Appeal No. 2000-1519
Application No. 08/674,875
providing for a plurality of gain control signals (prior and
after the transmission line 22) instead of a single gain control
signal [prior to transmission line 22]. However, the examiner
indicates that Lemson also suggests, at column 40, lines 22-29,
that the use of a single gain control signal only prior to the
transmission line was well known. Therefore, it would have been
obvious to provide the gain control circuit, in the system of APA
as modified by Lemson, with a single gain control signal “in
order to offer advantages in terms of low cost and smaller size”
[answer-page 5].
For their part, appellants argue that no prima facie case of
obviousness has been established in that neither APA nor Lemson
provides for a plurality of antenna units wherein each antenna
unit includes a signal level comparator for generating a single
gain control signal and a gain controller for adjusting the
antenna gain based on the single gain control signal output from
the signal level comparator. Appellants argue that since Lemson
discloses a system for controlling signal levels at both ends of
a transmission link 22, and since the preamplifier 24 receives
the “total system input,” and controller 42 generates two control
signals for setting attenuation levels of first and second signal
level changing devices 32, 34, Lemson cannot provide for the
-4–
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