Ex parte HORNE et al. - Page 7




          Appeal No. 97-1784                                                          
          Application 08/011,068                                                      



                    The Federal Circuit states that "[t]he mere fact that             
          the prior art may be modified in the manner suggested by the                
          Examiner does not make the modification obvious unless the prior            
          art suggested the desirability of the modification."  In re                 
          Fritch, 972 F.2d 1260, 1266 n.14, 23 USPQ2d 1780, 1783-84 n.14              
          (Fed. Cir.  1992), citing In re Gordon, 733 F.2d 900, 902, 221              
          USPQ 1125, 1127 (Fed. Cir. 1984).  "Obviousness may not be                  
          established using hindsight or in view of the teachings or                  
          suggestions of the inventor."  Para-Ordnance Mfg., 73 F.3d at               


          1087, 37 USPQ2d at 1239, citing W. L. Gore, 721 F.2d at 1551,               
          1553, 220 USPQ at 311, 312-13.  Upon reviewing Rubinstein and               
          Collins, we fail to find any suggested desirability of modifying            
          Rubinstein and Collins to obtain a digital clock wave form                  
          generator or a method for generating a clock signal as recited in           
          Appellants’ claims 1 through 7 and 12 through 20.                           
                    In regard to the rejection of claims 8 through 11,                
          Appellants argue that Rubinstein and Collins, together or                   
          individually, fail to teach or suggest a lock window unit wherein           
          the extent of propagation through the lock window circuit                   
          indicates the deviation of the propagation delay of the delay               

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