Appeal No. 1997-4446
Application No. 08/278,151
provided to perform the ramp signal adding operations.
Applicant has not identified any block in Figure 9 as acting
as a ramp adding means." The examiner further states (Answer,
page 4) that it "is unclear how the staircase waveform
actually receives the ramp signal." The description must
enable one skilled in the art to make and use the claimed
invention, but "[a]n inventor need not, however, explain every
detail since he is speaking to those skilled in the art." In
re Howarth, 654 F.2d 103, 105, 210 USPQ 689, 691 (CCPA 1981).
Furthermore, one should not underestimate the level of the
skilled artisan. See In re Sovish, 769 F.2d 738, 743, 226
USPQ 771, 774 (Fed. Cir. 1985). As pointed out above, claim 8
is directed to the addition of a ramp signal. The skilled
artisan clearly knows how to add signals. Accordingly, the
means for adding the ramp signal need not be disclosed.
Therefore, we cannot sustain the enablement rejection of claim
8.
Regarding claim 10, the examiner states (Final Rejection,
page 5) that
5
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