Appeal No. 2002-2179
Application No. 08/839,861
The examiner responds, in relation to the “7.5 minutes of measurement time,”
that claim 12 does not require immediate entry into a low power mode, nor any
particular time limit for entering the mode. (Answer at 6.)
Brickell teaches that the user terminal may send its position automatically, with
no further user intervention after sending the “help” signal. After calculating and
sending its position, the user terminal may continue to refine its position. Alternatively,
the user terminal may wait for receipt of an “activate homing beacon” signal. Col. 5, ll.
19-27. To conserve battery power, the user terminal would not broadcast a homing
beacon until a search team is in the area. Id. at ll. 53-58.
Contrary to appellants’ position, we find that (1) the user terminal of Brickell
enters a low power mode after sending the “help” message and (2) the user terminal is
in a low power mode while waiting for activation of the homing beacon signal, in
comparison to other modes of operation. The express purpose of the Brickell invention
is to conserve battery power after sending of the initial “help” message. The user
terminal enters a low power mode to reduce battery drain at least between the time of
sending position information and activation of the homing beacon. We agree with the
examiner that claim 12 does not preclude other -- i.e., not necessarily low power --
modes between the time of identification that an emergency call has been placed and
entry to the low power mode.
We agree with appellants to the extent that the low power, continuous wave
homing beacon described by Brickell is not responsive to the identifying means, as
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