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PTAB.US: Decisions of PTAB Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

REVERSED

2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components
Ex Parte Mehta JEFFERY 102(b)/103(a) LADAS & PARRY
Piezoelectric actuator for tunable electronic components
Oomen US 3,646,413 Feb. 29, 1972
Gammel US
6,212,056 B1 Apr. 3, 2001

“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.” In re Robertson, 169 F.3d 743, 745 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (citations omitted).

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
Ex Parte Jackson et al FETTING 102(b)/103(a) HUNTON & WILLIAMS, LLP
Compliance management system and method
Sturgeon US 5,726,884 Mar. 10, 1998

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Designs
Ex Parte Jarpenberg et al SCHEINER 102(e)/103(a) BURNS, DOANE, SWECKER & MATHIS, L.L.P.
Elasticized web and a method and apparatus for its manufacture
Mizutani U.S. Patent 6,733,610 B2, May 11, 2004

AFFIRMED-IN_PART

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Designs
Ex Parte Traina 102(b)/103(a) BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC
Cultivated biomass power system
Frederick US 4,203,374 May 20, 1980
Hertel US
4,437,419 Mar. 20, 1984
Rivers US
4,532,873 Aug. 6, 1985
Ladt US
4,572,086 Feb. 25, 1986
LePori US
4,848,249 Jul. 18, 1989
Moll US
5,935,842 Aug. 10, 1999
O’Connor US
6,536,360 B2 Mar. 25, 2003

Finally, “apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does.” Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469 (Fed. Cir. 1990). Claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art on structural grounds. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d 1473, 1477-1478 (Fed. Cir. 1997). Merely stating an intended use for an apparatus is not sufficient to distinguish the apparatus from the prior art. In re Sinex, 309 F.2d 488, 492 (CCPA 1962).