Appeal No. 96-0310
Application 08/084,502
the teachings of Mullin alone. Mullin teaches a speed signal
generator [19, 20] and a door ajar signal generator [45, 46]
connected to a control means for energizing an alarm unit
[10]. Although the speed signal generator is shown only in
Figure 1 and the door ajar signal generator is shown only in
Figure 2, Mullin suggests that the functions of Figure 1 which
have not been modified are not repeated in Figure 2 [column 2,
lines 65-67]. Thus, the embodiment of Figure 2 actually
contains both the speed signal generator and the door ajar
signal generator. These two signals are fed to a control
means which controls the alarm unit in response to these two
signals. As we pointed out above, the language of claim 1 is
considered broad enough to include a control means connected
to a speed sensing means and a door ajar sensing means as
shown by Mullin.
To the extent that appellants argue that a courtesy
lamp patentably distinguishes from the indicator light 45 or
the alarm unit 10 of Mullin, we do not agree. Mullin suggests
that lamp 45 could be either a dome light (courtesy lamp) or
an indicator lamp [column 3, lines 15-16]. Thus, Mullin
specifically recognizes that the illumination device could
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