Appeal No. 1998-3024
Application No. 08/464,298
shifted clock pulses for the two alternately-activated
transmission gates respectively” to introduce phase shifts of
approximately 90 degrees, and that “[s]ubstitution of Archer’s
‘delay circuit T’ between clock sources 14, 16 and the
respective transmission gates 18, 20 would not meet that
recital of Claim 4 because that delay circuit produces a fixed
time delay” (Brief, page 6).
In rebuttal, the examiner states (Answer, page 5) that
“the claimed first and second phase shifting means are
disclosed by the combination of the prior art Fig. 1 and the
Archer reference in that a delay is coupled to each gate
output of the two clock means 14 and 16 so as to constitute
first and second phase shifting means.”
Notwithstanding the time delay clocking teachings of
Archer, we agree with appellant (Reply Brief, page 2) that:
Use of phase-shifting means assures that the
signal source clock pulses are separated in time
from the multiplexer clock pulses by a fixed number
of degrees of the clock cycle (specifically, one-
quarter of a CLK/2 cycle), not by a fixed time
period as in Archer. In applicant’s invention, the
time duration between the signal source clock pulses
and the multiplexer clock pulses will necessarily
change with changes in clock frequency (e.g.,
decreasing duration with increasing frequency).
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