Ex parte OVERY et al. - Page 8




          Appeal No. 2000-0267                                       Page 8           
          Application No. 08/856,943                                                  


          obviousness, “[a]nalysis begins with a key legal question --                
          what is the invention claimed?”  Panduit Corp. v. Dennison                  
          Mfg. Co., 810 F.2d 1561, 1567, 1 USPQ2d 1593, 1597 (Fed. Cir.               
          1987).                                                                      


               Here, claim 22 specifies in pertinent part the following               
          limitations: a "peg section protrudes from a wall of the                    
          receiving compartment in an angled direction generally towards              
          the spring contact . . . ."  Similarly, claim 29 specifies in               
          pertinent part the following limitations: an "element on the                
          cradle member being angled towards a bottom of a housing                    
          receiving area of the cradle member . . . .”  Accordingly,                  
          claims 22 and 29 require inter alia an element of a receiving               
          compartment protruding generally toward a spring contact or                 
          toward a bottom of the compartment, respectively.                           


               Starting with the anticipation rejection, “having                      
          ascertained exactly what subject matter is being claimed, the               
          next inquiry must be into whether such subject matter is                    
          novel.”  Wilder, 429 F2d at 450, 166 USPQ at 548.  “A claim is              








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