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REVERSED
Tech Center 1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1612 Ex Parte Willison et al 10187666 - (D) FREDMAN 102(e)/103 WARNER NORCROSS & JUDD LLP ROBERTS, LEZAH

“The keystone of the inherency doctrine is inevitability. For anticipation by inherency, a later-claimed invention must have necessarily resulted from the practice of a prior art reference. Our precedent has been steadfast in this strict requirement of inevitability.” In re Montgomery, 677 F.3d 1375, 1384 (Fed. Cir. 2012).

“Inherency, however, may not be established by probabilities or possibilities. The mere fact that a certain thing may result from a given set of circumstances is not sufficient.” MEHL/Biophile Int’l Corp. v. Milgraum, 192 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 1999).

Tech Center 1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1782 Ex Parte Muthiah et al 11605167 - (D) LEBOVITZ 102/103 GERALD K. WHITE & ASSOCIATES, P.C. RAUDENBUSH, ELLEN SUZANNE

Tech Center 3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3765 Ex Parte Smith et al 12024176 - (D) McCARTHY 102/103 37 C.F.R. § 41.50(b) 112(2) KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC. HOEY, ALISSA L

Our reviewing court instructs us that an applicant “is in the best position to resolve the ambiguity in the patent claims, and it is highly desirable that patent examiners demand that applicants do so in appropriate circumstances so that the patent can be amended during prosecution rather than attempting to resolve the ambiguity in litigation.” Halliburton Energy Servs. v. M-I LLC, 514 F.3d 1244, 1255 (Fed. Cir. 2008). The Supreme Court recently instructed us that claims must at least “inform those skilled in the art about the scope of the [claimed subject matter] with reasonable certainty.” Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instrs., Inc., 134 S.Ct. 2120, 2129 (2014).

AFFIRMED 
Tech Center 2400 Networking, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security
2426 Ex Parte Kouhi et al 11999586 - (D) KRIVAK 103 ALCATEL-LUCENT HITT GAINES, PC HUYNH, AN SON PHI

2491 Ex Parte Bomma 11935758 - (D) CHUNG 103 IBM AUSTIN IPLAW (DG) C/O DELIZIO GILLIAM, PLLC GOLDBERG, ANDREW C

Tech Center 2600 Communications
2656 Ex Parte Pildner 11521707 - (D) McCOLLUM 103 TYCO FIRE PROTECTION JAMAL, ALEXANDER

REHEARING

DENIED
Tech Center 2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2172 Ex Parte OSULLIVAN et al 11948458 - (D) PAULRAJ 102/103 CRGO LAW STEVEN M. GREENBERG TAN, ALVIN H

MEHL, johnson

REVERSED
1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1628 Ex Parte Jandacek et al 10/699,351 FREDMAN 103(a) THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY EXAMINER Gembeh, Shirley

“Inherency ... may not be established by probabilities or possibilities. The mere fact that a certain thing may result from a given set of circumstances is not sufficient.” MEHL/Biophile Int'l. Corp. v. Milgraum, 192 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 1999).


AFFIRMED
1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1611 Ex Parte Kandarapu et al 10/596,915 FREDMAN 112(2) 103(a) Gilman Pergament LLP EXAMINER LOVE, TREVOR M
 
The fact that a claim is broad does not mean that it is indefinite, and even undue breadth is not indefiniteness. In re Johnson, 558 F.2d 1008, 1016 n.17 (CCPA 1977).
 
Johnson, In re, 558 F.2d 1008, 194 USPQ 187 (CCPA 1977) . . . . . . . . . . . 2164.08, 2173.05(i)

Phillips, gulack, diamond1, ngai, lowry, cruciferous, MEHL

REVERSED

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1612 Ex Parte Pacetti et al 11/487,059 GRIMES 103(a) SQUIRE, SANDERS & DEMPSEY (US) LLP EXAMINER GULLEDGE, BRIAN M
1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1715 Ex Parte Leistra et al 10/698,659 KRATZ 103(a) BACHMAN & LAPOINTE, P.C. EXAMINER LIGHTFOOT, ELENA TSOY
2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2166 Ex Parte Gernold 10/784,196 MacDONALD 103(a) FISH & RICHARDSON, P.C. EXAMINER HARPER, ELIYAH STONE
2400 Networking, Mulitplexing, Cable, and Security
2441 Ex Parte Keohane et al 10/406,651 MacDONALD 103(a) DILLON & YUDELL LLP EXAMINER BATURAY, ALICIA

While a general-usage dictionary can be helpful in understanding claim language, a general dictionary “cannot overcome art-specific evidence of the meaning of a claim term.” Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1318, 1322 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (citations and internal quotations omitted).

Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 75 USPQ2d 1321 (Fed. Cir. 2005) . 2111, 2111.01, 2143.01, 2258

2471 Ex Parte Barron 10/401,236 SAADAT 102(b)/103(a) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY EXAMINER HYUN, SOON D
2600 Communications
2617 Ex Parte Cheung et al 10/893,216 SAADAT 103(a) WALL & TONG, LLP/ALCATEL-LUCENT USA INC. EXAMINER PATEL, NIMESH

AFFIRMED-IN-PART

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1745 Ex Parte Gass 10/944,535 TIMM 112(1)/103(a) REINHART BOERNER VAN DEUREN S.C. EXAMINER MCCLELLAND, KIMBERLY KEIL
2600 Communications
2624 Ex Parte Barbour 11/045,703 SAADAT 102(b)/103(a) PEARNE & GORDON LLP EXAMINER WOLDEMARIAM, AKILILU K

2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components
2823 Ex Parte Booth et al 11/250,043 KOHUT 103(a) IBM CORPORATION EXAMINER KIM, SU C

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3748 Ex Parte Bruck 10/912,302 GRIMES 103(a) LERNER GREENBERG STEMER LLP EXAMINER NGUYEN, TU MINH

AFFIRMED

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1724 Ex Parte Hamamjy et al 11/114,261 OWENS 103(a) TROP, PRUNER & HU, P.C. EXAMINER BRAYTON, JOHN JOSEPH

1767 Ex Parte Haider et al 11/315,667 GRIMES 103(a) BAYER MATERIAL SCIENCE LLC EXAMINER RIOJA, MELISSA A
2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2156 Ex Parte Barghouthi 11/186,600 JEFFERY 103(a) IBM CORPORATION EXAMINER ROSTAMI, MOHAMMAD S

2175 Ex Parte Balinsky et al 11/190,436 DANG 102(b)/103(a) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY EXAMINER ORR, HENRY W

2186 Ex Parte Xu et al 11/224,418 JEFFERY 102(b)/103(a) MARSHALL, GERSTEIN & BORUN LLP (MICROSOFT) EXAMINER CHRZANOWSKI, MATTHEW R
2600 Communications
2626 Ex Parte Cross et al 11/154,897 MANTIS MERCADER 102(e) WOLF GREENFIELD & SACKS, P.C. EXAMINER SERROU, ABDELALI

The subject matter presented in claim 1 on appeal relates to features that differ from the prior art solely on the basis of “non-functional descriptive material,” which is generally not given patentable weight when determining patentability of an invention over the prior art. In re Gulack, 703 F.2d 1381, 1385 (Fed. Cir. 1983). The PTO may not disregard claim limitations comprised of printed matter. See id. at 1384; see also Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175, 191 (1981). However, the Examiner need not give patentable weight to descriptive material absent a new and unobvious functional relationship between the descriptive material and the substrate. See In re Ngai, 367 F.3d 1336, 1338 (Fed. Cir. 2004); In re Lowry, 32 F.3d 1579, 1583-84 (Fed Cir. 1994).

Gulack, In re, 703 F.2d 1381, 217 USPQ 401 (Fed. Cir. 1983) . . . . . . . . . . .2106.01, 2112.01

Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175, 209 USPQ 1 (1981) . . 2106, 2106.01, 2106.02, 2107.01

Ngai, In re, 367 F.3d 1336, 70 USPQ2d 1862 (Fed. Cir. 2004) . . . . . . . . . . 2106.01, 2112.01Lowry, In re, 32 F.3d 1579, 32 USPQ2d 1031 (Fed. Cir. 1994) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2106.01
2629 Ex Parte Goodwin et al 11/122,610 RUGGIERO 103(a) IBM CORPORATION (RVW) EXAMINER CHOW, YUK

2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components
2816 Ex Parte Viswanathan 11/400,850 NAPPI 102(b)/103(a) TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED EXAMINER NGUYEN, HAI L

REHEARING

GRANTED-IN-PART

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3724 Ex Parte Gass 10/984,643 PATE III 103(a) SD3, LLC EXAMINER ALIE, GHASSEM

In order for the Examiner to show that a claim limitation is inherent in the prior art, the Examiner must establish that the prior art necessarily functions in accordance with or includes the claim limitation. See In re Cruciferous Sprout Litig., 301 F.3d 1343, 1349 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (emphasis added). “Under the principles of inherency, if the prior art necessarily functions in accordance with, or includes, the claimed limitations, it anticipates.” Id. (quoting MEHL/Biophile Int’l Corp. v. Milgraum, 192 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 1999)).

Cruciferous Sprout Litig., In re, 301 F.3d 1343, 64 USPQ2d 1202 (Fed. Cir. 2002) . . 2111.02