Appeal No. 1997-0202
Application No. 08/247,709
Examiner found lacking in Ehrlich. The Okano reference is
directed to a vehicle air-bag system which is activated in the
event of a collision detected by an acceleration sensor. Our
review of Okano, however, reveals no disclosure that would
overcome the innate deficiencies of Ehrlich and, therefore, we do
not sustain the obviousness rejection of claims 11 and 12.
Turning to the obviousness rejection of independent claim
16, we note that the Examiner (Answer, page 10) seeks to modify
the vehicle warning light system of Ehrlich by relying on Freeman
to supply the missing teaching of activating warning lights in
response to signals received from an automatic braking system
(ABS). In the Examiner’s view, one of ordinary skill would have
been motivated to provide an ABS system which illuminates warning
lights in Ehrlich to enhance vehicle safety features by
augmenting the indication of vehicle deceleration.
In response, Appellants contend (Brief, page 36) that the
Examiner’s proposed combination of Ehrlich and Freeman is
deficient since claim 16 requires not just an ABS system
responsive warning light system but rather the combination of a
normal operating mode of operation with ABS activation. We
agree. The sequence of operation recited in claim 16 sets forth
a normal mode of operation with flashing patterns associated with
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