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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Response to Office Action mailed 12 June 2025, filed 27 August 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6 and 8-20 under 35 USC §102 and §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Clucas et al. (US 2021/0297681 A1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, and 10-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ando (US 2021/0014530 A1) in view of Clucas et al. (US 2021/0297681 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Ando discloses an information processing method and device comprising: a memory storing a program, and at least one processor configured to execute the program to perform operations comprising: generating reconstruction information that corresponds to a reconstructed image obtained by reconstructing a RAW [Ando: ¶ [0206]: FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of encoding process steps by the encoder 400. The encoder 400 receives input of the RAW image data 100 (step S1801), and uses the first generation unit 401 to separate the pixel groups of the RAW image data 100 for each color component and generate a component frame for each color component (step S1802)] image by using a parameter and identifies a value of the parameter [Ando: ¶ [0203]: The header information 1701 includes image format information 1711 and control information 1712], the RAW image being outputted from a sensor for detecting incident light in each pixel of a pixel array [Ando: ¶ [0060]: The image capture element 353 may be a sequential scanning type solid-state image sensor (such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor), or may be an X-Y addressing type solid-state image capture element (such as a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor); and ¶ [0063]: The RAW image data 100 outputted from the signal processing circuit 354 is inputted to the LSI 304 or a storage device 302]; and transmitting the reconstruction information [Ando: ¶ [0063]: A communication I/F 306 connects to an external device via the network and transmits/receives data].
Ando may not explicitly disclose the parameter includes a scene identifier.
However, Clucas discloses a parameter including a scene identifier [used for processing RAW image data] [Clucas: ¶ [0087]: Supplemental enhancement information (SEI) payloads typically contain data such as picture timing information. An example of the use of SEI is to carry scene information such as to label pictures with scene identifiers or to indicate scene changes or specify scene transmission].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the scene identifier SEI information of Clucas with the image processing of Ando in order to improve scene change processing and transition.
Regarding Claim 2, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the reconstruction information includes information about a correlation between the reconstructed image and identification information about the value of the parameter [Ando: ¶ [0204]: The image format information 1711 includes the size of the component frame prior to encoding, the size of the encoded component frame 1700, identification information specifying the pattern of the color array 101, and the pixel count of the component frame. The control information 1712 includes the type of encoded component frame 1700 (any one of I-picture, P-picture, B-picture), identification information for the reference component frame, and a reference pattern used for the pixel position compensation prediction shown in FIGS. 9 to 16. The encoded data array 1702 is a data array in which the component frame is encoded].
Regarding Claim 3, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the reconstruction information includes information about a correlation between the reconstructed image and the value of the parameter [Ando: ¶ [0204]].
Regarding Claim 4, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the parameter includes an optical property parameter for an optical property of the incident light detected by the sensor [Ando: ¶ [0226]: Thus, according to Embodiment 1, by performing inter-component-frame prediction of the RAW image data 100 by relying on the property that the hue and the chroma result in a higher degree of correlation among component frames, it is possible to improve encoding efficiency for the RAW image data 100 in which there is a high degree of correlation among the component frames].
Regarding Claim 5, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 4, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the optical property parameter includes a parameter for a transmission wavelength characteristic that is a wavelength characteristic of the incident light [Ando: ¶ [0231]: (A) The encoder 400 generates a component frame for each color component from the WB-adjusted RAW image data 2200. Specifically, for example, the encoder 400 generates G1 image data 2211 that is a color component frame for green (G1), G2 image data 2212 that is a color component frame for green (G2), B image data 2213 that is a color component frame for blue (B), and R image data 2214 that is a color component frame for red (R)].
Regarding Claim 8, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein operations further comprise: transmitting SEI (Supplemental Enhancement Information) of encoded data of the reconstructed image while the reconstruction information is stored in the SEI [Ando: ¶ [0082]: Here, known examples of the encoding method for pixel position compensation prediction include AVC (Advanced Video Coding) as defined in ISO/IEC 14496-10].
Regarding Claim 10, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein operations further comprise: generating the reconstruction information in each frame [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
Regarding Claim 11, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein operations further comprise: generating the reconstruction information in a frame where a method of reconstruction is changed, as information to be applied to frames from the current frame to the frame preceding the frame where the method of reconstruction is to be subsequently changed [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
Regarding Claim 12, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the operations further comprise: reconstructing the RAW image in each frame according to a predetermined method shared among all of the frames and generates the reconstructed image [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
Regarding Claim 13, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses wherein the operations further comprise: reconstructing the RAW image in each frame according to any method and generates the reconstructed image [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
Regarding Claim 14, Ando in view of Clucas discloses all the limitations of Claim 1, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas discloses further comprising an encoding unit that encodes the reconstruction information and generates encoded data, wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the encoded data of the reconstruction information [Ando: ¶ [0063]].
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ando in view of Clucas as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Masuda et al. (US 2016/0269694 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Ando in view of Clucas disclose(s) all the limitations of Claim 4, and is/are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Ando in view of Clucas may not explicitly disclose wherein the optical property parameter includes a parameter for a polarizing angle characteristic of the incident light.
However, Masuda discloses wherein the optical property parameter includes a parameter for a polarizing angle characteristic of the incident light [Masuda: ¶ [0028]: The signal processing unit 150 processes the image signal S and generates a polarization RAW image. The polarization RAW image is the image that includes pixels of different polarization angles].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the image processing of Ando in view of Clucas with the polarizing angle property processing of Masuda in order to provide improved information, improving accuracy and user experience.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ando in view of Clucas as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Joo (US 2015/0023342 A1).
Regarding Claim 9, Ando in view of Clucas disclose(s) all the limitations of Claim 1, and is/are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Ando in view of Clucas may not explicitly disclose wherein the reconstruction information generating unit generates the reconstruction information in a first frame as information to be applied to all frames.
However, Joo discloses wherein the operations further comprise: generating the reconstruction information in a first frame as information to be applied to all frames [Joo: ¶ [0110]: The first frame filtering that is applied to all frames is for checking the type of peer group service. All received frames are filtered and a frame that is wrong (not matched) type may be discarded].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the image processing of Ando with the filtering of Joo in order to provide less computational load for error detection and discarding.
Claim(s) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ando (US 2021/0014530 A1) in view of Clucas et al. (US 2021/0297681 A1) and Le Floch et al. (US 2010/0128791 A1).
Regarding Claims 16 and 20, Ando discloses a method and an information processing device comprising: a memory storing a program, and at least one processor configured to execute the program to perform operations comprising: receiving reconstruction information that corresponds to a reconstructed image obtained by reconstructing a RAW image by using a parameter and identifying a value of the parameter, the RAW image being outputted from a sensor for detecting incident light in each pixel of a pixel array, [Ando: ¶ [0060]-[0063]; and ¶ [0203]-[0206]].
Ando may not explicitly disclose the parameter including a scene identifier; and concealing a transmission error of the reconstructed image on a basis of the reconstruction information.
However, Le Floch discloses concealing a transmission error of the reconstructed image on a basis of the reconstruction information [Le Floch: ¶ [0003]: In the present case, the error concealment module 110 is located at the decoder. This error concealment module 110 uses the non-erroneous information (spatial and/or temporal) available at the decoder to reconstruct the damaged regions. After concealment, the reconstructed video 111 is available for being displayed or stored. The quality of the reconstructed video 111 depends greatly on the reconstruction methods used in the error concealment module 110].
La Floch may not explicitly disclose the parameter including a scene identifier.
However, Clucas discloses the parameter including a scene identifier [Clucas: ¶ [0087]].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the image processing of Ando with the error concealment based on reconstructed information of Le Floch in order to reduce perceivable errors, improving user experience as well as the scene identifier SEI information of Clucas with the image processing of Ando in order to improve scene change processing and transition.
Regarding Claim 17, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses all the limitations of Claim 16, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses wherein the operations further comprise: concealing the transmission error of the reconstructed image to be processed [Le Floch: ¶ [0003]], by using the reconstructed image a same parameter value as the reconstructed image to be processed, in a frame preceding a processed frame [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
Regarding Claim 18, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses all the limitations of Claim 16, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses wherein the operations further comprise: concealing the transmission error of the reconstructed image on a basis of a last reconstruction information received [Le Floch: ¶ [0003]].
Regarding Claim 19, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses all the limitations of Claim 16, and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Furthermore, Ando in view of Clucas and Le Floch discloses the operations further comprising: receiving encoded data of the reconstruction information, and decoding the encoded data and generate the reconstruction information [Ando: FIG. 27-28; and ¶ [0260]-[0276]].
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 JONATHAN R MESSMORE whose telephone number is (571)272-2773. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5 EST/EDT.
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/JONATHAN R MESSMORE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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