Appeal No. 97-1784 Application 08/011,068 chain from the period of the time signal. Appellants argue that the propagation through the lock window circuit measures the amount to adjust the delay elements so as to converge on the period of the time signal. Appellants argue that neither Rubinstein nor Collins teaches or suggests a lock window circuit as recited in claim 8. On page 4 of the answer, the Examiner argues that Collins teaches a lock window circuit in column 5, lines 15-25. The Examiner argues that array 50 shown in Figure 3 meets Appellants’ claimed lock window unit. On page 6, the Examiner further argues that Collins teaches in Figure 4 a lock window circuit. Upon a closer reading of Collins, we find that Collins teaches in column 5, lines 5-24, a programmable delay chip 14 which is a variable length clock path whose delay is a function of the circuit technology and of the bit patterns stored in a 6x7 array 50. The array 50 is used to hold the bit patterns which in turn condition the paths through first and second sections 51 and 53, respectively, so as to vary the delay in each of the three delay adjustments gross, medium and fine. In column 5, line 43, through column 6, line 7, Collins teaches that Figure 4 shows the 8Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007