Appeal No. 1997-3027
Application 08/301,926
use of a single Schottky diode (D431) to provide voltage
breakdown protection to two transistors (Q432 and Q433).
Thus, the Examiner indicates “It would have been obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
made to utilize the teachings of Fraser et al.’s zener diode
into Applicant’s admitted prior art for the purpose of
providing voltage protection to a pair of transistors and for
using less components, which would obviously take up less
space on an integrated circuit.” (Answer-page 4.) The
Examiner then cites Khan for teaching a plurality of
differential driver circuits in an integrated circuit.
Appellants argue, “that Fraser discloses no more
than was shown in Appellants’ prior art,...Fraser’s diode D431
protects only one output device which agrees with Appellants’
admitted prior art. Fraser does not teach or suggest that two
outputs are provided by transistors Q432 and Q433.” (Brief-
pages 5 and 6.)
The Examiner responds that the Fraser reference was
used for the teaching of a single voltage protection means or
zener diode connected to the collector of two separate
transistors. “Therefore, it is irrelevant whether or not the
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