Appeal No. 1998-2753
Application No. 08/740,887
used in “earth monitoring satellites” (column 1, lines 24-25),
such as oceanography, mapping and mineral exploration, for
example (column 1, lines 51-54). The only uses suggested in
the Lurie reference are in space borne cameras that monitor
environmental and agricultural situations (page 44). Thus,
the “targets” to which the examiner refers in the Answer as
being tracked by the hyperspectral systems of the three
secondary references are not the types of targets that are
defined in the appellants’ specification as being the focus of
missile systems. Second, the claims before us on appeal all
require that the system detect, track, and guide a missile
based upon the “predetermined hyperspectral signature of a
target of interest” which, as we understand the teachings of
the applied references, is not the manner in which these
systems operate. Third, none of the applied references
recognize the problems to which the appellants’ invention are
directed, namely, providing a target tracking system for
missiles that provides a high degree of recognition and is
immune to countermeasures.
We therefore fail to perceive any teaching, suggestion or
incentive in the applied references which would have led one
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