Appeal 2007-1461
Application 10/463,956
sums or otherwise combines the results of the detector counts,
which may again be expressed as count rates, from all of the
detectors utilized in the system. Then, by way of display 84,
the overall average carryover particle counts and trends in
overall counts may be displayed. In addition, either alone or in
combination with the display of the overall count information,
the count from each of the detector locations, in this case the
four locations shown in FIG. 2, may also be individually
displayed.
With this information, an operator of the boiler 10 may
observe an increase in the overall count from all of the
detectors. In addition, by then monitoring the individual
display of the counts associated with each of the four individual
detectors, the operator may determine whether the carryover
particle count is increasing generally throughout the furnace or
only at selected locations in the furnace. An indication that the
carryover count increase is the result of a localized disturbance
is implied from a disparate increase in the count from one of the
detectors (e.g. 52a) in comparison to the count at the other
detectors (e.g. 52, 52b and 52c).
In response to the count information, the boiler operator
may enter a command, by way of interface 86, to the image
processing subsystem 82 which is passed through another
interface module, not shown, and by a line 88 to a data bus 90
and then to the process computer 28. This command results in
an adjustment of the performance of the furnace, such as by
controlling valve controller 26 to adjust the dampers or valves
as previously explained. In addition, the system may operate
automatically with count signals being directly sent to the
process computer which then determines an appropriate
command in response to an increase or decrease in the
carryover particle count.
(Kychakoff, col. 8, l. 54 to col. 9, l. 23 (emphasis added)).
During examination, "claims . . . are to be given their broadest
reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification, and . . . claim
language should be read in light of the specification as it would be
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