Appeal No. 2001-2673
Application No. 09/299,470 Page 2
BACKGROUND
Appellants' invention relates to a piezoelectric actuator
and a method of compensating the orientation thereof. An
understanding of the invention can be derived from a reading of
exemplary claim 1, which is reproduced as follows:
1. A piezoelectric actuator comprising:
a piezoelectric element;
an electrode pattern formed on the piezoelectric
element; and
at least one identifying marking formed on the
electrode pattern, each of the at least one identifying
markings having a shape comprising multiple straight
sides so misalignment during formation of the electrode
pattern on the piezoelectric element whereby a portion
of an identifying marking is not formed on the
electrode pattern results in a linear variation in area
of the identifying marking and not a variation in area
of the identifying marking based on a squared value of
a dimension thereof;
and wherein the at least one identifying marking
is formed at a specific location of the electrode
pattern for use in identifying a characteristic of the
electrode pattern.
The examiner relies upon appellants’ admitted prior art
disclosed in figure 17 of appellants’ specification.
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