How is the “same field of endeavor” determined for analogous art?

When determining whether a reference is in the “same field of endeavor” as the claimed invention, examiners should consider: Explanations of the invention’s subject matter in the patent application The embodiments, function, and structure of the claimed invention The MPEP states: “When determining whether the ‘relevant field of endeavor’ test is met, the examiner should…

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How does analogous art differ in chemical, mechanical, and electrical arts?

The MPEP provides examples of how analogous art is determined in different technical fields: Chemical Arts: References concerned with absorbing biologically active materials on carriers may be analogous across different applications (e.g., food preservatives and dye penetrants). Mechanical Arts: A broader spectrum of prior art may be explored, and references from different areas may be…

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