Appeal 2007-0458
Application 10/247,533
where linking members are rotated between their respective positions at a
predetermined time (Br. 12-13). Appellant also contends that the Examiner
failed to provide the requisite motivation to make the specific claimed
combination (Br. 13-14). Additionally, Appellant argues that the
Examiner’s proposed combination would render the Coombs device
unsatisfactory for its intended purpose. Appellant emphasizes that Coombs’
purpose is to achieve equitable exposure of all names on the list to the
visitor. According to Appellant, culling or otherwise organizing the list
based on some parameter would defeat this purpose (Br. 14).
We will sustain the Examiner’s rejection of independent claim 7. We
agree with the Examiner’s thorough and cogent analysis on Pages 30-34 of
the Answer that the skilled artisan would have ample motivation on this
record to provide a drop down menu with at least one selectable keyword in
the web site listings of Coombs.
Coombs teaches an interface comprising a list of individuals and
companies that is divided over multiple screens that are rotated frequently
and periodically to more equitably expose the individuals and companies in
the list (Coombs, col. 1, ll. 55-63). Similarly, Rebane discloses a website
that comprises a list of merchants satisfying search criteria that is divided
over four screens as indicated at the bottom of Fig. 18. See Rebane, Fig. 18
(including links to Screens 2-4). Rebane also provides drop down menus to
search or find other categories or merchants (Rebane, col. 36, ll. 24-30; Fig.
18).
Given these collective teachings, we see no reason why the skilled
artisan would not have provided a drop down menu in the web page listings
of Coombs to at least provide an additional search capability for merchants
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