Appeal No. 1998-0693
Application No. 08/387,583
provided a convincing line of reasoning for the proposed combination of a variable display
into a rearview mirror where the variable display is formed of the same conductive layers
which darken the mirror. Furthermore, with respect to claim 1, the examiner has not
provided a teaching or a convincing line of reasoning why it would have been obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to provide “a display defined by
individual conductive display elements patterned on one of said conductive layers, each of
said elements being surrounded by a non-conductive border.” While Nicholson teaches a
display with variable colors between the background and display segments, the examiner
has not shown that the display segments and the background are formed in the same
layer. We note that Nicholson discloses at column 6 that the character segments and
background are simultaneously formed by deposition of a single continuous layer. Further,
with the reversal of colors by switching the voltages and the fact that Nicholson is
concerned with color matching between the segments and background, two portions would
have to be similarly formed. Furthermore, the examiner has not addressed appellant's
argument that Nicholson does not clearly teach the use of a pair of conductive layers or
why it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention
to
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