Appeal No. 2003-2176
Application No. 09/778,460
Appellant argues, Reply Brief, page 3, that Inaba does not disclose
connecting together resistors to form a semiconductor thin film resistor unit and the
resistors of Inaba are not combined together to form a single, distinct part or object
(i.e., a unit) as required by the independent claims.
Appellant’s argument is not persuasive. The present record does not support
Appellant’s argument. The specification discloses the resistance value is provided
as one unit based on the combination of the N-type thin film resistor and P-type thin
film resistor. (Specification, pp. 3 and 5). There is no indication that this
combination must be separate from other resistors. Moreover, as pointed out by the
Examiner, Answer page 5, Inaba discloses that the resistors can be connected in
series and parallel to function as one unit. There does not appear, nor has Appellant
contended, that other elements are present in this disclosure.CONCLUSION
Based on our consideration of the totality of the record before us, having
evaluated the prima facie case of obviousness in view of Appellant’s arguments we
conclude that the subject matter of claims 2-10 would have been obvious to a person
of ordinary skill in the art from the combined teachings of the cited prior art. See In
re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir. 1992).
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