Ex parte IMAI - Page 6




          Appeal No. 1998-2475                                       Page 6           
          Application No. 08/505,020                                                  


          Ashland Oil, Inc. v. Delta Resins & Refractories, Inc., 776                 
          F.2d 281, 293, 227 USPQ 657, 664 (Fed. Cir. 1985), cert.                    
          denied, 475 U.S. 1017 (1986); ACS Hosp. Sys., Inc. v.                       
          Montefiore Hosp., 732 F.2d 1572, 1577, 221 USPQ 929, 933 (Fed.              
          Cir. 1984).  These showings by the examiner are an essential                
          part of complying with the burden of presenting a prima facie               
          case of obviousness.  Note In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445,              
          24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir. 1992).  If that burden is met,              
          the burden then shifts to the applicant to overcome the prima               
          facie case with argument and/or evidence.  Obviousness is then              
          determined on the basis of the evidence as a whole.  See id.;               
          In re Hedges, 783 F.2d 1038, 1039, 228 USPQ 685, 686 (Fed.                  
          Cir. 1986); In re Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1472, 223 USPQ 785,              
          788 (Fed. Cir. 1984); and In re Rinehart, 531 F.2d 1048, 1052,              
          189 USPQ 143, 147 (CCPA 1976).                                              
               We consider first the rejection of claims 10 and 12 based              
          on the teachings of Sakai and Kobayashi.  The examiner's                    
          position (final rejection, page 2) is that Sakai does not                   
          disclose that the electrically conductive ink contains an                   
          electrically                                                                








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