Appeal No. 1999-1101
Application 08/727,125
moving measuring devices can sense both a reference crop and
the crop that is to be determined simultaneously (Br17).
Peterson teaches comparing readings from a bulk field with a
reference strip (under "Establishing Reference Strips") and
that readings should be taken from the reference strip and the
bulk field at about the same time because readings may vary
with time of day (under "How to sample"), which suggests
comparing reference and non-reference readings taken more or
less simultaneously. One of ordinary skill in the art would
have been motivated to provide for simultaneous measurement of
reference and non-reference in implementing a real-time
system. However, it is noted that neither claim 18 nor any of
the other claims require simultaneous sensing of a reference
and a non-reference value: the value of the reference crop
could be measured and stored for comparison and use during the
time the non-reference crop is being measured. The rejection
of claim 18 is sustained.
Claim 19 depends on claim 18 and recites that the
reference value changes in accordance with a changing standard
for a crop. Appellants argue that this allows different
environmental conditions or growing stages of the crop to be
- 17 -
Page: Previous 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007