Appeal No. 2005-0001
Application No. 09/268,902
[t]he conclusory statements that “because the combination would have
provided a process necessary to simulate the constructed trial circuit … in
the process of designing a circuit layout as well as presented a method for
conveniently and quickly analyzing the resulting power bus grid with color
coded sections” and “ the combination would have provided superior
accuracy and more efficient simulation speed” do not adequately address
the issue of motivation to select or combine. (footnotes omitted)
The examiner in response, on page 18 of the answer, asserts that the
appellant has not provided sufficient reasons as to why the motivation provided in
the rejection is improper. Further, the examiner states:
[p]roper motivation exists because the combination of Tuan with the
inventions of Mitsuhashi and Huddleston would have provided a process
necessary to simulate the constructed trial circuit of Mitsuhashi
([Mitsuhashi] column 21, lines 40-45 ) in the process of designing a circuit
layout as well as presented a method for conveniently and quickly
analyzing the resulting power bus grid with color coded sections ([Tuan]
column 12, lines 45-52) while providing superior accuracy and more
efficient simulation speed ([Tuan] column 6, lines 27-29).
We concur with the examiner, as stated supra, with respect to claim 1, we
find that the Mitsuhashi and Huddleston teach the limitations of claim 1. Claim 2
adds the limitation to claim 1 that “the calculated electrical characteristic of the
wire segments is a calculated current density of the wire segments.” We find
that Mitsuhashi teaches, in column 14, lines 6-7, that a trial circuit is converted
from an initial circuit to a model and that analysis portion (item 19) analyses the
electrical characteristics of the initial wiring. The power consumption of each of
the sectional regions is then calculated. (See Mitsuhashi, column 14, lines 21-
22). Mitsuhashi teaches that one of the purposes of this analysis is to evaluate
whether there will be electromigration problems in the wiring (see Mitsuhashi
-14-
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