Ex Parte GOSHEY et al - Page 3



          Appeal No. 2004-0933                                                        
          Application 09/256,680                                                      
               We refer to the final rejection (Paper No. 10) (pages                  
          referred to as "FR__") and the examiner's answer (Paper No. 15)             
          for a statement of the examiner's rejection, and to the appeal              
          brief (Paper No. 14) (pages referred to as "Br__") and reply                
          brief (Paper No. 16) (pages referred to as "RBr__") for a                   
          statement of appellants' arguments thereagainst.                            
                                       OPINION                                        
          The examiner errs in stating the claims stand or fall together              
               Appellants identify the following groups of claims, where              
          the claims within each group stand or fall together (Br3):                  
               Group I   - claims 1-3, 6-9, 12-17, 20, and 21                         
               Group II  - claims 4, 10, and 18                                       
               Group III - claims 5, 11, and 19                                       
               The examiner states that claims 1-21 stand or fall together            
          because appellants' brief does not include a statement that this            
          grouping of claims does not stand or fall together (EA2) and that           
          appellants have elected to rely on the discussion of claim 1 to             
          contend that claims 2-21 are patentable (EA6).  This is error.              
          As noted by appellants (RBr1-2), appellants have expressly                  
          grouped the claims into three groups and have made arguments why            
          the claims in each group are separately patentable.  However,               
          since we reverse the rejection of the independent claims in                 


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