Appeal No. 1997-3166
Application No. 08/509,638
Accordingly, the memory cell with connection of U will constantly flip into the position
cc
in which node 3 lies approximately at the potential of the terminal lead 1 and node 4 lies
approximately at the potential of terminal lead 2. The information stored in this manner
can be used for test or checking purposes.
Oldham, column 2, lines 40 through 57.
Oldham thus teaches that the channel resistances of load transistors T2 and T4 should be
different, and explicitly discloses that the “dimensions” of the channels should be embodied differently.
Oldham gives an example of providing a different channel width to yield the desired difference in
resistance. We find that the suggestion to vary dimensions of load transistors T2 and T4 would have
led the artisan to investigate different combinations of the variations in the dimensions, including making
one channel length longer than the other channel length. We conclude that, in view of the teachings of
Oldham, the subject matter as a whole of appellants’ Claim 21 would have been prima facie obvious to
the artisan at the time of invention.
CONCLUSION
The rejections of Claims 16-24 are reversed.
The rejections of Claims 25-27 are affirmed.
The appeal with respect to Claim 28 stands dismissed.
Claim 21 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) over Oldham.
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