REVERSED

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
Ex Parte White COLAIANNI 103(a) MARSH, FISCHMANN & BREYFOGLE LLP
method of making a map or other object presenting multiple sets of information in a spatially related fashion
Waly 4,094,596 Jun. 13, 1978
Brosh 5,924,870 Jul. 20, 1999
Du 6,732,120 B1 May 4, 2004

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
Ex Parte Kraft DANG 103(a) CANTOR COLBURN, LLP - IBM ARC DIVISION
active shell surrounding an active document, for providing basic management and connectivity features
Potok US 2003/0120639 A1 Jun. 26, 2003

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
Ex Parte Clay et al LORIN 103(a) IBM CORPORATION
method of presenting a business opportunity proposal by a presenting party to a client team
Tognazzini US 5,898,423 Apr. 27, 1999
Cohen-Solal US 6,873,710 B1 Mar. 29, 2005
Miniauction, Inc. v. Thomson Corp., 532 F.3d 1318, 1324 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (“The first issue we address with respect to obviousness is the scope and content of the prior art—specifically whether the prior art exhibited every step of the methods claimed in independent claims 1 and 31 of the ’099 patent.”)

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Designs
Ex Parte Frenk et al GREEN 102(b) Paul Brinda
bone screw
Kim US 5,779,704 Jul. 14, 1998
Claim language, however, "should not [be] treated as meaningless." Bicon, Inc. v. Straumann Co., 441 F.3d 945, 951 (Fed. Cir. 2006).
"[I]t is well established that patent drawings do not define the precise proportions of the elements and may not be relied on to show particular sizes if the specification is completely silent on the issue." Hockerson-Halbertstadt, Inc. v. Avia Group Int’l Inc., 222 F.3d 951, 956 (Fed. Cir. 2000) (holding that the drawings could not be relied upon to construe whether the term "central longitudinal groove" required that the width of the groove be less than the combined width of the fins). "Ordinarily drawings which accompany an application for a patent are merely illustrative of the principles embodied in the alleged invention claimed therein and do not define the precise proportions of elements relied upon to endow the claims with patentability." In re Olson, 212 F.2d 590, 592 (CCPA 1954).

Ex Parte Sakai BARRETT 102(b)/103(a) GLOBAL IP COUNSELORS, LLP
engine control apparatus for minimizing damage to the catalyst in a catalytic converter
Beck US 5,444,974 Aug. 29, 1995
Matsuki US 5,884,603 March 23, 1999
Hasler US 6,009,857 Jan. 4, 2000
Suzuki US 6,405,527 B2 June 18, 2002

Ex Parte Feller et al GRIMES 103(a) THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
absorbent article capable of reliably achieving an improved body-fitting profile
Weisman et al., US 4,865,596, Sep. 12, 1989
Takahashi et al., US 6,329,465 B1, Dec. 11, 2001
Cinelli et al., US 2002/0013565 A1, Jan. 31, 2002
Ohashi et al., US 2002/0065498 A1, May 30, 2002
"In determining whether obviousness is established by combining the teachings of the prior art, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art." In re GPAC Inc., 57 F.3d 1573, 1581 (Fed. Cir. 1995)

Ex Parte Diamantopoulos et al WALSH 102(e)/103(a) BROMBERG & SUNSTEIN LLP
vascular catheter apparatus for temperature measurement of vascular tissue
Edwards et al., US 6,053,937, Apr. 25, 2000
Boaz Avitall, US 6,138,043, Oct. 24, 2000

BILSKI - AFFIRMED

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
Ex parte NEAL ROBERTS LORIN 101/112(2) BLAKELY SOKOLOFF TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP
method for performing tax-deferred real estate transactions