Ex parte DEGUCHI - Page 11




          Appeal No. 1998-0688                                                        
          Application 08/274,158                                                      

          teachings or suggestions.  In re Sernaker, 702 F.2d 989, 995,               
          217 USPQ 1, 6 (Fed. Cir. 1983).  “Additionally, when                        
          determining obviousness, the claimed invention should be                    
          considered as a whole; there is no legally recognizable                     
          ‘heart’ of the invention.”  Para-Ordnance Mfg. v. SGS                       
          Importers Int'l, Inc., 73 F.3d 1085, 1087, 37 USPQ2d 1237,                  
          1239 (Fed. Cir. 1995), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 822 (1996)                    
          (citing W.L. Gore & Assoc., Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d                 
          1540, 1548, 220 USPQ 303, 309 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied,               
          469 U.S. 851 (1984)).                                                       
               We are not inclined to dispense with proof by evidence                 
          when the proposition at issue is not supported by a teaching                
          in a prior art reference or shown to be common knowledge of                 
          unquestionable demonstration.  Our reviewing court requires                 
          this evidence in order to establish a prima facie case.  In re              
          Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1471-72, 223 USPQ 785, 787-88 (Fed.                
          Cir. 1984); In re Knapp-Monarch Co., 296 F.2d 230, 232, 132                 
          USPQ 6, 8 (CCPA 1961); In re Cofer, 354 F.2d 664, 668, 148                  
          USPQ 268, 271-72 (CCPA 1966).  Furthermore, our reviewing                   




                                         11                                           





Page:  Previous  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  Next 

Last modified: November 3, 2007