Appeal No. 2000-1961
Application 08/840,200
BACKGROUND
The disclosed invention relates to analyzing the on-line
operation of a mechanism, such as a steam trap.
Claim 16 is reproduced below.
16. A method of analyzing the on-line operation of a
monitored mechanism comprising the steps of:
monitoring said control mechanism, on-line, to detect a
variable operating characteristic of said control mechanism;
determining, on-line, a time-based baseline data set
for said operating characteristic representative of a normal
sequence of on-line operations of said control mechanism;
comparing on-line operating characteristics of said
control mechanism with operations represented by said
baseline data set of operating characteristics; and
signaling when said operations represented by said
baseline data set of operations and said on-line operations
differ in a predetermined amount.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Yumoto et al. (Yumoto) 4,898,022 February 6, 1990
Hill et al. (Hill) 5,154,080 October 13, 1992
Hale 5,239,874 August 31, 1993
Arcella et al. (Arcella) 5,329,465 July 12, 1994
McDonald et al. (McDonald) 5,425,270 June 20, 1995
Claim 16 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being
anticipated by Hill or Hale or Arcella. 2
2 In the future, we recommend that the examiner pick what
he considers to be the best two rejections. Normally, the best
rejection should be made, but it is understood that sometimes
there is doubt about the teachings of a reference which requires
a backup rejection. However, unduly multiplicative alternative
grounds of rejection are burdensome to applicants and the Board
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