Appeal No. 96-0882
Application No. 07/885,217
With respect to the requirement for different light beam
resolution in the two scanning directions, we interpret the term
“light beam resolution” very broadly. The term is not used in
the specification or references.
The specification uses “resolution” in a very general sense
and in at least four different phrases and meanings. First, the
“print resolution” is referred to in the specification as the
pixel density. Specification at 2, lines 3-13; at 4, lines 10-
13; and at 11, lines 29-31. Second, there is the “resolution of
the projected image.” Specification at 3, lines 13-21. This
appears to be related to a “horizontal” resolution and a
“vertical” or “fast scan” resolution. Specification at 4, lines
6-8; and at 8, line 35 through 9, line 9. Third, there is a
“resolution or number of steps between pixels.” Specification at
10, lines 1-3. Fourth, there is “dual resolution printing.”
Specification at 10, lines 8-9.
The broadest reasonable interpretation of printing “in a
second scan direction at a second light beam resolution less than
the first resolution” in Claim 14 encompasses using a light beam
writing spot that has a larger dimension in one scan direction
than in the other. The lesser dimension in the other direction
13
Page: Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007