Appeal No. 1999-1101
Application 08/727,125
meter. We conclude that it would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art to secure sensors to any mechanism
for dispensing fertilizer in view of the real-time system in
Monson and, in particular, it would have been obvious to
secure the sensor to a center pivot fertigation system because
Peterson teaches that the center pivot system was a well known
mechanism for dispensing fertilizer. Further, in our opinion,
one of ordinary skill in the art would have had sufficient
knowledge to extend Peterson's suggestion of "remote sensing
by satellite or airplane" (under "The chlorophyll meter as an
N management tool") to sensors mounted on high-clearance
ground equipment, such as center pivot fertigation systems.
The rejection of claims 2, 4, and 10 is sustained.
Claims 6 and 12 recite that the sensor measures the light
reflectances from the crop. Demetriades-Shah teaches this
limitation. The rejection of claims 6 and 12 is sustained.
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