DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/5/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 6, and 17 are amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by NAKAO (US 20210021757 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakao discloses an apparatus (figs. 7-9, 14) comprising:
at least one memory (702/703, fig. 14); and
at least one processor (701, fig. 14) coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the apparatus to (¶0120-0121):
receive a first image having first image data from a first camera (image received from camera 201-1, fig. 7, ¶0065);
receive a second image having second image data from a second camera (image received from camera 201-2, fig. 7, ¶0065);
determine an image-quality modification to be applied to the first image based at least partly in part on a comparison of image-quality characteristics of the first image data with one or more image-quality characteristics of the second image data (The camera image quality adjustment system 200 is a system for adjusting image qualities of developed images output from the cameras 201-1, 201-2, and 201-3 to be close to each other. With this system, an image quality of a captured image captured by a camera can be adjusted to be close to a predetermined image quality. – ¶0065. Also see ¶0066
Then, for each camera, on the basis of the plurality of pieces of developed image data for image quality evaluation, the image quality evaluation system 202 evaluates each of color reproducibility, resolution, noise feeling, and the like to obtain image quality evaluation value groups e1, e2, and e3. – ¶0075), and
initiate application of the image-quality modification to the first image to produce a modified first image having one or more image-quality characteristics that correspond to one or more image-quality characteristics of the second image (The image quality difference index Q is supplied to the image quality parameter automatic tuning system 204. Furthermore, the image quality parameter automatic tuning system 204 is also supplied with the image quality parameter groups P1, P2, and P3 of the corresponding cameras. The image quality parameter automatic tuning system 204 calculates next image quality parameter groups P1′, P2′, and P3′ on the basis of P1, P2, P3, and Q. The image quality parameter automatic tuning system 204 repeats this processing to derive image quality parameters P1, P2, and P3 that optimize the image quality difference index Q under a constraint condition L that ensures a certain image quality. Note that the image quality parameter automatic tuning system 204 may reference past P and Q. – ¶0078. Also see ¶006-0068).
Regarding claim 2, Nakao discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first image data comprises a first camera parameter (¶0075, ¶0078, block 204, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 3, Nakao discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine the modification by determining a second camera parameter for the second camera based at least in part on the first camera parameter (¶0075, ¶0078, block 204, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 4, Nakao discloses the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second camera parameter is configured to cause the second camera to produce a second image having a second image quality similar to a first image quality of a first image produced by the first camera (The camera image quality adjustment system 200 is a system for adjusting image qualities of developed images output from the cameras 201-1, 201-2, and 201-3 to be close to each other. With this system, an image quality of a captured image captured by a camera can be adjusted to be close to a predetermined image quality. – ¶0065. Also see ¶0067-0068, ¶0080).
Regarding claim 5, Nakao discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first camera parameter comprises an ambient light level, ambient color temperature, a resolution, an aperture, a gain level, an exposure time or shutter speed, an exposure compensation, a field of view, a zoom level, or a combination thereof (Image quality parameters (development parameters) are used for processing in processing blocks, and affect color reproducibility, resolution, noise feeling, and the like of developed image data, and change an image quality of the developed image data. – ¶0046. Also see ¶0070).
Regarding method claim(s) 6-9, 11 although wording is different, the material is considered substantively equivalent to the 1-5 claim(s) as described above.
Regarding claim 10, Nakao discloses the method of claim 9, wherein initiating the modification comprises transmitting the second camera parameter to the second camera (¶0078).
Regarding claim 12, Nakao discloses the method of claim 6, wherein determining the modification comprises using a trained model to determine the modification (The image quality parameter automatic tuning system 104 may use a neural network, deep learning, or the like. – ¶0053).
Regarding claim 13, Nakao discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the modification is configured to cause a first image quality of the first camera to be similar to a second image quality of the second camera (The camera image quality adjustment system 200 is a system for adjusting image qualities of developed images output from the cameras 201-1, 201-2, and 201-3 to be close to each other. With this system, an image quality of a captured image captured by a camera can be adjusted to be close to a predetermined image quality. – ¶0065. Also see ¶0067-0068, ¶0080).
Regarding claim 14, Nakao discloses the method of claim 6, wherein determining the modification comprises comparing a first image of the first camera to a second image of the second camera (The camera image quality adjustment system 200 is a system for adjusting image qualities of developed images output from the cameras 201-1, 201-2, and 201-3 to be close to each other. With this system, an image quality of a captured image captured by a camera can be adjusted to be close to a predetermined image quality. – ¶0065. Also see ¶0067-0068, ¶0080).
Regarding claim 15, Nakao discloses the method of claim 14, wherein implementing the modification comprises processing the first image, the second image, or a combination thereof to cause a first image quality of the first image to be similar to a second image quality of the second image (The camera image quality adjustment system 200 is a system for adjusting image qualities of developed images output from the cameras 201-1, 201-2, and 201-3 to be close to each other. With this system, an image quality of a captured image captured by a camera can be adjusted to be close to a predetermined image quality. – ¶0065. Also see ¶0067-0068, ¶0080).
Regarding claim 16, Nakao discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the modification is performed by the at least one processor (¶0120-0124, fig. 14, ¶0141, 0154).
Regarding claim 17, Nakao discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the modification is performed by a remote system (client server model to determine image quality and adjustment thereof from multiple camera streams is possible, fig. 11-13, ¶0094-0119).
Regarding claim 18, Nakao discloses a processor (CPU 701, ¶0120-0124, fig. 14), comprising:
at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to (¶0120-0124):
receive a first image having first image data from a first camera;
receive a second image having second image data from a second camera;
determine an image-quality modification to be applied to the first image based at least partly in part on a comparison of image-quality characteristics of the first image data with one or more image-quality characteristics of
the second image data; and
initiate application of the image-quality modification to the first image to produce a modified first image having one or more image-quality characteristics that correspond to one or more image-quality characteristics of the second image (see substantively similar claim 1 rejection above).
Regarding claim(s) 19-20, although wording is different, the material is considered substantively equivalent to the claim(s) 1, and 5 as described above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAHBAZ NAZRUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1467. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 9.30 am-3 pm, 6.30 pm-9 pm, F: 9.30 am-1.30 pm, 4 pm-8 pm.
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/SHAHBAZ NAZRUL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638