Appeal No. 2002-1828
Application 09/424,606
In rejecting claims 12 through 27 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)
as being anticipated by Iida ‘947, the examiner has noted that
this patent teaches a direct injection spark ignition engine
wherein gasoline fuel is directly injected into the combustion
chamber of a cylinder in a variety of modes, which modes are
depicted in Figure 3 of the patent. More particularly, the
examiner has determined (answer, page 3) that the second term
lean mode seen in Figure 3 of Iida ‘947 and described therein
corresponds to appellant’s first mode, that the first-term lean
mode of Iida ‘947 corresponds to appellant’s transition mode and
that the stoichio-feedback mode therein corresponds to
appellant’s second mode. Further insight is provided on pages 4
and 5 of the answer, wherein the examiner notes that Iida ‘947 is
directed to solving the same problem as appellant, which is
suppressing a torque shock when switching from a first mode of
injection in the compression phase to a second mode of injection
during an intake phase, and that both appellant and Iida ‘947
solve this problem by having a transition mode of injection which
is a lean homogeneous mode wherein fuel is injected during the
intake stroke of the piston.
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