Ex parte SMITH et al. - Page 5




          Appeal No. 96-3758                                                          
          Application 08/252,832                                                      


          requires a plurality of such local vehicle communication                    
          stations.                                                                   

                                       Opinion                                        
               We do not sustain the rejection of claims 21 and 22 under 35           
          U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph.                                             
               We do not sustain the rejection of claims 1-4, 7-12 and                
          16-19 over prior art.                                                       

          The rejection of claims 21 and 22                                           
          under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph                                     
               In the examiner’s answer at 6, it is stated:                           

                         Claims 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 USC                   
                    112, second paragraph as being ambiguous.  Claims                 
                    21 and 22 refer to methods claims while recites                   
                    "means for".  A claim cannot recite both statutory                
                    classes, a method and an apparatus.  See Ex parte                 
                    Lyell, 17 USPQ2d 1548 (Bd. PA&I. 1990).                           

               In response to the rejection, the appellants amended claims            
          21 and 22 to eliminate all references to "means plus function"              
          language (Paper No. 15B).  Without discussing the appellants’               
          response, the examiner maintained the original rejection under              
          35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph.                                          
               Since the examiner’s stated reasons for rejecting claims 21            
          and 22 have been eliminated, the rejection of claims 21 and 22              

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