Appeal No. 2006-0406
Application 09/497,865
instantaneous switch over between satellites with virtually no
loss in data (col. 8, lines 14-17). Karlsson is relied upon to
show a plurality of radiation elements mounted on a plate which
can be rotated in the azimuth direction. The fact that the plane
of the elements can be tilted in elevation is not precluded by
the claims. Karlsson does not disclose the details of the
circuitry, as noted by appellants (Br4-5). The examiner relies
on the other references for the circuitry features.
Chiba discloses a DBF antenna where the microwave signal is
converted into a digital signal. "Beam-forming is carried out in
a digital processor, so both excitation amplitudes and phases can
be controlled more precisely in the DBF than in the conventional
phased array antenna." (P. 31.) Chiba states (p. 32):
DBF is able to form multiple beams simultaneously with
parallel processing. By covering over the required region
with these beams and selecting the beam with the maximum
receiving power, the arriving signal can be received
automatically. Then, in a mobile satellite communication,
the satellite signal is captured and the automatic coarse
tracking to the arriving signal is achieved by simply having
the beam of maximum power be selected out of the multi-beams
without any other assistance, as microwave phase shifters or
direction finding sensors. [Emphasis added.]
Chiba shows the test DBF antenna mounted on a van (Fig. 9) and,
it appears, on a fixed disk on the roof of the van. Chiba
discloses that as the van is turned "[t]he selected strongest
beam was automatically switched from one beam to another" (p. 35,
referring to Fig. 10). Chiba discloses that the DBR antenna
consists of 16 element antennas (p. 32) and forms 16 digital
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