Appeal No. 1997-2844
Application No. 08/242,881
reference. See In re Bozek, 416 F.2d 1385, 1390, 163 USPQ
545, 549 (CCPA 1969). Therefore, we will sustain the
rejection of claim 4 over Stakely.
On the other hand, we generally agree with appellant's
arguments against the rejection of claims 1 through 6 over
Fujita, Bufano, and Thelen. Specifically, appellant explains
(Brief, page 17) that in Fujita "it is necessary that the
resistor R should have one end connected to ground V and the
GND
other end not connected to any voltage. This is because the
voltages V + and V - are generated at the other end of theREF REF
resistor R where the constant current flows." Appellant
continues (Brief, page 18),
On the other hand, at the voltage dividing point 12
of Bufano, Jr. et al a voltage is generated by
dividing Vdd. Therefore, it is impossible to
combine Bufano, Jr. et al with Fujita since the
combination would not allow the generation of a
positive and negative voltage so that the ground
voltage V which is a [sic] stable is symmetrical
GND
with respect to the generated voltages V .
REF
In other words, the combination of Bufano and Fujita would not
allow the comparator of Fujita to operate as intended. "[A]
proposed modification [is] inappropriate for an obviousness
inquiry when the modification render[s] the prior art
8
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