Appeal No. 1997-3133 Page 5
Application No. 08/370,076
configuration. Any change in the scan path configuration will
go unnoticed in Hassan and lead to erroneous results. While
Hassan discloses test generation and diagnosis for verifying
the interconnections of integrated circuits, there is no
suggestion of determining a post-test configuration of the scan
path and certainly no suggestion of comparing it with a pre-
test configuration of the scan path.
Independent claim 18 recites, more specifically, that
there is a determination of the actual bit length of the scan
path in the post-test configuration. While the examiner does
not explain, with any degree of specificity, the significance
of Parker or how or why it is being applied, ostensibly, the
examiner relies on Parker for the determination of actual bit
length of a scan path. Appellants point to Figure 5 of Parker
where a diagnosis step immediately follows a “stop testing”
step. Accordingly, it appears reasonable that Parker performs
no action between stopping the test and diagnosing any faults,
unlike the instant claimed invention wherein a shift in
signature pattern through the scan path occurs in a post-test
configuration in order to determine the actual bit length of
the scan path in the post-test configuration. The examiner’s
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