Appeal No. 1998-1481
Application No. 08/536,163
and 8.
Reference is made to the briefs and answers for the respective positions of
appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
We reverse.
Each of the independent claims requires a “voice synthesis means” responsive to
voice command codes for producing a synthetic speech signal and outputting the
synthesized speech signal.
Each of the outstanding rejections relies on Nomura for the teaching or suggestion
of the voice synthesis means. Specifically, the examiner’s position is that Nomura
inherently includes such speech synthesis due to the fact that his system
includes a control unit that processes the bits and pieces of digital data
that are transferred from the IC card memory into the memory 141 of
the portable compact liquid crystal television, and with an aide of audio
signal mixer and the decoder, the system combines all of the bits and
pieces of the digital data into an audio signal/voice signal to be outputted
via a loudspeaker [supplemental answer of June 8, 2000 - Paper No. 17,
page 4].
We find no “inherent” speech synthesis in Nomura. In fact, we find no mention or
suggestion of speech synthesis anywhere in the disclosure of Nomura. At column
13, lines 8-10 of Nomura, it is stated that the loudspeaker 145 “outputs the sounds
represented by the audio signal stored in IC card 190.” Therefore, it would appear that, at
least in this embodiment of Nomura’s invention, the outputted sounds are those of
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