Appeal No. 1998-2472
Application No. 08/614,324
structure defining data path adaptive weights. The examiner
turns to Sheppard for a suggestion to use such a neural
network in Meyer's detection of defects. Specifically, the
examiner asserts (Answer, page 4) that "Sheppard et al.
teaches neural network means 100 (Figure 12) for diagnosing a
system defect based on a number of test samples, ... so that
the type of defect of a system can be identified with a great
degree of certainty (col. 3)."
Appellant, in the Brief, does not contest the examiner's
analysis of Meyer. Therefore, we will focus our attention on
the combinability of Sheppard's neural network with Meyer's
method. Appellant argues (Brief, page 15) that neither Meyer
nor Sheppard suggests the last two steps of claim 4, which
involve a neural network. Further, appellant states (Brief,
page 16) that "[t]here is no suggestion found in the cited
Meyer et al.
reference or the Sheppard et al. reference, other than the
teachings of applicant's own application, to justify the
modifications of the Meyer et al. reference as proposed by the
Examiner."
Sheppard's diagnostic tester "has broad application in
determining the nature or condition of a variety of systems,
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