Ex Parte Maresca et al - Page 3



                Appeal 2007-0223                                                                                  
                Application 09/752,090                                                                            
                                             THE REFERENCES                                                       
                       Aycock   US 5,765,138    Jun.  9, 1998                                                     
                       Gervais   US 6,381,579 B1   Apr. 30, 2002                                                  
                                                               (filed Jun. 17, 1999)                              
                                               THE REJECTION                                                      
                       Claims 44-79 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable                       
                over Aycock and Gervais.                                                                          

                                                 DISCUSSION                                                       
                Claim groupings                                                                                   
                       Appellants argue the following groups of claims separately, where the                      
                claims in each group stand or fall together:                                                      
                       Group 1 - Claims 44, 55, and 66                                                            
                       Group 2 - Claims 77-79                                                                     
                       Group 3 - Claims 45, 56, and 67                                                            
                       Group 4 - Claims 47, 58, and 69                                                            
                       Group 5 - Claims 50, 51, 61, 62, 72, and 73                                                
                       Group 6 - Claims 52, 63, and 74                                                            
                       Group 7 - Claims 53, 64, and 75                                                            
                       One of method claims 44-54 and 77 is analyzed as representative of                         
                the claims in each group.  Claims 46, 48, 49, 54, 57, 59, 60, 65, 68, 70, 71,                     
                and 76 are not argued separately.  Therefore, claims 48, 49, 59, 60, 70, and                      
                71 are grouped with the claims in Group 1; claims 46, 57, and 68 are                              
                grouped with the claims in Group 3, claims 54, 65, and 76 are grouped with                        
                the claims in Group 4.                                                                            

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