Appeal No. 1996-1922
Application 08/110,506
1. A control system for controlling a non-linear process as a function of a process error
signal, the non-linear process having a plurality of regions of operation, the control system comprising:
means for producing an auxiliary variable signal which is indicative of an instantaneous
region of operation for the non-linear process, the instantaneous region of operation being one of the
plurality of regions of operation; and
a fuzzy logic controller for producing a process control output signal for controlling the
non-linear process in the instantaneous region of operation as a function of the process error signal and
the auxiliary variable signal.
The reference relied upon by the examiner is:
Aoki 5,272,621 Dec. 21, 1993
(filed Nov. 9, 1989)
The appealed claims stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as being anticipated by
Aoki.
The respective positions of the examiner and the appellants with regard to the propriety
of the rejection are set forth in the examiner’s answer (Paper No. 15) and the appellants’ brief (Paper
No. 14) and reply brief (Paper No. 16).
Appellants’ Invention
Appellants’ invention is a process control system 30 shown in Figure 3 for controlling a
non-linear process 32 using a fuzzy logic controller 34. An auxiliary variable value 46 from process 32
allows controller 34 to differentiate between high gain regions of process operation represented by
numeral II in the plot 24 of process input versus process output shown in Figure 2a, and low gain
2
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