Appeal No. 98-3292
Application 08/611,848
specification and drawings (Figures 1-3) that the multiplanar
functional key pad (20) of appellants’ invention is a unitary,
one-piece structure formed of an elastomeric material with the
plurality of keys (21, 22, 23) all being integrally formed or
molded from the elastomeric material as part of the one-piece
contiguous keypad. While, in a vacuum, the terminology
“keypad” might be subject to a broader interpretation, when
the entirety of appellants’ claim language is considered in
light of the disclosure as a whole, it is apparent to us that
the type of “keypad” involved in the present application is an
integrally formed, one-piece contiguous keypad like that we
have noted above. In this regard, we observe that before the
PTO, when evaluating claim language during examination of the
application, the examiner is required to give the terminology
of the claims its broadest reasonable interpretation
consistent with the specification, and to remember that the
claim language cannot be read in a vacuum, but instead must be
read in light of the specification as it would be interpreted
by one of ordinary skill
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