Appeal No. 2003-1184
Application No. 09/737,344
The examiner finds (Answer at 4) that the input dial of Wicks had the obvious
advantage of allowing a user to input and transmit a virtually unlimited range of
messages using the character dial. The examiner concludes that it would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a
character dial for input to a PDA watch for the purpose of effecting an unlimited number
of inputs, thereby increasing the versatility and reliability of the watch device.
The text of Wicks at column 2, lines 5 through 9 provides support for the
examiner’s finding of motivation to combine the references. Wicks discloses that the
character dial allows the pager user to input and transmit a virtually unlimited range of
messages. We agree with the examiner that the artisan would have recognized the
similarity in the problems attendant to inputting alphanumeric characters into a pager
and inputting alphanumeric characters into a PDA watch. In our view, the examiner’s
opinion reflects the artisan’s understanding of the references -- i.e., what the teachings
would have meant to one skilled in the art -- rather than substituting for objective
evidence in support of the ultimate conclusion of obviousness.
Appellants submit an apparent fall-back position in the Reply Brief. Appellants
note that Numazaki teaches that the PDA watch has a non-contact input device, and
conclude that the artisan would not have been motivated to use an input dial as taught
by Wicks. However, the rejection (e.g., Answer at 3-4) makes clear that Numazaki is
relied upon only for its showing of the basic components of a PDA watch, not for its
teachings with respect to the particular input device. “‘The use of patents as references
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