Appeal 2007-1983
Application 09/800,366
‘419 discloses a video application that uses a single bias pulse to reduce
heat. According to Appellant, not only is there no teaching or suggestion to
combine these distinct elements, but also averaging scans for a full second in
the still frame camera of Wood ‘149 would allegedly be incompatible with
producing real time video (Br. 21-22).
The Examiner indicates that a key feature of the camera of Wood ‘149
is the improvement of sensitivity by providing multiple measurements and
averaging of sensor signals, thus producing a complete image within the
exposure (frame) time. Although the Examiner acknowledges that Wood
‘419 obtains a single measurement by applying a single bias pulse to a single
microbolometer in an array, the Examiner nevertheless finds that the
multiple measurement and averaging feature of Wood ‘149 necessarily
implies applying multiple bias pulses substantially sequentially to each
microbolometer in the array. According to the Examiner, applying multiple
sequential pulses in this manner would facilitate averaging multiple
measurements to ultimately obtain a complete image (Answer 11-12).
We will sustain the Examiner’s rejection of independent claim 1. We
agree with the Examiner that the multiple measurements and averaging of
the sensitivity improvement feature of Wood ‘149, coupled with the
incorporated teachings of Wood ‘419 of applying a single bias pulse to
produce an image, at least implicitly discloses applying multiple bias pulses
substantially sequentially during a frame time for each microbolometer as
claimed.
We note at the outset that although Wood ‘149 pertains to a still
image camera and Wood ‘419 involves a video camera, they both share a
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