Appeal No. 1997-0012
Application No. 08/174,901
utilizing connected component analysis” (emphasis added).
Kizu, another secondary reference relied upon by the
examiner, is directed to an optical character reader for
reading a postal code written or typed (thus including
characters) on a postal item. Kizu’s system divides patterns
of a postal item into a plurality of blocks, detects the
positions of such blocks, scans a desired block, distinguishes
written or typed postal codes from the names and addresses on
the postal item, locates the postal codes, and reads and
recognizes the postal codes (column 1, lines 40-51).
The examiner, in rejecting independent claim 1 under 35
U.S.C. § 103(a), states that Radl utilizes the conventional
eight-connectedness criteria, but “fails to explicitly
disclose the means for: finding a run of black bits in each
scan line and determining whether any bit thereof neighbors at
least one black bit of another scan line; combining each of
the found runs of each scan line with each neighboring black
bit of the another scan line” (Answer, page 4). The examiner
then takes Official Notice (Answer, pages 4-5) of the fact
that appellants’ “claimed steps are considered to be an art
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