Appeal No. 1998-0441
Application 08/713,089
demonstrated that the level comparator in Figure 5 is a
constant voltage circuit.
Claim 17
Claim 17 recites first and second constant voltage
circuits each comprising a pair of MOS transistors and each
having an output connected to a gate electrode of a MOS
transistor for maintaining the current of the inverter
circuits constant. Thus, claim 17 recites two constant
voltage circuits each comprising a pair of MOS transistors.
The Examiner relies on Figures 5, 9, and 10 of Sakurai.
As to Figure 5, the Examiner states (EA5-6): "In
Fig. 5, current limiting transistors P11, N11... are subject
to constant voltage signals from B1 that reduce the
dependency of the current on power supply variation by
steadying the current flowing to the capacitances of the
inverters. See Fig. 8 and column 6, lines 19-25 regarding
this reduction of oscillator frequency dependence on power
source voltage."
As to Figure 9, the Examiner notes that the positions
of the inverter transistors and the constant current
transistors in Figure 5 have been switched (EA5).
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