Appeal No. 2006-1554 Page 8
Application No. 10/369,819
Hrehor in view of U.S. Patent No. 4,527,906 to Jezbera and/or HP Jornada 420
Palm-size PC User’s Guide, Ed. 1, 1999 (“User’s Guide”).1
Hrehor discloses a method of replacing a side panel member (207) of a
casing of a computer (201) including the step of pushing a push button (211).
Hrehor, col. 4, lines 39-44. Hrehor does not disclose that the push button is on a
normally hidden bottom surface portion, nor does Hrehor disclose the step of
positioning the computer with a normally hidden bottom surface portion thereof
exposed, because the push button of Hrehor is disposed on the front bezel panel
(209) of the computer housing (205). Hrehor, col. 4, lines 28-31. We find,
however, that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at
the time the invention was made to have located the push button on the normally
hidden bottom surface portion of the computer, instead of on the front bezel panel,
in order to protect the button from inadvertent actuation. We find this to be
obvious because it was well known in the prior art at the time of the invention to
place other buttons, such as reset switches, on the bottom surface portion of
computer devices so that they would not be inadvertently actuated. We provide
two prior art references that demonstrate that placement of reset switches on the
bottom surface portion of a computer device was well known.
Jezbera discloses a digital menstrual cycle indicator that includes a hidden
switch (14) on the bottom surface portion of the device (Figure 3). Jezbera teaches
that to reset the device, a push button (14), located beneath a battery case cover
(42) on the rear of a housing (15), is depressed twice. Jezbera, col. 3, lines 30-33.
Although the battery case cover (42) is described as being on the rear of the
1 A copy of the HP Jornada User’s Guide is attached to this decision.
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