Appeal No. 2000-2194
Application No. 08/705,843
counter is separate and independent and not connected to the lock
electronics” to page 13, line 5 of the specification. This portion
of the specification relates to the parking meter coin counter
embodiment of the invention, and similar amendatory language was
also added to independent claim 6 before us on appeal.
The Examiner has taken the position (Answer, pages 3, 4, 8,
and 9) that the independent relationship of the coin counter and
infrared transmitter to the lock electronics is not supported by
any description in the specification as originally filed. Upon
careful review of the language in question in claim 6 in light of
Appellants’ disclosure, we are in agreement with Appellants’
position as stated in the Briefs.
The operation of the coin counter embodiment of Appellants’
invention is illustrated in the flow charts depicted in Figures 15
and 16, along with the accompanying description at pages 12, 13,
37, and 38 of the specification. As described, an operator inserts
a key into the lock, reads the data from the cash counter, and
stores the read data in the memory of the key. As a part of a
secondary audit, the key is inserted into the lock and the
previously read cash counter data is fed back into the lock and
stored in the lock memory. We find to be compelling Appellants’
assertion (Brief, pages 17 and 18; Reply Brief, pages 3 and 4) that
5
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