Appeal No. 2004-0391
Application No. 08/724,315
inventory database is updated (col[.] 15, lines 45-46 and col[.]
18, lines 58-60) upon receiving the customer’s order and that the
customer is provided with information about components which are
not available, but have been requisitioned (i.e.[,] resupply
information) (col[.] 17, lines 60 - col[.] 18, line 34 and col[.]
19, lines 5-11) (See also Appendix VIII, ‘JIT Backorder Will
Occur’).” In view of the teachings of Johnson, the examiner
concludes (answer, page 4) that:
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having
ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
made to display the quantity available and backorder
data to Cornwell’s customer and to update the inventory
database(s) when the price and/or quantity changes.
One would have been motivated to update the inventory
databases in order to provide the customer with the
most accurate data. One, also, would have been
motivated to provide Cornwell’s customer with the
availability and backorder data to include expected
arrival date in order to keep the customer better
informed of the status of his requisition.
Appellant argues throughout the brief that the examiner has
not shown any motivation for combining the teachings of Cornwell
and Johnson, and that the combined reference teachings are not
concerned with the time in which resupply of the inventory will
take place or will be available.
Even if we assume for the sake of argument that the skilled
artisan would have found it obvious to combine the teachings of
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