Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 and 19-28 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.
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 .
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9, 19-26, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yadav (US Patent Pub. # 2021/0067749) in view of Niemi (US Patent Pub. # 2014/0184852).
As to claim 19, Yadav discloses a terminal device, comprising:
a memory (memory 620)(Para 75),
a processor (processor 630)(Para 76-83), and
a lossless photographing program (lossless image quality) stored on the memory (620) and operable on the processor (630), wherein the lossless photographing program, when executed by the processor (630), implements operations comprising:
obtaining a zoom multiple instruction (zoom level) of a camera sensor in a current photographing state (first zoom-level criteria) in response to a photographing instruction being detected;
determining (S720) whether a zoom multiple (zoom level) corresponding to the zoom multiple instruction is greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x) (Para 86;
switching (switch) an image output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode) to the second mode (ex. remosaic mode)) in response to the zoom multiple (zoom level) being greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x) (Para 92 and 93);
regaining and sending a photographing frame image (actual sensor data) for an image signal processing (image processor 660)in the switched image output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode) to the (second mode (ex. remosaic mode)) (Para 93-95); and
obtaining and outputting the processed image to finish photographing (16 MP image data) (Para 69-71).
Yadav does not teach setting a buffer queue used for storing photographing frame images of the camera sensor; storing the photographing frame images acquired by the camera sensor into the buffer queue; obtaining the photographing frame images from the buffer queue in a Binning output mode; wherein the buffer queue is configured to store a plurality of latest photographing frame images when a user is performing image preview and has not yet pressed a photographing button, and old photographing frame images are continuously deleted and latest photographing frame images are added during the preview process: and wherein when the user presses the photographing button, directly obtaining the latest photographing frame image from the buffer queue or selecting an optimal image by an algorithm for output. Niemi teaches setting a buffer queue (storage buffer) used for storing photographing frame images (image data) of the camera sensor (image capturing device 102) (Para 70); storing the photographing frame images (image data) acquired by the camera sensor (102) into the buffer queue (storage buffer) (Para 70); obtaining the photographing frame images (image data) from the buffer queue (storage buffer) in a Binning output mode (sequence of images of lower than the maximum quality and/or resolution) (Para 71); wherein the buffer queue (storage buffer) is configured to store a plurality of latest photographing frame images (image data) when a user is performing image preview (sequence of images) and has not yet pressed a photographing button (image capturing command is detected by the camera 100 (box 210)), and old photographing frame images (oldest recorded image) are continuously deleted and latest photographing frame images are added during the preview process (Para 70, 95, and 127); and wherein when the user presses the photographing button (image capturing command is detected by the camera 100 (box 210)), directly obtaining the latest photographing frame image (image data) from the buffer queue (storage buffer) or selecting an optimal image by an algorithm for output (analyze the captured images using a set of criteria in order to automatically determine or single out one or more of the images captured in box 212 (box 216)) (Para 128). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a storage buffer as taught by Niemi to the electronic device of Yadav, to provide a method resulting in fewer lost photo opportunities (Para 4 of Niemi).
As to claim 21, Yadav teaches wherein the operations further comprise: before the obtaining of the zoom multiple instruction (zoom level), presetting two image output modes including the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)) and a Crop output mode on the camera sensor; obtaining a photographing frame image in the Crop output mode (second mode (ex. remosaic mode)) in response to a zoom multiple (1x, 2x, or 8x) in a photographing state being greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x); obtaining the photographing frame image in the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode) in response to the zoom multiple in the photographing state being less than 2 (1x); and previewing the image using the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode) in response to the mobile terminal being in a photographing preview state (Para 92).
As to claim 22, Yadav teaches wherein the determining whether the zoom multiple (zoom level) corresponding to the current zoom multiple instruction (zoom level) is greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x) comprises: obtaining a zoom multiple (zoom level) of the zoom multiple instruction (zoom level) in the photographing state; and determining whether the zoom multiple is greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x) (Para 93-95).
As to claim 23, Yadav teaches wherein the switching of the image output mode comprises: in response to the zoom multiple (zoom level) being greater than or equal to 2 (2x or 8x), switching the image output mode from a Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)) to a Crop output mode (second mode (ex. remosaic mode)) to rewrite a register of the camera sensor (configuring the first QCFA sensor) to switch from the first mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)) to the second mode (second mode (ex. remosaic mode)); and in response to the zoom multiple being less than 2 (1x), maintaining the image output mode to be the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)) (Para 86).
As to claim 24, Yadav teaches wherein the regaining and sending the photographing frame image comprise: waiting for rewriting of a register of the camera sensor (configuring the first QCFA sensor) to be completed; regaining the photographing frame image in the Crop output mode (second mode (ex. remosaic mode)); and sending the regained photographing frame image for the image signal processing and switching the image output mode back to the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)) to rewrite the register(configuring the first QCFA sensor) (Para 86 and 98).
As to claim 25, Yadav teaches wherein the operations further comprise: after the switching of the image output mode, obtaining a photographing frame image in the Binning output mode (first mode (ex. binning mode)); and sending the obtained photographing frame image for the image signal processing (image processor 660) (Para 64 and 65).
As to claim 26, Yadav teaches wherein the obtaining and outputting the processed image comprise: obtaining the processed image (output of 660); and storing the processed image in a storage space (620) (Para 75).
As to claim 28, Yadav teaches wherein the operations further comprise: before the obtaining of the zoom multiple instruction, receiving a zoom multiple adjustment (zoom level) operation input by a user (user); and adjusting the zoom multiple (zoom level) of the camera based on the zoom multiple adjustment operation (zoom level) (Para 91).
As to claims 1 and 20, these claims differ from claim 19 only in that the claim 19 is a terminal device claim whereas claim 1 is a lossless photographing method claim and claim 20 is a computer readable storage medium claim. Thus claims 1 and 20 are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to claim 19 above.
As to claims 2-7 and 9, these claims differ from claims 21-26 and 28 only in that claims 21-26 and 28 depend on claim 19 whereas claims 2-7 and 9 depend on claim 1. Thus claims 2-7 and 9 are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to claims 21-26 and 28 above.
As to claim 10, Niemi teaches further comprising: before obtaining the photographing frame image (image data) in the Binning output mode (sequence of images of lower than the maximum quality and/or resolution), providing a buffer queue (storage buffer) for storing photographing frame images (image data) of the camera sensor (102); and storing the photographing frame image (image data) obtained by the camera sensor in the buffer queue (storage buffer); the obtaining the photographing frame image (image data) in the Binning output mode (sequence of images of lower than the maximum quality and/or resolution) comprises: obtaining the photographing frame image (image data) from the buffer queue (storage buffer) in the Binning output mode (sequence of images of lower than the maximum quality and/or resolution) (Para 70 and 71).
Claims 8 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yadav (US Patent Pub. # 2021/0067749) in view of Niemi (US Patent Pub. # 2014/0184852) and further in view of Bylenok (US Patent Pub. # 2020/0104021).
As to claim 27, note the discussion above in regards to claim 19. Yadav in view of Niemi do not teach a physical button for photographing in the mobile terminal is pressed or when it is detected that a photographing button under the touch screen in a photographing application of the mobile terminal is pressed. Bylenok (Fig. 1) teaches a physical button (physical/mechanical control such as a knob or a button) for photographing in the mobile terminal is pressed or when it is detected that a photographing button under the touch screen (touch-sensitive display or a touch-sensitive surface) in a photographing application (digital camera application) of the mobile terminal (device 100) is pressed (Para 37, 40, and 41). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a physical/mechanical control or touch-sensitive surface as taught by Bylenok to the electronic device of Yadav in view of Niemi, to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction with such devices (Para 15 of Bylenok).
As to claim 8, this claim differs from claim 27 only in that claim 27 depends on claim 19 whereas claim 8 depends on claim 1. Thus claim 8 is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to claim 27 above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER K PETERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1704. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7AM-4PM.
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/CHRISTOPHER K PETERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637 3/20/2026