< I think the only one we have to be concerned about is the "directly" section,>

I totally agree with your assessmet.

<said parameter variation directly causing said processing frequency to track said clock rate>

Thereby enabling is what the claim says. But there is no question thereby enabling means causes. And it may well be a direct causal relationship. But the claim language does not contain the more limiting language. Does it hurt us? Probably not.

But that is the whole point. You can't know with absolute certainty that the respondents can't use that seemingly minor difference to make a strong argument of some sort. Which is why we would always argue for more liberal interpetations, even where it seemingly makes no difference.

Opty