Prior art — US Patent 5373485

I have examined US Patent 5373485, "Method for locating data in a data cartridge system," and identified the patent citations listed within its text to assess their relevance as prior art. US5373485 was filed on September 3, 1991, and published on December 13, 1994. The claims of US5373485 primarily focus on a method for locating the end of data on a serpentine written tape using a binary search algorithm.

Here is an analysis of each patent cited as prior art in US5373485:

Cited Prior Art References

US3692255A
- Full Citation: US3692255A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1972-09-19
- Brief Description: Titled "Belt driven tape cartridge", this patent describes a magnetic recording tape preloaded in a reel-to-reel enclosure with an endless flexible belt for bidirectionally driving the tape. It details the physical mechanism of a tape cartridge system.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference provides foundational technology for tape cartridges. It potentially anticipates the environment in which US5373485 operates, particularly claim 3, which specifies "wherein the tape is a cartridge tape." However, it does not explicitly disclose the method steps of searching for logical blocks, physical blocks, or the end of data on serpentine tracks, especially not using the specific binary search algorithm claimed in US5373485.
US4393445A
- Full Citation: US4393445A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1983-07-12
- Brief Description: Titled "Information-signal recording apparatus employing record volume oriented identification signals," this patent pertains to apparatus for recording information signals using identification signals related to record volumes.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is potentially relevant to the general concept of identifying data on a record medium. If "record volume oriented identification signals" include mechanisms analogous to track headers or end-of-data markers, it could broadly touch upon elements mentioned in claim 1 of US5373485. However, based solely on the title, it does not explicitly appear to anticipate the specific method steps of claims 1-6 concerning the binary search for the end of data on serpentine written tape.
US4774699A
- Full Citation: US4774699A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1988-09-27
- Brief Description: Titled "Method and apparatus for positioning a read head to a selected track on a record disc," this patent describes techniques for precisely positioning a read head.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference discloses a method for positioning a read head, a step broadly encompassed in US5373485's methods (e.g., "stepping to a predetermined track" or "positioning the tape to the beginning of the current track" in claim 1(f) and 1(l)). However, its application is to a "record disc," not a "serpentine written tape." Therefore, while the general concept of head positioning is disclosed, the specific challenges and algorithms for data location on serpentine tape as claimed in US5373485 are not directly anticipated.
US4716558A
- Full Citation: US4716558A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1987-12-29
- Brief Description: Titled "Record disc addressing apparatus," this patent describes apparatus for addressing locations on a record disc.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US4774699A, this patent focuses on addressing mechanisms but specifically for a "record disc." While US5373485 utilizes physical and logical block addresses, the application to a disc medium differs significantly from a serpentine written tape. Thus, it is relevant to the general concept of addressing in data storage but does not directly anticipate the methods claimed in US5373485 for serpentine tapes.
JPH01171185A
- Full Citation: JPH01171185A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1989-07-06
- Brief Description: Titled "Control method for locating block in magnetic tape device," this Japanese patent describes a method for locating data blocks on magnetic tape.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent appears highly relevant conceptually as it describes a "control method for locating block in magnetic tape device," directly aligning with US5373485's broader objective of "locating data" including physical and logical blocks. While it addresses the core problem of finding data on magnetic tape, based solely on its title, it is unclear if it specifically teaches the "serpentine written tape" format, the concept of an "end of data signal," or the "binary search" algorithm as detailed in claims 1-6 of US5373485. Therefore, while broadly relevant to data location on tape, its direct anticipation of the specific claimed method remains uncertain without the full text.
US4858039A
- Full Citation: US4858039A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1989-08-15
- Brief Description: Titled "Streaming tape drive with direct block addressability," this patent describes a streaming tape drive capable of directly addressing data blocks.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is also conceptually relevant to US5373485, as "direct block addressability" is a foundational capability for the search algorithms described in US5373485 for locating physical and logical blocks. It could potentially anticipate the means by which specific blocks are targeted. However, similar to JPH01171185A, its title does not indicate the use of serpentine tape, specific end-of-data signals, or a binary search algorithm for locating the end of data as claimed in US5373485.
JPH02246075A
- Full Citation: JPH02246075A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: 1990-10-01
- Brief Description: Titled "File retrieval system in magnetic tape volume," this patent relates to systems for retrieving files from magnetic tape.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference broadly addresses "file retrieval" on "magnetic tape," which is an overarching goal that US5373485's methods contribute to. While it covers the general domain of data access on tape, its title does not provide sufficient detail to determine if it discloses the specific serpentine tape format, end-of-data signals, or the binary search method claimed in US5373485. Without the full text, it is difficult to ascertain its direct anticipatory effect on claims 1-6.

Conclusion regarding Anticipation:
Based on the provided titles and brief descriptions, none of the cited patents explicitly describe a method for locating the "end of the data on a serpentine written tape" using a "binary search" as specifically outlined in claims 1-6 of US5373485. While some references address aspects like tape cartridges (US3692255A), data identification (US4393445A), head positioning/addressing on media (US4774699A, US4716558A), or general data/block/file retrieval on magnetic tape (JPH01171185A, US4858039A, JPH02246075A), the unique combination of serpentine tape, end-of-data signals, and a binary search algorithm in US5373485's claims does not appear to be explicitly disclosed by the titles of these prior art documents. A definitive determination of anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed claim-by-claim analysis against the full text of each cited patent, which is beyond the scope of this analysis.