Authorities Cited: United States Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Patent No. 5,922,021 United States Code 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(1) Supreme Court 213 U.S. 297, 300-301 226 U.S. 217, 219-220 309 U.S. 551, 555 323 U.S. 316, 322-324 356 U.S. 677, 680-681 475 U.S. 809, 811 486 U.S. 800, 808-809 523 U.S. 740, 747 531 U.S. 70, 78 Circuit Courts 309 F.2d 320, 321 423 F.2d 1397, 1400-1401 625 F.2d 573, 575 770 F.2d 1015, 1020 807 F.2d 1567, 1574-1575 900 F.2d 168, 170 960 F.2d 1020 982 F.2d 1520, 1526 21 F.3d 52, 55 74 F.3d 1216, 1221 99 F.3d 1568, 1571 175 F.3d 1356 212 F.3d 1368, 1372 218 F.3d 1078, 1081 256 F.3d 1323, 1330 263 F.3d 1356, 1363 270 F.3d 1358, 1377 378 F.3d 1396, 1412 403 F.3d 1364, 1371-1372 442 F.3d 1322 445 F.3d 1348, 1350-1351 462 F.3d 1344, 1350-1351 473 F.3d 1173, 1177 505 F.3d 1362, 1366 514 F.3d 1271, 1276