Ex Parte Neuhauser et alDownload PDFPatent Trial and Appeal BoardJan 28, 201611084545 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 28, 2016) Copy Citation UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE 111084,545 03/18/2005 81905 7590 02/01/2016 Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman, LLC (Nielsen) 150 S. Wacker Dr. Suite 2200 Chicago, IL 60606 FIRST NAMED INVENTOR Alan R. Neuhauser UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www .uspto.gov ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 20271/ARB137US01 9398 EXAMINER PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 2642 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 02/01/2016 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address( es): jflight@hfzlaw.com mhanley@hfzlaw.com docketing@hfzlaw.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte ALAN R. NEUHAUSER, JAMES M. JENSEN, JACK C. CRYSTAL, JACK K. ZHANG, and DANIEL W. PUGH Appeal2014-002769 Application 11/084,545 1 Technology Center 2600 Before ROBERT E. NAPPI, ELENI MANTIS MERCADER, and STACY B. MARGOLIES, Administrative Patent Judges. MARGOLIES, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL 1 According to Appellants, the real party in interest is Arbitron Inc. Appeal Br. 2. Appeal2014-002769 Application 11/084,545 STATEMENT OF THE CASE Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner's Final Rejection of claims 1-18, which constitute all the claims pending in the application. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b ). We reverse. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to gathering data related to consumers' usage of publications. See Abstract and Spec. i-f 6. Claim 1 is illustrative of the subject matter on appeal and is reproduced below: 1. A method of programming a data gathering system affixed to a publication and operative to gather data concerning physical usage of the publication, said method comprising the steps of: receiving first data in a portable monitor configured to be carried on the person of a respondent from the data gathering system, wherein the first data indicates that the data gathering system is within communicating range of the portable monitor; and communicating second data from the portable monitor to the data gathering system after the portable monitor receives the first data, the second data comprising programming data for controlling operation of the data gathering system. 2 Appeal2014-002769 Application 11/084,545 REFRENCES AND REJECTION The Examiner rejected claims 1-18 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Barsness et al. (US 7,103,848 B2; Sept. 5, 2006) and Furmidge et al. (US 7,259,690 Bl; Aug. 21, 2007). Final Act. 5-11. ISSUE The issue is whether the Examiner erred in finding that Barsness teaches "a data gathering system affixed to a publication and operative to gather data concerning physical usage of the publication," as recited in independent claims 1 and 2 and similarly recited in independent claim 3. ANALYSIS Appellants argue that neither Barsness nor Furmidge teaches a method of programming "a data gathering system affixed to a publication and operative to gather data concerning physical usage of the publication." App. Br. 10-11 (emphasis removed). Specifically, Appellants argue that the standard definition of "affixed" implies a physical coupling of some sort, and that the specification provides that the affixing of the data gathering system to the publication is physical. See App. Br. 11-12. Appellants argue that Barsness's e-reader processor circuitry (the data gathering system) is not "affixed" to an e-document existing only as data (the publication). App. Br. 11. Appellants also argue that Furmidge' s handheld reader for a utility meter has nothing to do with the reading of publications, and does not solve the deficiencies of Barsness. App. Br. 13-14. In response, the Examiner maintains that "affixed" can mean connected/attached/coupled, and that Barsness' s data gathering system and publication are affixed to one another in that they are all part of thee-reader. See Ans. 4. 3 Appeal2014-002769 Application 11/084,545 We do not agree with the Examiner's reasoning. The Examiner fails to cite any evidence establishing that the ordinary meaning of "affixed" to one of ordinary skill in the art includes connected or coupled in the broad sense of circuitry running software that monitors the electronic document to which the circuitry is purportedly affixed. See Ans. 4---6. Appellants cite definitions for "affixed" that require some type of physical attachment. See App. Br. 12. Similarly, the following definitions from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary incorporate the notion of a physical attachment: 1. to attach physically <~a stamp to a letter> 2. to attach in any way: ADD, APPEND <~a signature to a document> 3. IMPRESS <~ed my seal> MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY (I Ith ed. 2005). The specification likewise uses the word "affixed" to connote a physical coupling. See Spec. i-fi-1 46, 50, 54, 68, 83, and 86. Moreover, the specification consistently and exclusively describes the data gathering system as being physically attached to the publication for which it is gathering data. See, e.g., i1 44 ("In the various embodiments described, publications are fitted with one or more electronic devices ... operable to gather useful information about how the fitted publications are used."); Figs. 1-7. Barsness discloses a system that gathers data concerning usage of electronic documents (see, e.g., Barsness at 6:65-7:9, 7:48-56, and 9:3-22), but does not teach the claimed data gathering system "affixed to a publication" that gathers data concerning physical usage of the publication. Rather, Barsness teaches an apparatus such as an e-book reader with a processor running software that monitors usage of electronic documents 4 Appeal2014-002769 Application 11/084,545 displayed on the reader. See Barsness at 1 :31--40, 3: 19--20, 4:25-57, 9:3 7- 39, and Figs. 1-2, 4. Barsness thus does not teach "a data gathering system affixed to a publication and operative to gather data concerning physical usage of the publication," as recited in independent claims 1 and 2 and similarly recited in independent claim 3. Nor does Furmidge teach this claim limitation. Accordingly, we do not sustain the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-18. DECISION We reverse the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-18 under 35 U.S.C. § 103. REVERSED Jagr 5 • rr1 t ll ELEVE.NTH EDITION IVIerriam-\Vebster, Incorporated Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A. ® .· . . ... . . · . A GENUINE MERRIA1\'1~~""BSTER The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence. It is used by a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary buyer. · · · Memam-Jif'ebstdfM is the name you should look for when you consider the purchase of dictionaries or other fine reference books •. It carries the reputation of a company that has been publishing since :: 1831 and is your assurnrice of quality and auth,ority. .. Copy1ight (<) 2005 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. - Eleventh ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-807-1 ISBN-10: 0-87779-807-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-808-8 ISBN-10: 0-87779-808-7 ISBN-13: 978··0-87779-809-5 ISBN-10: 0-87779-809-5 ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-810-1 ISBN-10: 0-87779-810-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-813-2 ISBN-10: 0··87779-813-3 ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-814-9 ISBN-IO: 0-87779-814-1 (Laminated unip.dexed : alk, paper) (Laminated unindexed : alk~ paper) (Jacketed haxdcover unindexed: alk. paper) (Jacketed hardcover unindexed : alk. paper) (Jacketed hardcover "1-Vith CD-ROM : alk. paper) (Jacketed hardcover with CD-ROM: alk. paper) (Leatherlook "1-Vith CD-ROM : alk. paper) (Leatherlook with CD-ROM : alk. paper) (Canadian) (Canadlan) (lnternational) (International) 1. Er~lish language- ~~I)ictiona....~es~ L Tit1e; Co.Uegiate dictionarf. lI~ l\.1errirun- Webster, Inc. PE162S.M36 2003 423~dc21 2003003674 CIP Merriam-Webster's Co!Iegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Editi~n. principal copyright 2003 COLLEGIATE is a registered trademark of Meniam~Webster, Incorporated All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retdeval systems-without written permission of the publisher. Made in the United States of America 67IT:QWV05 Ii ~: 11re·brile \(,)a-•fe.,brJ(- 2: characterized by ease and friendliness (an - manner> syn see GRACIOUS - af·fa·bil· ;.N \.a-fa-'bl.-fa-te\ n - af.fa·blY \-ble\ adv at.fair \»-'fer\ 1: (ME efere, fr. AF afaire. fr. a faire to do] (14c) 1 a pl .· commercial, profe5slonal, public, or persollal business b : MATI'BR, CoNC.ERN 2; a procedU1'e1 action, or occasion only vaguely 5_pecified; d1so : an object or collection of objects only vaguely specified (their house was a 2~story -·» 3 alvo af~faire a : a romantic: or passionate . attachment fypically ofllmited duration: LIAISON 2b b: a matter oc· -casioning public anxiety, controver'.)y, or scandal: C...o\SE 'at.feel \'a-,fekt\ fl [M.E, fr. AF, fr. L tif.fectus, fr. c.it)'icereJ (14c) 1 obs • Ffil!LIN<.1-, .AFFECI'ION 2. ~ the conscious subjective aspect of au emo~ tion considered apart from bodily changes; also : a set of observable ri:tanifestatious of a subjectively experienced emotion (patients , .. showed perfectly normai reactions and -...s -Oliver Sacks) usage see EFFECT •af.fect \ b : to act upon (as a person or a person's mind or feelings) so as to effect a response : INFUJENCE usage see EFFECl' _c af.fect•abll-i·W \-,fek-ta-'bi-!;He.\ 11 -- aMect·ab!e \-'fek-ta·b~l\ ~ ··.· .. ~· syn AFFECr, INFLUENCE, TOUCH_. lMPRESS, ST.RilCS, SWAY mean to produce or have au effect upon. Af~FECr implies tl1e action of a 5tii,nu- lu• that can produce a response or reaction (the slght qffected her to tears). INFLUENCE implies a ·torce that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior) (our he.liefs are inf/uersced by our upbringing); ".roucH JtiaY carry a vivid suggestion of close contact and may connote stirring, arousing, l,)r banning (plants touched by frost) - aMect.ed·IY adv - af·fect·ed-ness fl . aHect-ing \2-'fek-H11, a·\ aclj (1720) : evoking a .strong emotional re- sponse syn see MOVING --· af,fect·ing·IY \-tiQ-le\ adv at,fec-tion \g-'fek-sh<>n\ n [ME, fr. AF ajfection, fr. L affection-, .affec- ··fio, fr. "1]1eerel (l3c) 1 : a.moderate feeling or emotion 2: tender at- tachment : .FONDNESS 3 a (1) : a bodily condition (2): DISEASE, MALADY b: ATIRlBUTE·(shape and weight are ~s of bodies) 4 obs : PARTIALITY, PREJUDICE 5 : the feeling, aspect (as in pleasure) of consciousness B a : PROPENSITY, :r>lSPOSITION b archaic : AFFECTATION 1 7 ~ the action of affecting ~o;. . '; the state of being affected syn see PEELING ....:.. af.fec.tion•less .\~fas\ adi af.·f~c·tiOn•al \<>·'fek-shn~I. -sha-n'l\a-'fek-sh(g-)n<>t\ arij (15c) 1 obs : INCLINED, ms- ' POSED 2 : having affection or warm regard; LOVJNG (~friends) 3 '. .. motivated by affection: TENDER<- care>:..... af.tec•tion·ate·lY adv af,fec-ti.oned \-sh<>r 2 : expressing emotion <~~ language) - af.fec-tive•lY adv - :·at-fec•tiv .. i~ty \,a~1fek- - aMecf.less- .. · n~~s·it · af.:ffen•pin-scher \'a-fan-,pln-ch;ir\ n [G, fr . .Affe oµe + P!nscher, a breed ., :. ~e~, tan., or gray coat, erect ears, large round eyes1 and bu.::hy eyebrows, ; ·Chin tu.ft, and muBtache · af·ffer-ent \'a-.f~-r~nt, -,fer-nt\ adj [L afferent-, afferen.s, prp. o a,lfe1m to bnng to. fr. ad- + Jerre to bear - more at BEAR] (ta. 1847) ~ bea1ing or conducting iriward~ specif~ conveying ;mpulses tOward the 4 .cr,ntral nervous system - cmnpare EFFERENT ........... at~fe.r .. ent·fY adv t anatomical part (as a nerve) =: . al;U·ance \a-'fi:an(t)s\ n. [ME, fr. AF, fr. ajffer to pledge. trust, fr. ML ;: · (.,,l, 4 ... 1ifare to. pleuge, fr. 1. ad- + VL >jidare to t.rnst - more at FIJ\.NCB] !!:':'' ' . c) archaic : TRUST, CONFIDENCE I =· ....•... · ... ff ..•ance V! ~anced; -an. c·i.ng (1555) : to solemnl~· promise (oneself o.r ;: ~other) lU ma_rriage : BET.ROTH . ;~-· : a,.,f!,ant \»·'fi-ant\ n (F, tr. prp. of affier, fr. OF] (1807) : one who : 5J'.~~rs to an affidavlt; b1m1dly : PEPONENT < ~"1\0!0nado var of AFICTONADO '' . aMt·da-vit \,a-fo-'dli .. vot\ n [ML, he has made an oath, fr. IV,l'idare] :: · {1593) : a swom statement in writing made esp. under oatlJ. or on affir- ~: .matton before an authorized maghtrate. or offker ::: afebrile ~ afflict 21 1 af.f!l·l·ate \•-'fi-le-,at\ vb -at·ed; -at·ing [MI, alfiliarns pp. of affi/iare to adopt as a son, fr.Lad-+ Jilim son - more at FEMINmEJ vt (1761) ·1 a : to b1ir:g or recejve lnto close crn:mection as a member or branch b : to associate as a member <~s herself with the focal club·, 2 : to trace the 01ig,in of~ vi : to conned or assodate oneself ~ coi'raTNE :_ __ af.fif.i•a.tion \-,fi-ie·'a-sh-on\" · · 2af.til-i·ate \o-'fi-le-;>t, -,at\ n (1879) : an affiliated person or organlza- ti.cn af.fil·i·at0 ed \-le-,a·t~d.\ a4f (1795) : closely associated with another typ- ically in a dependent or subordinate position iis related] (ca. 1509) : a relative by marriage : IN-LAW 2affine adj[[. affini.i·, adj.] (1918) : of, relating to, or being a t.nmsforma· tion (as a tnwslation, a rotation, or a uniform stretching) that carries straight Jines into straight lines and parallel lines into parallel lines but may alter distance between points and angles between: lines<- geom- etry) -· aM!ne•IY adv · aMined \a-'ffad, :>·\ aclj (1597) 1 : joined. in a close relationship : CON' NECTBD 2 : bound by obligation af.fin·MY \"·'fi-ng..te\ 11, pl ·lies [..\.IE affmiie .. fr. AF or L; AF a/finite, fr. L a_t]lnita.'{~ fr. affini.i; hordeiing on, related by marT.iaget fr. ad-..·+ finis end, border] (I4c) 1 : relationship by marriage 2 a : sympathy marked by co=u.nity of interest : Kll<-SH!P b {l): an attraction to or liking for something (people with an ~ to darkness -Mark Twain) (2) : an attractive force between substance• or particles that causes them to ente.r into and re1nain ll1 chemical combination c : a person esp. of the opposite sex having a particular attractlon for ·one 3 a : likeness based on relationship or causal connection (found an ~be tween the teller of a tale and t.he craftsman ----Mary McCarthy) (this investigation, with affinities to a. case history, a P'YChoanalysis, a detec- tive story ---Oliver Sacks) b : a relation between biological gi·oups in- volving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin syn set> ATI'RACTION alfinity card n (1979) : a credit card which is issued in affiliation with a participoting organization (as a charity or an airline) and the use of which earns a benefit for foe organization or the cardholder · affinity chromatography n (1970) : chromatography in w.hich a mac- romolecule (as a proteln) ls isolated and purlfied by pa'5lng it in solu- tion through a coiumn treated witl1 a sulxltance having a ligand for which the macro.molecuie has an affinity that causes it to be retained on the column affinity group n (1970) : a group of people having a common inte.:rest or goa! or acting together for a specific purpose (as for a chartered tour) af·flrm \<>·'f"rm\ vb !ME aflermen, fr, AF afermer, .fr. L 2 : to asseLt (as-a Judgment or decree) as -valid or confirrned 3 : to ex .. press dedication to < .-v life> ~ vl 1 : to testify or de dare by affirma- tion as distinguished. from swearing an oath 2 : to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court syn see ASSERT·-- af·ffrm .. able \~-1f~r~n10- b;,l\ adj --- af.fir-mance \<>-'far-mgn(t)s\ rs af0flr•ma 0tion \,a·far-'ma·shGn\ n (15c) 1 a : the act of affirming b ~ something affirmed : a positive assertion 2 ~ a solemn declaration made under the penalties of perjury by a person who conscientiou5:ly declines taldng an oath · 1af.fir-ma•ti\le \<>·'far-m;i.-tiv\ ac(J (15c) 1 : asserting a predicate of a subject .2 : asserting that the fact is so 3 : !'OSlTIVE <~· approach> 4 : favoring or supporting a proposition or motion - af.tir·ma•tive·IY adv 2affirmatlve fl (15c) 1 : an expression (as the woid yes) of affirmation Ol' assent 2 : an affirmative proposition. 3 : the side that upholds the proposition stated ln a debate · · affirmative action n (1965) : an ac.th·e effort to improve the em.plo.y- ment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women; aLw : a similar effo1t to promote the rights or progress of other dfaadvantaged persons 1 af.fix \a-'fiks, a·\ vt [L ef}1xus, pp. of a}figere to faqten to, fr. ad··+ figere to fasten -- more at FIX] (1533) 1 : to attach physically<~ a stamp to a letter) 2 : to attach in any way : ADD, APPEND <~a sign.a.tu.re to a document.) 3 : IMPRESS <~ed my seal) syn see FASTEN - af.fix· able \-'f!k·sa-b~l\ adj - aMix·a·liori \,a-,fik-'sa-shan\ n - aMiX" ment \g·'fik-sm~;it, a-\ n ·· 2aMiX \'a-,fiks\ 11 (1612) 1 : one or more sounds or letters occurring as a bound fom1 attac.hed to the beginning or end of a word, base. or phrase or inserted within a word or base and serving to produce a de- rivative word or an .lnflectional form ·2 : APPENDA.GE --- af.f!x-a! \-,fik·s~l\ or af.fix·i·al \a-'fik-se-:>l\ adj af.fJa .. tus \;i·'fHi-t~s, a-\ n. [L) act of blowing or breathing on, fr. afftm-e to blow on. fr. ad .. +flare to blow - nwre at BLOW] (1660): a divine imp:.ttting of knowledge or powei·: INSPIRATION aMlict \o-'flikt\ vt [l\-rn, fr. L affiictus, pp. of afflfgere to ca>.t down, fr. ad· + fiigere to strike ·- more at PROFLIGATE] (14c) 1 ubs a '. !JUM- BLE b : OVERTHROW 2 a : to dl.stress so severely as to cause pernis- tent suffering .or anguish <~ed with artlnitis) b : TROUBLE, INJTJlUl syn AFFl.JCT, TRY, Tf..'lRMENT, l'ORTURE1 RACK mean to inflict 011 a person somet.hing that is hard to bear. AFFLICf is a general te1m and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acUte anrsoyance, em- b.arrassment, or any dMress (ills that qt)'iict the eldei·!y). TRY suggests imposin~ somethlng th.at strains the powers of endurance or of self:: contml\abut \"\kitten, F table \gr\ further \a\ a•h \a\ ace \a\ mop, mar \au\out \ch\chin \e\bet \e\easy \g\go \i\hit \i\ke \j\job \JJ\ sing \o\ go \o\ law \6i\ boy \th\ thin \th\ tb.e \ii\ foot \it\ foot \y\ yet \zh\ vision, beige \ls,", re, re, Y\ see Guide to Pronunciation· Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation