Ex Parte Jacobson - Page 6




                 Appeal No. 2006-1332                                                                                  Page 6                     
                 Application No. 09/548,687                                                                                                       



                                                           1. Claim Construction                                                                  
                         "Analysis begins with a key legal question — what is the invention claimed?"                                             
                 Panduit Corp. v. Dennison Mfg. Co., 810 F.2d 1561, 1567, 1 USPQ2d 1593, 1597 (Fed.                                               
                 Cir. 1987).  In answering the question, "the PTO gives claims their 'broadest reasonable                                         
                 interpretation.'"  In re Bigio, 381 F.3d 1320, 1324, 72 USPQ2d 1209, 1211 (Fed. Cir.                                             
                 2004) (quoting In re Hyatt, 211 F.3d 1367, 1372, 54 USPQ2d 1664, 1668 (Fed. Cir.                                                 
                 2000)).                                                                                                                          


                         Here, claim 1 recites in pertinent part the following limitations: "identifying an                                       
                 appropriate processor in the multi-processor storage controller to process the request. .                                        
                 . ."  Giving the representative claim its broadest, reasonable construction, the limitations                                     
                 require identifying an appropriate processor to service a request.                                                               


                                                      2. Anticipation Determination                                                               
                         "Having construed the claim limitations at issue, we now compare the claims to                                           
                 the prior art to determine if the prior art anticipates those claims."  In re Cruciferous                                        
                 Sprout Litig., 301 F.3d 1343, 1349, 64 USPQ2d 1202, 1206 (Fed. Cir. 2002).                                                       
                 "[A]nticipation is a question of fact."  Hyatt, 211 F.3d at 1371, 54 USPQ2d at 1667                                              
                 (citing Bischoff v. Wethered, 76 U.S. (9 Wall.) 812, 814-15 (1869); In re Schreiber, 128                                         
                 F.3d 1473, 1477,  44 USPQ2d 1429, 1431 (Fed. Cir. 1997)).  "A reference anticipates a                                            







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