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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on May 15, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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) 1-13, 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Douady-Pleven et. al. (US Patent 2016/0366386 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses an image processing method that processes digital image data containing a plurality of pixel areas, each pixel area comprising a plurality of color channel values each represented by a predetermined number of bits (Bayer scaler 150, Figure 6, [0070]-[0078] captures data from image sensor 112 which includes subpixels 310 composed of blue, red, or green wavelengths of light, [0039], [0092] an image with an 8-bit color channel equates to 256 bits for each color), the method comprising, for each of the plurality of pixel areas: calculating a representative pixel value based on two or more of the plurality of color channel values (R/B matrix scaler 210 determines an intensity value of a scaled red or blue subpixel at a scaled subpixel position according to the values of surrounding red or blue subpixels and the position of the scaled subpixel location, [0041], Figure 15); applying an operator to the representative pixel value to generate a transformed pixel value ([0046], Figure 4, Figure 11); determining a maximum color channel value that is the largest of the color channel values (maximum saturation value, [0084], Figure 8); determining a controlled gain so that: in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is below a threshold value (Figures 13, 14B, transfer function calculations and gain equation shown in paragraph [0145]), the controlled gain is determined based on the transformed pixel value and the representative pixel value, and in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is above the threshold value, the controlled gain is determined such that the maximum color channel value is mapped to a value representable by the predetermined number of bits ([0155], the global tone mapper 180 applies 1525 the gain relative to the previously estimated transfer function to the image.); and applying the controlled gain to at least one of the color channel values in the pixel area (Figure 15, method for global tone mapping).
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Regarding claim 2, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the representative pixel value is a weighted sum of two or more of the color channel values ([0046], Figure 4, which shows calculations for determining the intensity values of the scaled subpixel at a specified position).
Regarding claim 3, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a maximum value expressible by the predetermined number of bits ([0092], the maximum saturation value is the maximum value of the dynamic range supported by an image, saturation point 820, Figure 8, [0088].
Regarding claim 4, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel output value that is above the threshold value, the controlled gain is set to a value that is a ratio of the maximum value representable by the predetermined number of bits divided by the maximum color channel value ([0145], the transfer function is derived from the histogram transfer module 1225 based on specified low threshold and high threshold values, and a new gain is applied after computing the transfer function).
Regarding claim 5, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, comprising determining whether applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is above the threshold value by comparing one of:
a product of the maximum color channel value and the transformed pixel value to a product of the maximum value expressible by the predetermined number of bits and the representative pixel value, and
a product of the maximum color channel value and the transformed pixel value to the representative pixel value in a case that the maximum color channel value is represented as a normalized value ([0145]-[0146], the histogram transfer module 1225 can convert the image with the gain applied back to the sRGB color space by applying the gamma curve to it. These computations are done through multiplication of the gain of the transposed transfer function based on the transfer function computed for the prior frame).
Regarding claim 6, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 5, wherein in a case that one of:
the product of the maximum color channel value and the transformed pixel value is greater than the product of the maximum value expressible by the predetermined number of bits and the representative pixel value, and the product of the maximum color channel value and the transformed pixel value is greater than the representative pixel value, it is determined that applying the gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is above the threshold value (Figure 12, the unsharp mask module 1230 compares the curve of the final gain applied to the image with an ideal exposure curve identified by an evBias parameter in order to determine the actual compression compared to a digital gain. The unsharp mask module 1230 normalizes the gain by a predefined maximum value in both the compression and amplification regions.).
Regarding claim 7, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is lower than the maximum value expressible by the predetermined number of bits ([0144], ThLow, a low threshold value).
Regarding claim 8, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 7, wherein in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel output value that is above the threshold value:
an input value is generated based on the maximum color channel value and a gain determined based on the transformed pixel value, the input value is mapped to an output value, and
the controlled gain is determined based on the output value ([0145], the histogram transfer module 1225 applies a gain based on the transposed transfer function to the color values of the images, Taec is the auto-exposure adjustment curve).
Regarding claim 9, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 8, wherein the input value is generated as a product of the maximum color channel value and a gain calculated based on the transformed pixel value ([0145], new gain calculation function).
Regarding claim 10, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 8, wherein the input value is mapped to the output value using at least one selected from a group of: a linear function, a polynomial curve, Bezier spline, a piecewise linear function, a function represented in a look-up table, and an exponential curve ([0053], equations 1 and 2, where equation 1 is based on the Bezier interpolation of three subpixels, [0133] the auto-exposure correction module 1215 uses a look up table (LUT) that provides corrected output luminance values for input luminance values without clipping highlight information. The LUT is generated based on a tone curve generated by concatenating a linear curve and a Bezier curve, [0134] cubic Bezier curve).
Regarding claim 11, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1 wherein the operator is at least one selected from a group of: a tone mapping operator, and a dehaze operator (Global Tone Mapping, Figure 12, [0128], [0116] temporal noise reduction unit 1010, anti-ghosting unit 1020).
Regarding claim 12, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the pixel area is a single pixel value including red, green and blue color channels and the representative pixel value is a luma value (Figure 4-5, calculations shown for the intensity value of each pixel color, equation 20).
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Regarding claim 13, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the pixel area is one of a two-by-two-pixel area and a three-by-three-pixel area of filter array image data, each pixel in the pixel area including a single value corresponding to one of a red, green and blue color channel value (Figure 4-5, [0061] Gr/Gb matrix scaler, where the solution for the green intensity value sums the eight green subpixels of the 2x2 set).
Regarding claim 15, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein the gain based on the transformed pixel value is determined as a ratio of the transformed pixel value and the representative pixel value ([0145], g(x) = T’(x)/x where T is the transfer function and x is one of R, G, or B channels).
Regarding claim 16, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1, wherein applying the controlled gain comprises applying the controlled gain to each of the color channel values in the pixel area ([0145], where the histogram transfer module 1225 applies a gain based on the transposed transfer function to the color values of the image.).
Regarding claim 17, the rejection analysis of claim 1 of which is incorporated herein. Douady-Pleven et. al. also discloses an image-processing apparatus configured to process digital image data containing a plurality of pixel areas, each pixel area comprising a plurality of color channel values each represented by a predetermined number of bits, the image processing apparatus comprising one or more hardware units configured to, for each of the plurality of pixel areas:
calculate a representative pixel value based on two or more of the plurality of color channel values;
apply an operator to the representative pixel value to generate a transformed pixel value;
determine a maximum color channel value that is the largest of the color channel values;
determine a controlled gain so that:
in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is below a threshold value, the controlled gain is determined based on the transformed pixel value and the representative pixel value, and
in a case that applying a gain based on the transformed pixel value to the maximum color channel value will generate a color channel value that is above the threshold value, the controlled gain is determined such that the maximum color channel value is mapped to a value representable by the predetermined number of bits; and
apply the controlled gain to at least one the color channel values in the pixel area ([0156]-[0158], Figures 1-3, software modules, computer systems with a group of processors).
Regarding claim 18, the rejection analysis of claim 1 of which is incorporated herein. Douady-Pleven et. al. further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, carry out the method steps of claim 1 as analyzed ([0156-0158]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douady-Pleven et. al. (US Patent 20160366386 A1) in view of Hua et. al. (US Patent 2023/0169689 A1).
Regarding claim 14, Douady-Pleven et. al. discloses a method according to claim 1. However, Douady-Pleven et. al. fails to disclose wherein applying the controlled gain to the color channel values in the pixel area comprises interpolating controlled gains determined for adjacent pixel areas to determine interpolated gain values for a plurality of pixels in the pixel area and applying the determined interpolated gain values to the pixels in the pixel area.
Hua et. al. discloses wherein applying the controlled gain to the color channel values in the pixel area comprises interpolating controlled gains determined for adjacent pixel areas to determine interpolated gain values for a plurality of pixels in the pixel area and applying the determined interpolated gain values to the pixels in the pixel area (Hua et. al. [0026] interpolation module 302 estimates color values pixels of the image data, Figure 4). The interpolation of pixel values is a critical process in digital image processing especially when transforming images as with the claimed invention. It involves estimating new pixel values based on the values of existing pixels in the neighboring area of the desired location. The choice of interpolation method will significantly affect the final image quality and types of artifacts that may appear. Thus, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Douady-Pleven et. al. with the teachings of Hua et. al. to include the interpolation of controlled gains in a specified area. This would enhance the final color image quality.
Conclusion
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/JESSICA YIFANG LIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2668 January 8, 2026
/VU LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2668