Appeal No. 1997-2652
Application 08/385,509
it appears from the specification or the file history that
they were used differently by the inventor. Carroll Touch,
Inc. v. Electro Mechanical Sys., Inc., 15 F.3d 1573, 1577, 27
USPQ2d 1836, 1840
(Fed. Cir. 1993). Although an inventor is indeed free to
define the specific terms used to describe his or her
invention, this must be done with reasonable clarity,
deliberateness, and precision. In re Paulsen, 30 F.2d 1475,
1480, 31 USPQ 1671, 1674 (Fed. Cir. 1994).
The Examiner argues that the ordinary definition of
printed circuit board is found in the Patent and Trademark
Office's (PTO) classification definition which states: "an
insulating panel wherein conductors are applied thereto by
coating, laminating, or bonding in such a manner that the
conductors are permanently attached to the panel." The
Examiner argues that by this definition, which is broader than
the Appellants' dictionary definition, Damon's board 11 is a
printed circuit board.
We fail to agree with the Examiner that the
definition found in the PTO classification definition can be
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