Appeal No. 1998-0628
Application 08/197,100
to col. 4, line 3). Remy discloses that this is an
improvement over the time-consuming prior art wherein the
container was only illuminated in spots and regions and that
the regions have to be illuminated successively by rotating
the beam during measurement (col. 2, lines 10-33).
Wagner discloses testing the surface of a transparent
object, such as a photolithographic mask. Wagner indicates
that the method is useful for inspection of optical surfaces
and polished wafer surfaces (col. 1, lines 12-13). The method
uses dark-field illumination and recording the image by a
television camera for subsequent digital image processing
(col. 2, lines 5-19). An alternative method uses laser
scanning (figure 3 and corresponding description).
We do not agree with the Examiner's reasoning about
modifying Schmalfuss to use the dark-field illumination system
of Remy or Wagner. The whole system in Schmalfuss is based on
the dot scanning method and substituting the dark-field
illumination system would destroy the reference.
Nevertheless, the rejection is based on the collective
teachings of the references and we conclude that the
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