Appeal No. 2006-1139
Application No. 09/740,977
the current slate...allows a complete reprogramming of the current selected slate...user is
not restricted to the pre-programmed parameters and operations...each cycle may be
completely rewritten with new commands”) that appellants have provided a definition in
accordance with the disclosed slates and operations applicable thereto.
Accordingly, we will accept appellants’ definition of “...pre-programmed cycle(s),
having a plurality of operations, that are tailored to the specific operating environment.
The slates can be readily re-programmed or modified to accommodate or adapt to
different user requirements.”
With this definition, we turn to Beachem to determine if that reference discloses
such “slates.” Under appellants’ definition, a slate must be reprogrammable for different
user requirements.
Beachem allows execution of one of a plurality of laundry cycles or programs.
Memory storage banks are subdivided into a plurality of unique blocks of memory so
that each block is identifiably associated with and uniquely addressable by associated
ones of input selection switches A-H (see column 21, lines 57-63). A selection of one of
those switches causes a selective address of only those memory instructions within the
associated block of memory. Each of the memory blocks is identifiable within a unique
type of class of laundrying programs, such as a “heavy laundry” program (column 22,
lines 21-28). The instructions within each memory block are preprogrammed to
comprise 5 different unique variations of the particular class of laundry programs
represented by that particular block of memory.
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