Appeal 2007-0954
Application 09/999,074
flow management engine. Moreover, Berg discloses that a workflow may
contain one or more subflows whose user inputs are likewise sent to the flow
management engine for processing (Berg, col. 7, ll. 45-52).
In short, Berg actually anticipates representative claim 1.
Nevertheless, obviousness rejections can be based on references that happen
to anticipate the claimed subject matter. In re Meyer, 599 F.2d 1026, 1031,
202 USPQ 175, 179 (CCPA 1979). Furthermore, although we sustain the
Examiner’s obviousness rejection based on the teachings of Berg alone, we
may rely on fewer references than the Examiner in affirming a multiple-
reference rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103. In re Bush, 296 F.2d 491, 496,
131 USPQ 263, 266-67 (CCPA 1961); In re Boyer, 363 F.2d 455, 458 n.2,
150 USPQ 441, 444 n.2 (CCPA 1966).
Even though we find the teachings of Guheen are merely cumulative
to those of Berg for the reasons noted above, we nonetheless find that
Guheen also anticipates representative claim 1. Even if we assume, without
deciding, that the specific passages in Guheen relied upon by the Examiner
fail to teach or suggest software or tools to execute the various
administrative tasks performed by administrators or knowledge managers,
the reference is nonetheless replete with teachings of using workflows to
manage identity profiles.
Indeed, user profile management is touted as a key feature in one
embodiment of Guheen. See Guheen, column 210, line 32 – column 211,
line 7; Figs. 79-81. In that embodiment, user interfaces are customized
based on users’ profiles – personalized profiles that fully meet “identity
profiles” as claimed.
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