Appeal No. 1998-0726
Application 08/434,919
the answer where the examiner makes reference to Milde's
Summary of the Invention at column 2, lines 3-13, which
indicates in part that his control device includes "means for
sensing the driving environment of the motor vehicle and for
changing the condition of response in dependence upon the
sensed environment." This noted portion of the Summary of the
Invention appears to be identical to Milde's abstract. Even
considering this broad teaching of sensing the driving
environment together with the statement at column 1, lines 50-
53 that "it is important that the device does not switch on
the hazard lights in situations where they are not needed,
since frequent, unnecessary flashing of hazard lights would
cause confusion to other motor vehicle operators," we are
still unpersuaded of the obviousness of the subject matter of
representative claim 5 and independent claim 8 as well on
appeal. The examiner's reasoning as well as these teachings
in Milde simply fall short in our view of a sufficient
motivation, teaching, or suggestion within 35 U.S.C. § 103 of
associating a turn signal means of a vehicle with the
operation of the underspeed signal detector means of Milde,
and to do so in a manner to inhibit the operation of the
5
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