Appeal No. 2006-2284 Page 14
Application No. 09/912,211
to be solved." WMS Gaming Inc. v. Int'l Game Tech., 184 F.3d 1339, 1355,
51 USPQ2d 1385, 1397 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (citing In re Rouffet, 149 F.3d 1350, 1355,
47 USPQ2d 1453, 1456 (Fed. Cir. 1998)).
Here, Bower's "library includes a plurality of 'smart' article return areas or book
drops." (Col. 7, ll. 9-10.) "The 'smart' book drops . . . interrogate the articles 22 as they
pass into the book drop and read, record and process information about their identity.
FIG. 1 shows one smart exterior article return area or book drop 32 and three smart
interior article return areas or book drops 34." (Id. at ll. 13-18.) We find that these
smart book drops constitute containers.
Besides the interrogators in the smart boxes, interrogators are employed
throughout the library. For example, "the library 10 includes one or more pairs of 'smart'
pedestals 36." (Id. at ll. 41-42.) "A pair of 'smart pedestals' as described, are pedestal-
configured devices which contain interrogators capable of communicating with RFID
tags. A pair of smart pedestals 36 reads RFID tags when tagged articles 22 are within a
predesignated zone between the pedestals 36." (Id. at ll. 42-47.) Furthermore, "the
library includes a patron self-checkout station 50 for allowing library patrons to check
out articles 22 for removal from the premises. The checkout station 50 includes a fixed
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