Appeal 2006-2448
Application 10/700,425
occurred. Thompson’s disclosure that the pictures are of familiar objects and
ordinary Arabic numerals (p. 1, ll. 48-49 and 90-91) at least would have fairly
suggested, to one of ordinary skill in the art, making the puzzle for people who
have had commonly occurring life experiences that have given them familiarity
with the objects and exposure to ordinary Arabic numerals.
For the above reasons we are not convinced of reversible error in the
rejection over Thompson.
Rejection over Collins
Collins discloses a circular jigsaw puzzle comprising 1) a center ring of
pieces having thereon numerical operands, 2) a middle ring of pieces having
thereon the same mathematical operator and, outside the mathematical operator, a
numeral and an equal sign, and 3) an outer ring of identically-shaped pieces having
numbers thereon which, when the puzzle is correctly assembled, are the result of
the operation of the mathematical operator on the numbers on the center and
middle rings (col. 2, l. 36 – col. 3, l. 17; figs. 2-4). The puzzle is in a container
comprising a transparent tray and a transparent cover (col. 2, ll. 26-27). The
puzzle pieces have indicia on their undersides which, when the puzzle is correctly
assembled and the transparent tray is covered and inverted, appear as a picture
(col. 2, ll. 26-35; fig. 6).
The Appellant argues that the Examiner’s “argument that math equations
qualify as life events is an argument that is stretched beyond the bounds of reason”
(Br. 5). The Appellant’s claim 11 requires puzzle pieces that correspond to
different commonly occurring life events, and learning the solution to each type of
mathematical equation, first with small numbers and then with larger numbers, is a
different life event and is commonly occurring.
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