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Functional claim language—which defines an invention by
what it does rather than what it is—can be a powerful claim
drafting tool when used carefully. For example, functional language
may be advantageous for computer-implemented inventions that are
characterized with reference to logical components instead of
physical hardware. 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) (formerly §
112¶ 6) expressly permits the use of functional claiming and
is traditionally invoked by the phrase "means for"
followed by a functional modifier. But even when the term
"means" is not used, other terms that are not understood