Ex parte NAKAMATS - Page 5




          Appeal No. 97-4252                                         Page 5           
          Application No. 08/226,520                                                  


          The indefiniteness rejection                                                
               We sustain the rejection of claims 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15 and               
          17 under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph.                                 


               The examiner determined (final rejection, pp. 2-3) that                
          the claims under appeal were indefinite because                             
               [i]t is unclear what specific structure comprises the                  
               lighting control means.  It is unclear from the                        
               specification and/or drawings how the lighting control                 
               means selectively lights individual respective one of the              
               luminous devices at predetermined discrete positions of                
               the luminous devices within a swing are [sic, arc].                    

               The appellant contested (reply brief, pp. 7-8) the                     
          examiner's determination that it was unclear how the lighting               
          control means selectively lights individual respective one of               
          the luminous devices at predetermined discrete positions of                 
          the luminous devices within a swing arc.  In fact, the                      
          appellant believed that this issue mirrored the rejection made              
          under the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112.                               


               We agree with the appellant that the issue of how the                  
          lighting control means selectively lights individual                        
          respective one of the luminous devices at predetermined                     







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