that the
2 Note that Porter refers to "DVC2F," but the drawing refers to DVCRF.
Compare Porter col. 2, 1. 28 with Porter Fig. 2. For clarity and consistency,
we use DVCRF to refer to this signal.
8
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
appropriate programming must be supplied. See Typhoon Touch Tech., Inc.
v. Dell, Inc., 659 F.3d 1376, 1380 (Fed. Cir. 2011), cited in App. Br. 7. A
processor or memory may require a particular set of instructions or data to
carry out a specific function. See id. at 13 80-81. By contrast, and contrary
to Appellants' assertions (App. Br. 5), the recited functions of claim 1 do not
require a specific program or set of instructions.
As noted above, transistors are semiconductors that switch electronic
signals. NEWTON'S TELECOM DICTIONARY 863---64. So the transistors at
issue require no more than the necessary connections to satisfy the claimed
function. Namely, the precharge transistor must be connected to the
detection node to perform the recited precharging. The claim further
requires that the selective transistor allows the precharge transistor to
perform this function when in the OFF state. For the reasons discussed
above, the Examiner has shown that the structural connections necessary to
carry out the recited function are present in Porter.
Lastly, Appellants assert Porter's transistor 20, mapped to the
selective transistor, cannot "precharge." App. Br. 7. To the extent argued,
we are unpersuaded. Although Appellants assert that transistor 46 is always
in a conductive state (e.g., ON) when transistor 20 is also conductive,
Appellants have not provided adequate evidence that transistor 20 is
incapable of the recited precharging function. See id. For reasons
previously discussed, we disagree.
II
We are likewise unpersuaded that Porter lacks the recited bias
transistor. See Reply Br. 7-8; App. Br. 8-9.
9
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
First, Appellants argue that Porter's transistors 46 and 30 are
connected. Id. at 7. But Appellants have not explained how this connection
undermines the Examiner's position that transistor 30's function is
unaffected by transistor 46's state, as stated by the Examiner (Ans. 6-7).
For example, Appellants have not adequately demonstrated that the recited
function would be impossible if transistor 46---mapped to the selective
transistor (Final Act. 2}-were in the recited state. Rather, Appellants
merely point out that the "underpinning for the Examiner's point is incorrect
on its face." Reply Br. 8.
Appellants, however, mischaracterize the Examiner's position. The
Examiner states that "the condition (ON or OFF) of the selecti[ive] transistor
46 does not affect the function of transistor 30 as they are not connected."
Ans. 6 (emphasis added). In this statement, "they" refers to the condition
and the transistor function being unconnected. Id. This understanding is
consistent with the Examiner's argument that transistor 30'sfunction is
unaffected by the recited condition. See id. at 6-7.
Furthermore, even acknowledging that the source/drain regions of
transistor 46 and 30 are connected, as Appellants demonstrates (see Reply
Br. 7-8 (reproducing a small portion of Figure 2)), transistors 46 and 30 are
not operatively connected. See Porter, Fig. 2 (indicating that the gates of
transistors 46 and 30 are independently controlled by respective signals
DVCRF and RDFUS*). In this respect, the Examiner is correct that the two
transistors are not connected. Accordingly, Appellants argument is
unpersuasive.
Furthermore, Appellants' contention that Porter must be modified to
reduce the bias current gradually (Reply Br. 8) does not address the
10
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
Examiner's findings regarding the inherent properties of transistors (Ans. 6).
That is, the Examiner finds that the claimed function is met by inherent
properties of Porter's transistor. Id. To this finding, Appellants counter that
Porter lacks an express disclosure of a gradual change. Reply Br. 8. But
Appellants' argument (id.) does not address squarely the Examiner's
inherency argument, let alone persuasively rebut it.
Furthermore, Appellants' argument that the Examiner has not
supported the inherent properties of a transistor (id. at 9) does not address
the evidence cited in the Answer (see Ans. 6). Specifically, the Examiner's
position is supported by a graph showing how voltage changes affect bias
current and show regions of gradual changes. See id. (citing
http://engineerblogs.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/01/mosfet_ids_ vs_ vgs_curve.png). See Ans. 5---6.
The Examiner reasonably infers that changing the signal voltage (e.g.,
RFFUS*) gradually will produce the claimed gradual change in bias current.
Ans. 6. Moreover, as previously stated, we disagree that structural or
programming modifications to Porter are needed in order for Porter's
mapped transistor (e.g., 30) to behave as recited. Thus, the Examiner has
not improperly attempted to shift a burden on Appellants. See App. Br. 9.
On this record, we are unpersuaded that the Examiner erred in finding
that Porter's transistors inherently possess the ability to gradually reduce
bias current as claimed.
For the foregoing reasons, Appellants have not persuaded us of error
in the rejection of independent claim 1 and claims 2-5, 9, and 11, not
separately argued with particularity (see App. Br. 8-9; Reply Br. 9-10).
11
Appeal2014-009847
Application 13/296,437
THE OBVIOUSNESS REJECTION
Claim 10 depends from claim 9. In arguing against the rejection for
claim 10, Appellants refer to the arguments presented for claim 9.
App. Br. 9; Reply Br. 10. The issues before us, then, are the same as those
raised in connection with claim 9 and claim 1, and we refer Appellants to
our previous discussion. We sustain this rejection for the above-discussed
reasons.
CONCLUSION
The Examiner did not err in rejecting (1) claims 1-5, 9, and 11 under
§ 102, and (2) claim 10 under§ 103.
DECISION
The Examiner's decision rejecting claims 1-5 and 9-11 is affirmed.
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
12
Notice of References Cited
*
Document Number Date
Country Code-Number-Kind Code MM-YYYY
A US-
B US-
c US-
D US-
E US-
F US-
G US-
H US-
I US-
J US-
K US-
L US-
M US-
*
Document Number Date
Country Code-Number-Kind Code MM-YYYY
N
0
p
Q
R
s
T
Application/Control No.
13/296,437
Examiner
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Name
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
Country
NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS
Name
Applicant(s)/Patent Under Patent
Appeal No.
2014-009847
Art Unit
I Page 1 of 1 12824
Classification
Classification
* Include as applicable: Author, Title Date, Publisher, Edition or Volume, Pertinent Pages)
u NEWTON'S TELECOM DICTIONARY, 863-864 (21st. ed. 2005)
v
w
x
*A copy of this reference 1s 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.
have submitted the TIP specifirntion to the Internet Engineering Tosk
published it at http://ds.intemic.net/inteme1'drnfts/dra!t-lyon-itp-nodes-
:fun file A collection of transaction records. A transaction data entry pro-
forthe creation of new transaction iiies used to update the data base.
· · · · n link Rockwell's link from its Galaxy ACD to or. extemol computer. See
ln!erforn.
~lfo~ tresddlflg Your software keeps trnck of each transaction as it hap-
1%@iponent of your network foils, your transaction tracking software bocks
:jilti#~!ete transuction. This allows you to maintain your database's integrity.
·!\Mi$!@'> lose the single transaction you were working on when your network
'.I~~ pr1Hessing A processing method in which transactions are exe-
.... · · when they are received by the system, rather than at some later time
stems. Airline reservation databases and automatic teller machines
!ion-processing systems.
ity A term that describes how your computing/!elecom
re thot lhe tronsaction you just made is solid and dean and that
o get to the results of the transaction you can. "Transactional
when you' re storing bits and pieces of your transactions on dif-
r~nt places. For example, you might want to store your data on a
@d your associated images on a separate optical drive.
DUtls How TOF. Transborder data flows are movements of
·· rlqoss international boundaries. TDF legislation began in the 1970s
effect by many countries in an attempt to protect personal privacy
.... j particular memting as it relates to elec11onic commerce or EDI and
:&!iij foore relevant with the use of the Internet as a means to conduct
:1~;1ydevice !hot transmits and receives. In sending and receiving infor-
• ~oto pocket collision deiection os well.
, the attachment hardware connecting the controller inter-
. . . . . . , The transceiver contains the carrier-sense logic, the trans-
:~® \h!!tollision·detect logic.
:&JP.~eti\~mkstatlons to standard thick Ethernet-style (!EH 802.3).
::~b.l!lin local area neN1orks, u coble that connecis a network device
.,., ... ,...... l]iiml medium such as on Ethernet network, A transceiver cable
. · e it runs from o network node to a transceiver (o transmit
cob!e. See Transceiver.
bines two 1.544 megabit per second bit streams into
ond bit stream to enable transmission of 44 m 48 voice
m.
for modifying a stream of data carried so that it may be
nerNork. For example, transcoding allows H.320 video
OM systems to be converted to H.323 so ihai ii con
pocket switched ethernet LAN.
listens to o tape recording and types the words he
es from the verb to transcribe. The most common
.edicol industiv, where busy doctors talk into tupe
their patients. And even busier transcliptionisis type
·.· .. · .. 1ewrds, or whatever.
:~J.W~~Qp'leris one form o! energy into another. The diaphragm
@.j1j (llSbon microphone in the transmitter ore transducers.
~§~@.br~~:l\lrn (your voice) to variotions in electricity, and vice
lS.1Ml~Mace ~:d~:m~ ~ft~hu~~;;d~~i~~:i~~~b~~!de~~~~cli,
which provides the ability to move a coll from
st commonly used ond misused feature on
y it is to transfer a coll. If you have o sin·
hook, hear a dial tone and then dial the
easy in principle, but many people find
hanging up the phone. Some compo-
button on the phone itself. Such a
iust makes the exoc1 short tone you make
Transesdfon file I Transistor
when you quickly hit the hook flash buiton. An even better solution is an electronic phor.e
with o button specially marked "transfer,'' or a buiton nex1· to a screen which lights up
"transfer." Foiling io efficiently transfer o coll is !he easiest way to give your customers the
wrong impression of your firm. Think of how many times hove you coiled o company only
tu be told it wasn't the fe!lov/s job and he wit! transfer the rnl!, hut "!f we get cut oft
please rnll Joe bock on ei-'lension 2358." There me typicoliy four types of Transfer:
Transfer using Hold, Transfer using Conference, and T mnsfer with and without
Announcement.
transfer ceaHback A phone system feature. After a specified number of rings, an
unanswered iransferred rnll will return to the telephone which originally made the transfer.
transfer delay A characteristic of system pertormcnce that expresses the time
delay in processing information through a data transmission system,
tra!flsfer impedance A measure of shield effectiveness.
transfer mode /\ fundamental element of a communications protocol, trrmsfer
mode refers to the functioning arrangement between transmitting and receiving devices
across a network. There ore tNo basic transfer modes: connection-oriented and connec-
tionless. Connection-oriented network protocols require that a call be set up before the data
transmission begins, ond thot1i1e call subsequently be tom down. further, all data ore con-
sidered to be part of n data stream. Examples of connec1ion-rniented protocols indude anll"
log circuit-switched voice mid data, ISDN, X.25 and ATM.
Connectionless protocols, on the other hand, do not depend on such o process. Rather,
the transmitting device gains access to the tmnsmission medium and begins to transmit
data address to the receiver, without setting up o logicul connection across the physical net-
work. LANs (e.g. Eihemet and Token Ring) make use of connectionless protocols, as does
SMOS, which actually is an extension of the LAN concept across a MAN (Metropolitan Area
Network). For more detail, see Connection Oriented and Connectionless IAode
T ronsmission.
trnnsfor protocols Protocols ore all of the packaging" that surround actual user
data to tell the network devices where to send the data, who it comes from, and how to
tell if it arrived. Transfer protocols are designed for the efficient moving of larger chunks of
user data.
tresnsfer rate The speed of data transfer-in bits, bytes or charocters per sec-
ond-between devices.
transfer switch Usually a switch which reverses two input-uutput combinations.
transfer time A power backup term. Transfer time can refer lo either the speed to
which on off-line UPS transfers from utility power to battery power, or to the speed with
which on on-line UPS switches from the inverter to utility power in the event of on invert·
er foilure. In eitlier cose the time involved must be shorter than the length of time that the
computer's switching power supply has enough energy to maintain adequate output volt-
age. this hold-up time may range from eight to 16 miiliseconds, depending on the point in
tl1e power supply'.1 recharging cycle that the power outage occurs, and the amount of ene1'
gy storage capacitance within the power supply. A transfer time of 4ms is most desirable
, however, it should be noted that an oversensiiive unit moy make unnecessmy power
im11sfe1s.
transformer Tronsforrners are devices that change electrical current from or.e volt-
age to another. A step·up transformer inneases the voltage and a step-down transformer
decreases voltage. The power of an electric current must be conserved so iust as voltage is
increased, current is decreased, Transformers work by feeding on altemoting current into o
primary coil. The primary coil induces a magnetic field in a secondoiv coil which is rnn·
nected to on energy using load. The difference betNeen the number of coils in the primary
coil versus the secondary coil detennines whether the voltage will be stepped up or down.
One reason for using a transformer is that commerdni power is typically 120 or 240 volts
while many phone systems (and other computer-type "things") work best on 48, 24 or
lower voltage.
Transformer Exdtsng Network See TfN.
treanshybrhl loss The transmission loss between opposite ports of a hybrid net·
work, thor is between the two ports of the four-wire connection.
transient Any high-speed, short duration increase or decrease impoirmen1· that is
superimposed on a circuit. T ronsients can interrupt or halt data exchange on a network. See
HIT.
transient mobile unit A mobile unit communicating through a foreign base
station.
transistor The transistor was invented in 1947 by John Bardeen, Wolter H. Brattain
863
and William Shockley of Bell Laboratories. The fast honsistor comprised o paper clip, two
slivers of gold, and a piece of gem10nium on o lrystal plate. Hem is an expkmation of how
a transistor works, token from "Signals, The Science ot Telecommunimtions" by John
Pierce and Michael Noll:
"To understand how o transistor works, we must look at the lows of quantum mechon·
ks. We commonly picture on atom as a positive nucleus surrounded by orbiting ele£trons
... Vacuum tubes rely on the ability of electrons to travel freely with any energy through 11
vacuum. T ronsistors rely on the free travel ot electrons through crystalline solids rnl!ed
semiconductors ... Semiconductors (such as silicon or gallium arsenide) differ from pure
conductors, such os metals, in how full of electrons ore the ene1gy bonds that allow free
trove!.'' Depending on iheir design, transistors con act as amplifiers or switches. See also
1947, Transistor Milestones and tmnsisto; radio.
'§'r(SHidS1r Mi!esti:mes
Point-contact transistor 1948
Single-crystol Gem1011ium 1950
Grown iunction transistor 195 l
Alloy iuncfion transistor 1952
Zone melting and refining 1952
Single-crystal Silicon 1952
Diffused-hose transistor 19 5 5
Oxide masking 1957
Plonor transistor 1960
MOS transistor 1960
Epiroxial transistor 1960
Integrated circuits 1961
tr~nsii!Sl@r f(Sg·l§o Sony unveiled the first transistor radio in 1955. See Sorty.
trmssif dehay 1. In ISDN, the elapsed time between the moment ihot the first hit
of a unit of doto (such os o frame) passes a given point and the moment that bit posses
another given point plus the transmission time of tho! data unit.
2. As an ATM term, it is the time difference between the instant at whkh the first bit
of o POU crosses one designated boundary and the instant ct which the iast bit of the some
POU crosses o second designated boundary.
tra11sit exduuage The European e~uivalent of o tandem exchange.
treH15it timi11g .4 method of eliminating looping beiween nodes used in the network
layer of some pocket-switched systems. This method is used in the Internet Protocol (IP)
portion of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP /IP).
Trmssition Point TP. A location in the horizontal wbling subsystem where flat
underrnrpet wbling connects to round wbling.
transition probubiHties Probabilities of moving from one state to another.
trnnsMon xone The zone between the for end of the near-field region and the
near end of the for-field region. The transition is gradual.
translate To change the digits dialed on your phone into digits necessary for muling
tl1e cal! across the countrv. See Translations.
ir~msl(Sting bridge A special bridge that interconnects different LAN ~/pes using
differnnt protocols at the physiml or:d data link layers, such os Ethernet and Token Ring. A
translating bridge supports the physical and data link protocols of boih LAN ~{pes. When
they forward packets from one LAN to another, they manipulate the packet envelope to
conform to 1i1e physical and dalll link protocols of the destination LAN. for o longer expla·
notion, see Bridge.
tr~nuiin~fon The interpretotion hy a switching system of all or part of a destination
code to determine the routing of a call. See Tmnslations.
suitable for use by 1he central processor. The important thing
the translation function in ihe stored program switches is 111e >
4. In computers, it is a program that tronslates from one language ~';ii:'
guage and in particular from one progromminy language into anotliet ~~!Ji~i.iij~'
guage. . ............. .
5. In FM and TV broodcosting, it's a repeater station that rernl~s@rlilOO '
signal, amplifies it, shifts it in frequency, and rebroadcasts it. r
tran~litereste To convert the characters of one ulphobet to the @#~~~(M~
octers of another alphabet. / ::)\
tra11smissfon Sending electrical signals carrying information meto%~iK~:
nation. Belkore soys that transmission has 1i1e following detinilions: (of · ...... w.· .....
work, such as equipment development, system design, planning, Of
electrical communication technology is used to creote systems to toriy if!fu(
distance. (b) Refers io the process of sending information from ofie plllh(J\i
Used with a modifier to describe the quality of a telephone connection: ~@W
transmission. (d) refers to the tmnsfer chormteristic of o channel or ·.·.·.· ···
more specifically, to the amplitude transfer choracferisttc Yau may sll@®.~~
phrase, "transmission as a function of frequency." .. \:::::::.
transsriissicn blod1: A group of bits or characters tmnsmlrtecl (l~~®.Nf
;~~:ii:i~~~~~0~hr:~~=J0~fi~~l~h!°ironsmission focillties• beNe~ i~~ i~!f
the channel) from on initiating node and the oulPUl (from the channeil ill > ..... • .....
node. In telephony, transmission chrmnels may be ofvorious bandwidl@f
kHz, nom1na! 4-kH2, or nominot 48·kHz (group). ''Tmnsm!ssfoh. diOi ··
confused with the more genern! term "channel." ....................... .
trn!'!smissi@n c@de A code by which information is sent and re®VW\\lfa
mission system. ·.:'·•·•••• t\
trunsmissfo!'! toeffident The ratio of the transmitted field S!t@.lfu!~ · ·.
dent field strength when on electromagnetic wave is incident upoo on i@i[~M
between media with two different refractive indices. In o transmission · · · · · ........ "
complex amplitude of tne transmitted wove lo that of the inci
in the line. A number indicating ihe probable pe~ormm1Ce of o portion .·.·.·.·.·.·.· ..
cuit. The value of a tronsrnisslon coefficient is inversely related to the q~o~fyRf:
circuit. . .................. .....
trsmsmission control Category of control characters infendM@@~!t~@
transmission of information over telecommunirntion networks. Sea TCP. ::((:
h'oB'lsmissio11 ~ontrol dtaraders A group of characters
or control dato transmission. Examples are NAK (Not acknowledge} and
mission).
Trnnsmission Co11trol Protoco~ TCP. A specification for
dies outgoing doto into packets (and bundles incoming data),
of packets an a network, and checks for erro1s. TCP is the
trnnsiutfons Here is o definition from Bellcore, who works with the telephone indus·
try: Translations is the changing of information from one form to another, Example: In com·
mon control switching systems employing digit storage devices and decoding devirns, the
dialed digits ore stored in a receiver or a tone decoder. The receiver/decoder translates ihe
dialed digits doto appropriote !or the wmpletion of the call ond passes to a processor. With
ihe advent of stored program control, os exemplified in o fA ESS, SESS-2000, ONIS·lOO
systems, the tmnslution function has been greotiy expanded. When a customer originates
a coll, for example, the system needs to know if the line is denied outgoing service, if the
line is being observed, what the line doss is, what special equipment features it has, etc.
The line equipment number is given to !he translation program as an input. The translation
program pe~orms a translation and returns the answers to these questions in o rnded form suite that governs the exchmigH of sequential doto. In more
864
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NEWTON's ULECOM DICTIONARY
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March 2005
Twenty First Edition
Matt Kelsey, Publisher
Roy Horak, Senior Contributing Editor
Gail Saori, Prnduc1ion Editor
Cover design: Saul Roldan @d Damien Castaneda
Text layout: Brod Greene, Greene Design