Appeal 2006-3072
Application 10/419,763
col. 4, l. 66, to col. 5, l. 19). We find this disclosure would have suggested
to one of ordinary skill in this art that the layer on the opposite side of the
liquid crystal layer can be an alignment layer formed from the same or
different mesogenic materials as the first alignment layer, from any other
alignment material, and from combinations thereof (id., e.g., col. 4,
ll. 37-65; col. 6, ll. 37-42; col. 8, ll. 49-56; Example 1; and Figs. 1 and 5).3
The polymerized mesogenic material in the first alignment layer and the
material in the opposed or second alignment layer can be formed on “a pre-
formed alignment layer such as a rubbed polyimide layer,” illustrated by the
liquid crystal cell in Figs. 1 and 5 wherein polymeric liquid crystal
alignment layers 14 overlay polyimide alignment layers 12 (id., e.g., col. 5,
ll. 20-24; col. 6, ll. 37-42; col. 8, ll. 49-56; col. 10, l. 45, to col. 11, l. 5; and
Example 3).
Walton’s Examples 1-4 illustrate liquid crystal cells in which the
polymeric liquid crystal alignment layers 14 are formed from the same
mixture of polymeric mesogenic material and interface with a nematic liquid
crystal mixture, wherein each of the four mixtures tested provide different
pretilt angle measured in degrees (Walton, cols 6-8 and table at col. 7,
ll. 24-30). Walton’s Example 5 illustrates the defect occurring where “the
liquid crystal molecules tilt in different directions” upon application of an
3 It is well settled that a reference stands for all of the specific teachings
thereof as well as the inferences one of ordinary skill in this art would have
reasonably been expected to draw therefrom, see In re Fritch, 972 F.2d
1260, 1264-65, 23 USPQ2d 1780, 1782-83 (Fed. Cir. 1992); In re Preda,
401 F.2d 825, 826, 159 USPQ 342, 344 (CCPA 1968), presuming skill on
the part of this person. In re Sovish, 769 F.2d 738, 743, 226 USPQ 771, 774
(Fed. Cir. 1985).
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