Appeal No. 2006-1486
Application No. 10/608,086
Rejection over Takeuchi
Takeuchi uses an expert system rule base to perform
surveillance, diagnosis and prognosis of a nuclear power plant,
thereby determining the probabilities of the existence of
abnormal circumstances and predicting their effects (col. 1,
lines 10-12).
The examiner defines “optimization” as “an act, process or
methodology of making something (as a design, system, decision)
as fully perfect, functional or effective as possible” (answer,
page 3). The examiner argues that Takeuchi’s “expert
system/operator combination performs “optimization”, by
maintaining the plant within specified safety limits and avoiding
costly accidents and recovery operations” (answer, page 7).
Maintaining the plant within specified safety limits and avoiding
costly accidents and recovery operations does not optimize the
plant, i.e., make it as fully perfect, functional or effective as
possible and, therefore, is not an optimization.
Because the examiner has not shown that Takeuchi performs an
optimization process, the examiner has not established a prima
facie case of anticipation over that reference.
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