Appeal No. 2004-1557
Application No. 09/451,942
information, especially “alphanumeric characters.” Thus, the
lack of written description rejection of claims 1 through 28 is
reversed.
Turning to the anticipation rejection of claims 1 through 5,
19 through 22 and 25, the examiner states (answer, page 5) that
the nodes in Kirk “do not comprise alphanumeric characters (Fig.
7; line 59, col. 31 to line 12 of col. 32).” We disagree. The
node designated by the numeral 704 in Kirk (Figure 7) clearly
contains alphanumeric characters. The blackened and unnumbered
nodes in Kirk (Figure 7) do not contain alphanumeric characters,
but they are not described as either “selectable” or as “points”
as required by the claims on appeal. Accordingly, the
anticipation rejection of claims 1 through 5, 19 through 22 and
25 is reversed.
Turning lastly to the obviousness rejections, we find that
the teachings of Bates, Isensee, Mukherjee and Manson do not cure
the noted shortcoming in the teachings of Kirk. In summary, the
obviousness rejections of claims 6 through 18, 23, 24 and 26
through 28 are reversed.
DECISION
The decision of the examiner rejecting claims 1 through 28
under the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 is reversed. The
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