Ex Parte Confalone et al - Page 4



               Appeal 2007-4259                                                                            
               Application 10/417,752                                                                      
               82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007) (quoting In re Kahn, 441 F.3d 977, 988,                         
               78 USPQ2d 1329, 1336-337 (Fed. Cir. 2006)).  See DyStar Textilfarben                        
               GmBH & Co. Deutschland KG v. C.H. Patrick Co., 464 F.3d 1356, 1361,                         
               80 USPQ2d 1641, 1645 (Fed. Cir. 2006)(“The motivation need not be found                     
               in the references sought to be combined, but may be found in any number of                  
               sources, including common knowledge, the prior art as a whole, or the                       
               nature of the problem itself.”); In re Bozek, 416 F.2d 1385, 1390, 163 USPQ                 
               545, 549 (CCPA 1969)(“Having established that this knowledge was in the                     
               art, the examiner could then properly rely, as put forth by the solicitor, on a             
               conclusion of obviousness ‘from common knowledge and common sense of                        
               the person of ordinary skill in the art without any specific hint or suggestion             
               in a particular reference.’”); In re Hoeschele, 406 F.2d 1403, 1406-407,                    
               160 USPQ 809, 811-12 (CCPA 1969) (“[I]t is proper to take into account                      
               not only specific teachings of the references but also the inferences which                 
               one skilled in the art would reasonably be expected to draw therefrom . . .”).              
               The analysis supporting obviousness, however, should be made explicit and                   
               should “identify a reason that would have prompted a person of ordinary                     
               skill in the relevant field to combine the elements” in the manner claimed.                 
               KSR, 127 S. Ct. at 1739, 82 USPQ2d at 1396.                                                 
                      Appellants’ principal argument is that there is no teaching, suggestion,             
               or motivation in the cited references to encourage a person skilled in the art              
               to use opacifying agents in a binder comprising N-methylol acrylamide in                    
               order to achieve superior tensile strength in addition to high opacity                      
               properties (Br. 9-11).  Appellants contend that Iacoviello is silent as to the              
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