Appeal No. 2001-1955
Application 08/989,917
depending upon use. Even if there are only two or a plurality
of interconnected stages, at least one stage is connected in the
manner claimed to the extent it is recited in the claim.
Independent claims 19 and 21 are respective method and
method of manufacturing claims reciting essentially the same
subject matter between them. McKinney does disclose in our view
a data circuit in his drawing figure that includes a plurality of
cascaded delay stages 1-N which may be selected for inclusion in
a path of propagation of the output signal based on the value of
a selection signal. We agree with the examiner's view that
claims 19 and 21 are met by the teachings and showings in
McKinney since this reference essentially does vary the nature of
the selection signal until the path of propagation imposes a
desired delay upon the output signal which is essentially
therefore fixed because the reference's aim as expressed in the
initial paragraph at column 1 of McKinney's patent is to provide
a programmable variable length delay circuit. It is clearly going
to be programmed or varied to the extent the desired delay is
achieved, and therefore it is programmed or fixed once that delay
is achieved.
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