Appeal No. 1998-2463 Page 2
Application No. 08/598,854
of the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary
claims 1 and 11, which are reproduced as follows:
1. A scanner, comprising:
a laser for emitting a laser beam having a wavelength
which is a function of an electric signal;
a source for applying a variable electric signal to said
laser;
a rotating facet for sweeping the laser beam in a scan
line; and
a wavelength dispersive element for receiving the laser
beam and for directing the laser beam onto the rotating facet
to form a spot;
wherein said wavelength dispersive element is positioned,
and said source varies the electric signal to said laser such
that the spot tracks the rotation of said facet.
11. A method of facet tracking comprising the steps of:
passing a variable wavelength laser beam through a
wavelength dependent dispersive element into a spot on a
selected area of a rotating facet; and
varying the wavelength of the laser beam such that the
spot follows the selected area as the facet rotates.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Asada 4,845,358 Jul. 4, 1989
Andrews 5,363,126 Nov. 8, 1994
Appel et al. (Appel) 5,498,869 Mar. 12, 1996
(filed Dec. 20, 1993)
Claims 1-5 and 11 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
being unpatentable over Andrews in view of Appel. Claims 6-
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