Appeal No. 97-1166
Application 08/198,848
Miura is the only one of the applied references that is
concerned with monitoring variable resistance currents at
different spatial locations along the direction of a magnetic
track. Miura teaches two MR elements (11, 12) for developing
these variable currents. Each of the MR elements has two
electrodes for measuring the current through that MR element.
Thus, the currents in Miura flow within each MR element in a
direction which is perpendicular to the track direction. There
is no evidence that Miura desires or intends for current to flow
between the two MR elements in the direction of the track.
Therefore, there are no contacts in Miura which create a current
path which exists in the direction of the magnetic track.
The examiner has referred to Figure 5 of Miura as
suggesting such an arrangement of contacts. Figure 5 of Miura is
simply an electrical schematic of a bridge for electrically
combining the outputs of the MR elements. We fail to see how
such an electrical schematic can be suggestive of a physical
spatial relationship of the components depicted therein. In
fact, the artisan would recognize from Miura’s Figure 5 that a
current path is created only along each MR element 11 and 12 and
not between them. Since Miura teaches that each MR element is
spatially positioned perpendicular to the direction of the
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