Appeal No. 2001-1480 Page 6
Application No. 09/129,285
devices, such as speed limit signs, traffic metering lights,
traffic signs and traffic signals. Appellant’s discussion in
the specification from page 2, line 11, to page 3, line 17,
also makes a distinction between the use of the GPS
information to regulate “traffic control devices,” such as
traffic signals, traffic signs and metering lights, and the
use of the GPS information to transmit alternate routing
information back to the vehicle. Accordingly, in light of the
underlying disclosure and consistent with appellant’s
arguments throughout the brief, we do not consider a vehicle
to be a traffic control device as that terminology is used in
appellant’s claim 1.
The examiner’s reliance (answer, page 4) on Ayanoglu’s
disclosure in column 3, lines 51-61, as a teaching of
regulating speed limits based upon traffic information is not
well placed. This portion of Ayanoglu’s disclosure addresses
the type of traffic information, such as traffic speeds, which
is input to a central database for use in determining best
route information for transmission to vehicles. Ayanoglu
provides no disclosure whatsoever of regulating speed limits
as the examiner alleges or of transmitting control signals to
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