Appeal No. 2003-0527 Page 5
Application No. 09/036,291
Here, claim 8 recites in pertinent part the following limitations: "a controller
configured to . . . measure the charge flowing to the materials, and disconnect the
voltage source from the electrodes in response to the measurement indicating that a
predetermined amount of the charge has been transferred to the materials." Claim 12
recites in pertinent part the following limitations: "halt the flow of charge in a response to
a predetermined amount of the charge flowing through the associated flowpath."
Claim 16 recites similar limitations. The appellants' specification describes the
measurement of a predetermined amount of charge as follows.
For purposes of monitoring the amount of charge that is supplied to the
materials 24 and 28, the control circuit 31 makes use of the observation
that the magnitude of the current IBOND represents a rate at which charge is
flowing. In this manner, the total amount of charge that has been supplied
for bonding is determined by an integrator circuit 42 that integrates this
rate. To accomplish this, the integrator circuit 42 receives an input
voltage signal (called VCURRENT) which has a magnitude that represents the
magnitude of the IBOND current.
The integrator circuit 42 integrates the VCURRENT signal to generate an
output voltage signal (called VINT). The magnitude of the VINT signal
represents the ongoing total amount of charge that has been furnished
for bonding. A comparator circuit 46 of the control circuit 31 is
constructed to receive the VINT signal and assert, or drive high, a digital
output signal (called VCOMP) when a predetermined amount of charge has
been furnished for bonding, i.e., when the magnitude of the VCOMP signal
exceeds a predetermined threshold level. When the VCOMP signal is
asserted, a latch circuit 48 drives a digital output signal (called VOUT) high
to indicate when the predetermined total amount of charge has been
delivered.
(Spec. at 12.) Reading the limitations in light of the specification, the independent
claims require integrating an input voltage signal having a magnitude that represents
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