Appeal No. 1997-2896
Application 08/340,561
a computer, or microprocessor, programmed to carry out an
algorithm, the disclosed structure is not the general purpose
computer, but rather the special purpose computer programmed
to perform the disclosed algorithm.” WMS Gaming Inc. V.
International Game Technology 184 F.3d 1339, 1349, 51 USPQ2d
1385, 1391 (Fed. Cir. 1999)(citing In re Alappat 33 F.3d 1526,
1545, 31 USPQ2d 1545, 1558 (Fed. Cir. 1994) (en banc).
We next look to the language of the claim. Claim 1
contains the limitation “means responsive to movement of the
stylus across the digitizing tablet for producing an anti-
aliased ink image of the path of the stylus on the display.”
We find that the aforementioned limitation invokes 35 U.S.C. §
112, sixth paragraph, as it recites the word “means” and has a
function associated with the means. We find that Appellants’
specification on page 8, line 21 through line 25, defines the
structure which corresponds to the means. This section of the
specification states “the position of the pen is measured and
transmitted to the processor by the digitizer via the bus, and
the processor in turn provides visual feedback to the user by
drawing a line or curve in the frame buffer (and therefore on
8
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