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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/7/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1, 2 and 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al., United States Patent Publication 20220166916 (hereinafter “Park”).
Claim 1:
Park discloses:
An imaging system comprising:
an imaging unit that is configured to generate two captured images by performing an imaging operation at a set shutter speed at mutually different imaging timings (see paragraph [0069]). Park teaches generating two captured images at the same shutter speed at different times;
an image processing unit that is configured to generate a differential image of the two captured images (see paragraph[0068]). Park teaches generating a differential image of the two images.
a first generator that calculates, in each of a plurality of image regions divided in the differential image, a number of pixels having a pixel value higher than a predetermined value among a plurality of pixels in the image region, and is thereby configured to generate map data indicating a result of such calculation (see paragraph [0068] and [0069]). Park teaches calculating a number of pixel values from the images and generating a mapping based on the calculation of the pixel values;
a storage unit that is configured to store a learning model to which shutter data indicating the shutter speed, captured image data representing one of the two captured images, and the map data are inputted and from which image data corresponding to the captured image data is outputted (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches storing a learning model to which the frame rate, shutter speed, images are input into the model and the mapping data is output; and
a calculation unit that is configured to generate the image data using the learning model, on a basis of the shutter data, the captured image data, and the map data (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches generating image data based on the output of the model.
Claim 2:
Park discloses:
wherein the imaging unit is configured to generate the two captured images by performing the imaging operation at predetermined time intervals (see paragraph [0069]). Park teaches generating two captured images at predetermined time intervals,
imaging interval data indicating the predetermined time intervals is further inputted to the learning model (see paragraphs [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches the images and the times of the images are input into the learning model, and
the calculation unit is configured to generate the image data using the learning model, on a basis of the shutter data, the imaging interval data, the captured image data, and the map data (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches storing a learning model to which the frame rate, shutter speed, images are input into the model and the mapping data is output.
Claim 4:
Park discloses:
wherein the imaging unit is configured to generate a first captured image by performing the imaging operation at a first imaging timing, is configured to generate a second captured image by performing the imaging operation at a second imaging timing that is after the first imaging timing, and is configured to generate a third captured image by performing the imaging operation at a third imaging timing that is after the first imaging timing (see paragraph [0068]-[0070]). Park teaches performing an operation to capture adjacent images at different times, and
the image processing unit is configured to select, as the two captured images, the second captured image and the third captured image or the first captured image and the third captured image, and is configured to generate the differential image of the selected two captured images (see paragraph [0068]-[0070]). Park teaches selecting two adjacent images of the plurality of images to generate the differential image.
Claim 5:
Park discloses:
wherein an image represented by the image data comprises an image corrected on a basis of an image represented by the captured image data (see paragraph [0073]). Park teaches the image is correct based on the captured images by determining new parameters to correct the image.
Claim 6:
Park discloses:
A processing device comprising:
a first generator that calculates, in each of a plurality of image regions divided in a differential image of two captured images, a number of pixels having a pixel value higher than a predetermined value among a plurality of pixels in the image region, and is thereby configured to generate map data indicating a result of such calculation, the two captured images being generated by performing an imaging operation at a set shutter speed at mutually different imaging timings (see paragraph [0068] and [0069]). Park teaches calculating a number of pixel values from the images and generating a mapping based on the calculation of the pixel values;
a storage unit that is configured to store a learning model to which shutter data indicating the shutter speed, captured image data representing one of the two captured images, and the map data are inputted and from which image data corresponding to the captured image data is outputted (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches storing a learning model to which the frame rate, shutter speed, images are input into the model and the mapping data is output; and
a calculation unit that is configured to generate the image data using the learning model, on a basis of the shutter data, the captured image data, and the map data (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches generating image data based on the output of the model.
Claim 7:
Park discloses:
A machine learning device comprising:
a data acquisition unit that is configured to acquire captured image data, differential image data, and shutter data, the captured image data representing one of two captured images generated by performing an imaging operation at a set shutter speed at mutually different imaging timings, the differential image data representing a differential image of the two captured images, and the shutter data indicating the shutter speed (see paragraph [0068] and [0069]). Park teaches calculating a number of pixel values from the images and generating a mapping based on the calculation of the pixel values;
a teacher data acquisition unit that is configured to acquire image data corresponding to the captured image data (see paragraph [0069]). Park teaches generating two captured images at predetermined time intervals;
a second generator that calculates, in each of a plurality of image regions divided in the differential image, a number of pixels having a pixel value higher than a predetermined value among a plurality of pixels in the image region, on a basis of the differential image data, and is thereby configured to generate map data indicating a result of such calculation (see paragraph [0068] and [0069]). Park teaches calculating a number of pixel values from the images and generating a mapping based on the calculation of the pixel values; and
a learning processing unit that is configured to generate a learning model to which the shutter data, the captured image data, and the map data are inputted and from which the image data is outputted, by performing machine learning processing using the shutter data, the captured image data, the map data, and the image data (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches storing a learning model to which the frame rate, shutter speed, images are input into the model and the mapping data is output.
Claim 8:
Park discloses:
wherein the two captured images are generated by performing the imaging operation at the predetermined time intervals (see paragraph [0069]). Park teaches generating two captured images at predetermined time intervals,
imaging interval data indicating the predetermined time intervals is further inputted to the learning model, and (see paragraphs [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches the images and the times of the images are input into the learning model, and
the learning processing unit is configured to generate the learning model by
performing the machine learning processing using the shutter data, the imaging interval data, the captured image data, the map data, and the image data (see paragraph [0071]-[0073]). Park teaches storing a learning model to which the frame rate, shutter speed, images are input into the model and the mapping data is output.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park, in view of Hagiwara, United States Patent Publication 20210312596.
Claim 3:
Park fails to expressly disclose processing the image to reduce the blur.
Hagiwara discloses:
wherein the imaging unit is configured to generate the two captured images by performing processing to reduce image blur (see paragraph [0005] and [0229]). Hagiwara teaches performing blur reduction on two captured images.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed by Park to include removing blur from images for the purpose of efficiently reducing noise in images, as taught by Hagiwara.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIONNA M BURKE whose telephone number is (571)270-7259. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-4p.
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/TIONNA M BURKE/Examiner, Art Unit 2178 3/21/26
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