Appeal No. 2005-1107
Application No. 10/621,201
a reservoir for storing a supply of methanol, suitably
connected to the fuel cell, wherein a fuel quantity measuring
means is located within the reservoir, wherein the fuel quantity
measuring means comprises;
an immersion capacitive unit, wherein the immersion
capacitive unit comprises a plurality of pairs of plates placed
in more than one location within the reservoir, wherein the
supply of methanol in the reservoir forms a dielectric between at
least one of the plurality of pairs of plates of the immersion
capacitive unit, and
electrical circuitry for measuring a capacitance value of
the immersion capacitive unit produced using the dielectric.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Pope 4,589,077 May 13, 1986
Hockaday 5,759,712 Jun. 2, 1998
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a fuel cell
system for a portable electronic device comprising a reservoir
that is connected to the fuel cell for storing a supply of
methanol or a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. An immersion capacitive
unit is located in the reservoir for measuring the supply of
methanol and hydrocarbon fuel.
Appealed claims 1 and 2 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Hockaday in view of Pope.
We have thoroughly reviewed each of appellants' arguments
for patentability. However, we are in complete agreement with
the examiner that the claimed subject matter would have been
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