Appeal No. 1999-1552
Application No. 08/678,255
[T]here is no need of independently providing D/A
converters for the cases of the input thereto changing
from positive to negative or negative to positive. The
Examiner believes that the D/A converter taught in the
reference [Masumori] would be able to do basically the
same functions as of the two D/A inverters of the
applicant. . . . And regarding the switching circuits,
it is inherent to have the switching circuits because
they would receive the outputs from the D/A converters
and select between the odd-numbered lines and
even-numbered lines (see figure 10).
We are not persuaded by the examiner’s reasoning that there
is no need of having independent D/A converters in the system and
that switching is inherent in such circuits. Instead, we agree
with the appellants’ position (brief at page 6) that “[i]n broad
terms, the claimed architecture moves the selection or switches
from before the voltage generator to after the D/A converters.”
In our view, the examiner has not met the burden of making a
prima facie case, as required by the above guidelines, to meet
the cited structure of claim 1. Therefore, we do not sustain the
obviousness rejection of claim 1 and its dependent claim 2 over
Kanatani in view of Masumori.
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