Appeal No. 1999-1319
Application No. 08/495,390
electrodes spaced relative to each other. The surface of the sensitive member is touched
by a finger and movement of the finger over the surface of the dielectric sensitive member
causes the capacitance of the device to change.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A sensitive coordinate input device comprising:
at least two electrodes spaced relative to each other at an interval;
and
a sensitive member made of a dielectric, said sensitive member
extending across said at least two electrodes, with a surface of said
sensitive member adapted to be touched with a finger.
The examiner relies on the following reference:
Tanahashi et al. (Tanahashi) 5,589,857 Dec. 31, 1996
(filed Nov. 29, 1994)
Claims 1-4 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as anticipated by Tanahashi.
Two other rejections under 35 U. S. C. § 102 have been withdrawn by the examiner and
are not before us.
Reference is made to the briefs and answers for the respective positions of
appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
With regard to the independent claims, the examiner points out that Tanahashi
discloses a coordinate input device with at least two electrodes (claim 1) and as much
2
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