Appeal No. 2002-0882
Application 09/161,146
Holdeman teaches that the planetary gear assembly can be employed
in an automotive transmission or a transfer case (see Holdeman at
column 2, lines 32 through 35). Showalter’s invention focuses on
providing smooth low to high transfer case shifts with minimal
gear clashing and noise. As described in the reference, this
involves
[a] method and apparatus for operating a power transfer
device such as a vehicle transfer case having shaft
speed sensors, a two speed (high-low) drive assembly,
a[n] electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically
operated shift operator and a microprocessor comprising
the steps of sensing the speeds of the transfer case
input shaft and output shaft, calculating the rate of
change ()S/)t) of the speed of the input shaft,
predicting, based upon such rate of change, a time when
the input shaft and the output shaft will be
synchronized and commencing movement of such shift
operator at a time prior to such synchronization in
order to effect engagement of such clutch into high
gear at substantially the instant synchronization is
achieved [column 1, lines 49 through 61].
As conceded by the examiner (see page 2 in Paper No. 11),
Showalter does not respond to the limitations in independent
claims 1 and 14 relating to the semi-automatic transmission or to
the device for emitting at the beginning of, or before completion
of, synchronization an acknowledgment signal to the driver that
re-engagement of the clutch may be properly effected.
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