Ex Parte Rai - Page 4

             Appeal 2007-1286                                                                                   
             Application 09/849,088                                                                             

             with the issue of whether Sumner discloses receiving and transmitting “user                        
             identified storable information.”                                                                  
                                               FINDINGS OF FACT                                                 
                   Sumner teaches a wireless telephone messaging system. (Abstract).  The                       
             system tests the communication signal to the wireless device, telephone.  (See                     
             steps 401-406 of Figure 4 and col. 2, ll. 21-25).  Based upon the results of the                   
             signal test, the system may prompt a caller to leave a voice mail for the user of the              
             wireless device.  (Col. 7, ll. 5-7, 60-64).  The caller may leave a message.  (See                 
             step 407 of Figure 4 and col. 7, l. 67).  Implicit in prompting a user that they may               
             leave a voice message is that the user decides to leave the voice message and not                  
             just hang up to call again later.  A message if received from the caller is then                   
             transmitted to the wireless device.  (See step 508 Figure 5 and col. 8, ll. 41-44).                
                                              PRINCIPLES OF LAW                                                 
                   Office personnel must rely on Appellant’s disclosure to properly determine                   
             the meaning of the terms used in the claims.  Markman v. Westview Instruments,                     
             Inc., 52 F.3d 967, 980, 34 USPQ2d 1321, 1330 (Fed. Cir. 1995).  “[I]nterpreting                    
             what is meant by a word in a claim ‘is not to be confused with adding an                           
             extraneous limitation appearing in the specification, which is improper.’”  In re                  
             Cruciferous Sprout Litigation, 301 F.3d 1343, 1348, 64 USPQ2d 1202, 1205 (Fed.                     
             Cir. 2002) (emphasis in original) (citing Intervet Am., Inc. v. Kee-Vet Labs., Inc.,               
             887 F.2d 1050, 1053, 12 USPQ2d 1474, 1476 (Fed. Cir. 1989)).                                       







                                                       4                                                        


Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  Next

Last modified: September 9, 2013