Appeal No. 1997-3911
Application 08/368,758
(col. 1, line 54 to col. 2, line 5), i.e., on a single
substrate.
In arguing that it would have been obvious to replace
PROM 6 with a RAM (Final Rej. at 5-6; Answer at 10), the
examiner appears to believe that the phrase "random access
correcting information storage means" in claim 14 does not
read on Yamaguchi's PROM 6. This view appears to be shared by
appellants, who argue that "[Yamaguchi's] correcting
information storage means (i.e., programmable ROM 6) is a one-
time programmable ROM rather than a 'random access correcting
information storage means' as recited in claim 14" (Brief at
11-12). In our opinion, the phrase "random access correcting
information storage means" is broad enough to read on
Yamaguchi's PROM 6. As explained in In re Morris, 127 F.3d
1048, 1054, 44 USPQ2d 1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir. 1997),
the PTO applies to the verbiage of the proposed claims
the broadest reasonable meaning of the words in their
ordinary usage as they would be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art, taking into account whatever
enlightenment by way of definitions or otherwise that may
be afforded by the written description contained in the
applicant's specification.
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