Appeal No. 2004-0613
Application No. 09/857,551
BACKGROUND
Appellants’ invention relates to a sensor device for detecting a physical
measured quantity. An understanding of the invention can be derived from a reading of
exemplary claim 20, which is reproduced below.
20. A sensor device for measuring a physical value, the sensor device
comprising:
a sensor element for generating an output signal in response to
measuring a physical value;
a processor operable with the sensor element for comparing the
output signal to a reference signal in order to generate a primary signal
indicative of the measured physical value, the processor further operable
with the sensor element for generating a secondary signal indicative of the
operating condition of the sensor element based on the output signal; and
a logic block operable for receiving the primary and secondary
signals from the processor, wherein the logic block includes a signal-
mixing element that overlays the primary and secondary signals to form a
combined primary and secondary signal, the logic block having an output
for outputting the combined primary and secondary signal.
The prior art reference of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the
appealed claims is:
Wellman et al. (Wellman) 5,343,145 Aug. 30, 1994
Claims 20-22 and 32 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as being anticipated
by Wellman. Claims 23 and 24 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Wellman.
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