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 Amendment
Applicant filed a Reply on 08 April 2026 that amended the abstract and claims 6 and 12 thus overcoming the abstract objection and prior 112(b) rejection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08 April have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Pandya discloses using video frame interpolation to increase the frame rate by generating image frame(s) between two given frames and that this fails to teach adjusting a resolution of the target image from the first resolution to the second resolution. Applicant further argues that Pandya “fails to teach whether to adjust any frame’s resolution while the frame rate is adjusted”.
In response, the claims broadly recite adjusting a resolution of a “target image” which encompasses both temporal resolution and spatial resolution. See also [0021] , claim 5of the instant application defining “target image” capture as “based on the first frame rate and the first resolution…this specific photographing mode may include a slow motion photographing (or videoing) mode and wherein slow motion video involves temporal resolution adjustment. Therefore, “target image” clearly encompasses video images and adjusting the resolution of a video (target images) encompasses both adjusting the temporal resolution and/or the spatial resolution. Pandya clearly teaches adjusting the (temporal) resolution of the video (target image) and is well within the broadly recited claim language.
Nevertheless, see the newly cited art the application of which below was necessitated by Applicant’s amendments.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the newly added language directed to memory reservations of claim 1 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-9, and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 7 have been amended to recite “the reserved space is dedicated to storing data used by the image processing model to perform the processing of the target image, thereby reducing an occurrence of data copying of cross-buffer memory”
The unclear language is highlighted in bold font. In short, both the “data copying” and “cross-buffer memory” lack necessary context. Although plural buffers are recited it is not clear what data is being copied, when such data is being copied, or what is meant by the “data copying of [an unnamed] cross-buffer memory.” Moreover, it is unclear if the cross-buffer memory copying involves the plurality of buffer memories introduced in the execution step since there is no cross reference to such buffer memories.
Claims 2-3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11-12 are rejected due to their dependency upon claims 1 or 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-3, 6-9, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2026/0017197 A1), Misu {T. Misu, Y. Matsuo, S. Iwamura and S. Sakaida, "Real-time video coding system for up to 4K 120P videos with spatio-temporal format conversion," 2015 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), Las Vegas, NV, USA, 2015, pp. 52-55, doi: 10.1109/ICCE.2015.7066315.}, and Official Notice.
Claim 1
In regards to claim 1, Lin discloses an image
executing a target application to obtain a target image processed target image(s). See also [0095]-[0099] discussing an image signal processing unit (ISP) executing on video data (target image) and a neural network processor (NPU) also executing a target application (neural network processing of target image (video data)};
during an execution of the target application, selecting a target memory from a plurality of buffer memories according to a usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories and disposing a reserved space in the target memory
{see Figs. 3A-B, 5 illustrating candidate buffer memories and OCM management module 302 with usage decision to select a target memory from among the candidate buffer memories. See Figs. 1-2 for the method of determining target memory buffer according to usage frequency. As to disposing a reserved space, see S103, S203 locking/reserving a cache area within the target memory buffer, [0046], [0060]-[0082]};
processing the target image by an image processing model and the target memory {see above cites including [0046], [0067], [0074]-[0076], [0095]-[0109]
and the reserved space is dedicated to storing data used by the image processing model to perform the processing of the target image, thereby reducing an occurrence of data copying of cross-buffer memory
{see above cites including [0095]-[0109]. As best as can be understood from the unclear claim language regarding reducing an occurrence of data copying of cross-buffer memory Lin’s buffer management prevents cache ping-pong which are instances of data copying of “cross-buffer memories” that are reduced by via the reserved space/locking methodology}; and
controlling a display interface to present the target image
{see above. See also display unit (DPU), [0095] and a specific example of the system executing a rendering engine for processing images for display on the DPU which infers that a highly conventional display interface is to interface between the ISP renderer and the DPU. Moreover, Official Notice is taken that display interfaces are conventional elements which is also tacitly admitted by the instant specification which merely names the conventional element of “display interface 12” without providing any details thereof but instead relying on a person of ordinary skill in the art who would immediately recognize a display interface as conventional technology that need not be describe in detail.};
Lin discloses a buffer memory management method that selects a target memory
from a plurality of buffer memories according to a usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories and disposes a reserved space in the target memory dedicated to storing data used by an image processing model but does not mention highly conventional image resolution adjustment as the type of image processing being implemented by the system.
Jeong is analogous art from the same field of image resolution conversion/adaptation. See title, abstract and cites below.
Jeong is one of a host of references demonstrating the highly conventional nature of image resolution adjustment methods that adjust a resolution of the target image from the first resolution to a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution and control a display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate {see the reception/decoder side of the video coding system in which the target image (decoded video images) are up-sampled to 4k 120P. See abstract including real-time spatio-temporal format converter with single-/multi-frame super resolution up-samplers. See also Section I Introduction discussing 8K video commencing in Japan nearly a decade ago which requires CODECs and both spatial and temporal resolution adaptations necessary to drive 8k display devices (7680 x 4320 pixels at 120 progressive frames per second). See also section IIB, Fig. 4 spatial up-sampling from 2k 60P to 4k 60P followed by interpolation of frames for adjusting temporal image resolution}.
It 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 to have modified Lin which already discloses a buffer memory management method that selects a target memory from a plurality of buffer memories according to a usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories and disposes a reserved space in the target memory dedicated to storing data used by an generalized image processing model such that the image processing model executes highly conventional image resolution adjustment including conventional steps such as adjusting a resolution of the target image from the first resolution to a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution as taught by Misu and controlling a display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate as taught by Misu and Official Notice because such spatial (and temporal) resolution conversions are highly useful and advantageous for decoding video into high definition formats for newer television standards such as 4k and 8k, because there is a reasonable expectation of success and/or because doing so merely combines prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Claims 2 and 3
Lin discloses wherein during the execution of the target application, the step of selecting the target memory from the plurality of buffer memories according to the usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories comprises:
(claim 2) comparing the usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories during the execution of the target application; and selecting the target memory from the plurality of buffer memories according to a comparison result {Fig. 3B, usage decision compares frequency of use of candidate buffers and selects the one with the highest usage rate/frequency, Fig. 1, S102, [0021]-[0025], [0030], S113, [0037], S123, [0050]-[0051], [0055]-[0058], Fig. 2, S202, [[0110], [0115]-;
(claim 3) wherein the target memory is a buffer memory with a highest usage rate in the plurality of buffer memories during the execution of the target application {see above cites}.
Claims 6
In regards to claim 6, Lin is not relied upon to disclose but Misu teaches wherein the first frame rate reaches at least 120 frames per second, and the second resolution is at least 1920x1080 pixels for one image
Claims 7-9 and 12
The rejection of method claims 1-3 and 6 above applies mutatis mutandis to the corresponding limitations of device claim 7-9 and 12 while noting that the rejection above cites to both device and method disclosures. Further as to the image capturing interface, processor and display interface see above cites including inputting video from video cameras for image processing and output on a display.
Claims 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, Misu and Official Notice as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of
Pandya {K. Pandya, D. Varshney, A. Aggarwal and A. Singh Parihar, "An Analytical Study of CNN-based Video Frame Interpolation Techniques," 2020 4th International Conference on Intelligent Computing and Control Systems (ICICCS), Madurai, India, 2020, pp. 1124-1131, doi: 10.1109/ICICCS48265.2020.9120989}.
Claims 5 and 11
In regards to claims 5 and 11, Lin discloses wherein the step of controlling the display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate comprises:
Pandya is analogous art form the same field of image resolution adjustment. See title, abstract, Introduction, Figs. 2, 4, 6 Section II, Kernel based methods, pgs. 1126-1127 discussing CNN-based video frame interpolation (target application) to convert a low frame rate video, generate slow-motion video using a less expensive video camera that records at a lower frame rate by upscaling (increasing resolution) using VFI (video frame interpolation) using a machine learning CNN model.
Pandya also teaches in a slow motion playing mode, controlling the display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate {see title, abstract, Introduction, Figs. 2, 4, 6 Section II, Kernel based methods, pgs. 1126-1127 discussing CNN-based video frame interpolation (target application) to convert a low frame rate video, generate slow-motion video using a less expensive video camera that records at a lower frame rate by upscaling (increasing resolution) using VFI (video frame interpolation) using a machine learning CNN model}.
It 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 to have modified Lin which already discloses a buffer memory management method that selects a target memory from a plurality of buffer memories according to a usage rate of each of the plurality of buffer memories and disposes a reserved space in the target memory dedicated to storing data used by an generalized image processing model such that the image processing model executes highly conventional image resolution adjustment including conventional steps such as adjusting a resolution of the target image from the first resolution to a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution as taught by Misu and controlling a display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate as taught by Misu and Official Notice and such that in a slow motion playing mode, the method controls the display interface to present the target image with the second resolution based on the first frame rate as taught by Pandya because such spatial (and temporal) resolution conversions are highly useful and advantageous for decoding video into high definition formats for newer television standards such as 4k and 8k, because enabling slow motion video is advantageous particularly for some content such as sports, because there is a reasonable expectation of success and/or because doing so merely combines prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WO 2021189203 A1 discloses determining a hot spot cache memory buffer based on the highest access frequency.
CN 101388110 A employs highest usage frequency to determine data cache space.
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.
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/MICHAEL ROBERT CAMMARATA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2667
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