Appeal No. 95-3175
Application 08/124,361
Objective evidence of nonobviousness
There is no objective evidence of nonobviousness in the record.
Obviousness
The exact alignment of references (which reference is being modified) is not important. See
In re Bush, 296 F.2d 491, 496, 131 USPQ 263, 267 (CCPA 1961). The test for obviousness is what
the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 425, 208 USPQ 871, 881 (CCPA 1981).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Webb to provide
"automatically inputting information" from a mileage sensor of the vehicle in view of the teachings of Fogg,
Whitaker, and Gulas to allow more accurate inputting of mileage information. It would have been obvious
to provide a "calibration system operable to calibrate the computerized information processing system with
an odometer of the vehicle" with such an automatic mileage input system given the teaching of calibration
systems in Fogg and Whitaker.
Alternatively, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Fogg or
Whitaker to provide a "menu-driven input" and recording of "vehicle operating expenses" and
"non-vehicular information including travel expenses" in view of the teachings of menus and recording of
such information for expense account purposes in Webb and in view of the teaching of recording vehicle
operating expenses in Gulas (cost and amount of gasoline purchases at column 4, lines 35-41). It would
further have been obvious to provide circuitry for transferring information from the devices of Fogg and
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