Appeal No. 2001-2278
Application No. 09/304,267
the temperature-rise state of the catalyst and increasing the
frequency of the chance for the catalyst deterioration decision”
(specification, page 1). Claim 1 reads as follows:
1. A catalyst deterioration detecting apparatus for an
internal combustion engine, comprising:
an engine load detector operable to arithmetically determine
parameter values corresponding to load states of an internal
combustion engine;
an accumulator operable to arithmetically determine an
accumulated value by accumulating counter values corresponding to
said parameter values;
a first comparator operable to compare said accumulated
value with a first predetermined value corresponding to an
operative temperature of a catalytic converter; and
a catalyst deterioration determiner operable to determine a
deterioration of said catalytic converter when said accumulated
value attains or exceeds said first predetermined value.
THE PRIOR ART
The reference relied on by the examiner to support the final
rejection is:
Yamashita et al. (Yamashita) 5,727,383 March 17, 1998
THE REJECTION
Claims 1 and 3 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
being anticipated by Yamashita.
Attention is directed to the appellant’s main and reply
briefs (Paper Nos. 10 and 12) and to the examiner’s answer (Paper
2
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