Opinion ID: 3066478
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: “Selection means”

Text: The district court determined that the function of the “selection means operatively connected with said display means provided to permit selection of a desired displayed coupon by the consumer” limitation was “to permit selection of a desired displayed coupon by the consumer.” District Court Opinion at 13. Relying on the specification and the prosecution history, the court then determined that the corresponding structure to the “selection means” limitation is a touch screen. Id. at 14. On appeal, Catalina argues that the district court improperly altered the claim term “to permit selection” to “permitting the consumer to make a selection” and maintains that this change led the district court to incorrectly identify a touch screen as the “selection means” limitation’s corresponding structure. Catalina urges this court to identify the UART, which sends the interrupt signal to the microprocessor, as the 03-1548, -1627 6 “selection means.” We agree with the district court and find Catalina’s argument unpersuasive. The claim limitation itself states that the “selection means” is intended “to permit selection of a desired displayed coupon by the consumer.” ’041 patent col. 30, ll. 55-57 (emphasis added). Therefore, contrary to Catalina’s assertion, the district court did not “alter” anything in its claim construction. Furthermore, as was the case for “activation means,” the corresponding structure for the “selection means” limitation is the entire structure that permits selection of a coupon—and not the minute substructure that enables the last step involved with selection of a coupon. Moreover, the only structure that corresponds to the selection means in the specification is a touch screen. As the specification itself states: Coupons are displayed for customer selection at each dispensing terminal on a video menu via a cathode ray tube and touch screen combination in a fashion which enhances customer acceptance by reducing the time necessary to select and obtain coupons. ’041 patent col. 2, ll. 8-12 (emphasis added). The preferred embodiment likewise identifies a touch screen in discussing the means by which customers can select the coupons that interest them. For example: Customer interface display I includes a conventional cathode ray tube 28 for displaying the video menu of coupons available for selection as well as other video graphics, such as advertisements, in response to signals received from microcomputer 22. Overlaying cathode ray tube 28 is a transparent, touch sensitive screen 30 which includes an array of touch activated switches arranged in a regular array to overlay particular coupons displayed on cathode ray tube 28. In the preferred embodiment, a screen having an array of thirty-two (32) switches such as the Model Number TK120S manufactured by Interaction Systems, Inc. is used. Other 03-1548, -1627 7 commonly available and suitable touch sensitive screens may also be employed. ’041 patent col. 5, ll. 8-21 (emphasis added). No structure other than a “touch screen” or “touch sensitive screen” is identified as a selection means in the specification. And no other structure allows for the “selection” of coupons. Accordingly, the district court’s claim construction of the “selection means” limitation is upheld.