Appeal No. 96-0166
Application 08/083,419
40, which the examiner finds to be the "circuit means," are
always coupled to the multiplex gates 48, 50, which the
examiner finds to be "bus enable means." They are not coupled
to gates 48, 50 by the address decode/select circuit 52
"responsive to a test signal from the scan control means," as
claimed. If claim 1 recited coupling the circuit means to the
"bus means" instead of to the "bus enable means," this would
be a different issue. This is an additional reason why the
rejection of claims 1-3 and 18-20 must be reversed.
Claim 4
Claim 4 recites "digital signals being coupled to the
shared bus means by circuit means enabled by the assertion of
an enable signal" and a "counter means, associated with
circuit means of each of the digital units ... for producing a
test enable signal" and "means for presetting the counter
means with a predetermined test pattern." Claim 4 does not
recite that the shared bus means is operative during a normal
mode.
Appellants argue that Powell does not teach "counter
means" and it follows that it cannot have "means for
presetting the counter means" (Br11). The examiner finds that
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