Appeal No. 2004-0058
Application No. 09/728,518
To leave the highway mode, the driver would push the "engine mode"
button. Above 1000 RPM on the electric motor the car will go into engine mode.
Below 1000 RPM it will go into urban mode.
ENGINE MODE
Engine mode may be elected by the driver after the car has reached 1000
RPM or more on the electric motor 22 by operation in either urban or highway
mode. The control logic for engine mode is shown in FIG. 4. After the driver
manually selects engine mode, the process controller 52 will ascertain that
highway mode is not set, or cancel it if it is, and that the speed of motor 22 as
sensed by speed monitor 56 is above 1000 RPM. It will then start combustion
engine 28 if it is not running and bring it up to speed by the same control
sequence as was described in the highway mode. Engine 28 will be brought up
to the speed of electric motor 22 and mechanically coupled to it by engaging
electric clutch 30. The signal from accelerator potentiometer 80 will then be
connected to the engine servo speed control 50, which will give the driver control
of the speed of the car by varying the speed of combustion engine 28. There will
be no signal to motor controller 60, and since electric motor 22 will be spinning
there will be a regenerative braking effect which will cause motor 22, acting as a
generator, to charge the batteries 24. This charging will taper off as the batteries
approach full charge due to the characteristics built into motor controller 60.
When the batteries are fully charged the current flow from motor 22 will be
negligible, and then the motor will be functioning essentially as an element in the
mechanical coupling of engine 28 to transmission 16. The car will be driven like
any conventional automobile with a manual transmission. Engine mode provides
an economical manner of operation. The efficiency losses inherent in electric
motor 22 are largely eliminated, and there is no changing back and forth from
combustion engine to electric motor and vice versa. To leave engine mode the
driver would push the "highway mode" button. Above 1000 RPM on the electric
motor the car will go into highway mode. Below 1000 RPM it will go into urban
mode.
The appellant argues (brief, pp. 5-9) that Field does not anticipate the claims
under appeal since Field does not teach either (1) the step of increasing the speed of
operation of the engine as rapidly as predetermined operating efficiency parameters
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