Ex Parte ROMESBURG - Page 17




          Appeal No. 2002-1197                                                        
          Application 09/131,167                                                      

               Regarding any affirmed rejection, 37 CFR § 1.197(b)                    
          provides:                                                                   
               (b) Appellant may file a single request for rehearing                  
               within two months from the date of the original                        
               decision . . . .                                                       
               37 CFR § 1.196(b) also provides that the Appellants, WITHIN            
          TWO MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE DECISION, must exercise one of              
          the following two options with respect to the new ground of                 
          rejection to avoid termination of proceedings (37 CFR § 1.197(c))           
          as to the rejected claims:                                                  
                    (1) Submit an appropriate amendment of the claims                 
               so rejected or a showing of facts relating to the                      
               claims so rejected, or both, and have the matter                       
               reconsidered by the examiner, in which event the                       
               application will be remanded to the examiner. . . .                    
                    (2) Request that the application be reheard under                 
               § 1.197(b) by the Board of Patent Appeals and                          
               Interferences upon the same record. . . .                              
               Should appellants elect to prosecute further before the                
          primary examiner pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.196(b)(1), in order to              
          preserve the right to seek review under 35 U.S.C. §§ 141 or 145             
          with respect to the affirmed rejection, the effective date of the           
          affirmance is deferred until conclusion of the prosecution before           
          the examiner unless, as a mere incident to the limited                      
          prosecution, the affirmed rejection is overcome.                            
               If appellants elect prosecution before the examiner and this           
          does not result in allowance of the application, abandonment or a           
          second appeal, this case should be returned to the Board of                 

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