Ex Parte PronkineDownload PDFBoard of Patent Appeals and InterferencesOct 14, 200409460930 (B.P.A.I. Oct. 14, 2004) Copy Citation The opinion in support of the decision being entered today was not written for publication and is not binding precedent of the Board. Paper No. 13 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE _____________ BEFORE THE BOARD OF PATENT APPEALS AND INTERFERENCES _____________ Ex parte VIATCHESLAV PRONKINE _____________ Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 ______________ ON BRIEF _______________ Before KRASS, OWENS, and SAADAT, Administrative Patent Judges. OWENS, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL This appeal is from the final rejection of claims 1-9, which are all of the claims in the application. THE INVENTION The appellant claims a method and apparatus for filtering decoded data by deriving filter coefficients based on run-length codes of each of a first encoded picture block and a neighboring encoded picture block, and using those filter coefficients for filtering decoded picture data of the first and neighboring Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 2 picture blocks. Claim 1, which claims the method, is illustrative: 1. A method of improving the visual perception of a picture, the picture being derived from a decoded picture signal comprised of blocks of quantized coefficient data produced by encoding an input picture signal, the method comprising: decoding first picture data representing a first encoded picture block being of an n x m sized group of pixels and decoding neighboring picture data representing a neighboring encoded picture block being of an n x m sized group of pixels; obtaining the run-length codes of each of the first encoded picture block and the neighboring encoded picture block; deriving filter coefficients based on the run-length codes of each of the first encoded picture block and the neighboring encoded picture block; providing the filter coefficients, the decoded first picture data and the neighboring picture data to an adaptive filter for filtering the decoded picture data of the first and neighboring picture blocks; filtering the decoded picture data of the first and neighboring picture blocks; and producing an outputted filtered picture signal. THE REFERENCE Moronaga et al. (Moronaga) 5,229,864 Jul. 20, 1993 Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 3 THE REJECTIONS The claims stand rejected as follows: claims 1-7 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Moronaga, and claim 8 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as obvious over Moronaga. OPINION We reverse the aforementioned rejections. The appellant’s independent claims, i.e., claims 1 and 5, require deriving filter coefficients based on run-length codes of a first encoded picture block and a neighboring encoded picture block. The examiner argues that “[f]ig. 2 of Moronaga ‘864 shows the output (50), which is a run-length code, being inputted to input terminal 10 (fig. 1)” (answer, page 5). Output terminal (50) in Moronaga’s figure 2 is from Huffman coding section 48 (col. 3, lines 51-58). Hence, that figure does not disclose run-length coding. The examiner argues that Moronaga discloses “obtaining the run-length codes of each of the first and neighboring encoded picture block (i.e.[,] fig. 2, col. 3, lines 36+)” (answer, page 3), and that Moronaga’s “filter coefficient select (26) derives filter coefficients based on the run-length coded data (please see figs. 1 and 2, and col. 3, lines 51+, where in [sic] Huffman Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 4 codes are run-length and col. 4, lines 22+, and 57+)” (answer, page 5). The portion of Moronaga relied upon by the examiner which discloses the data coding technique is the following (col. 3, lines 45-55): A Huffman coding section 48 codes the normalized data to produce Huffman codes. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the normalized data are scanned 14a [in a] zig-zag direction and a block by block manner and fed to the Huffman coding section 48. Considering the fact that zero often appears continuously in normalized transform coefficients, the Huffman coding section 48 determines the amount in which data whose value is zero appears continuously, i.e., run-lengths of zeros and the amplitudes of non-zeros, and transforms them to Huffman codes. Moronaga refers to the continuous runs of zeroes in the normalized transform coefficients as run-lengths of zeroes. The coding of the data, however, is by Huffman coding, not run-length coding. “Anticipation requires that every limitation of the claim in issue be disclosed, either expressly or under principles of inherency, in a single prior art reference.” Corning Glass Works v. Sumitomo Elect. U.S.A., Inc., 868 F.2d 1251, 1255-56, 9 USPQ2d 1962, 1965 (Fed. Cir. 1989). Because the examiner has not established that Moronaga discloses, either expressly or Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 5 inherently, using run-length codes, the examiner has not carried the burden of establishing a prima facie case of anticipation of the inventions claimed in the appellant’s claims 1-7 and 9. As for claim 8, the examiner presents no argument as to how Moronaga would have fairly suggested using run-length codes to one of ordinary skill in the art. The examiner, therefore, has not established a prima facie case of obviousness of the invention claimed in the appellant’s claim 8. Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 6 DECISION The rejections over Moronaga of claims 1-7 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) and claim 8 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 are reversed. REVERSED ERROL A. KRASS ) Administrative Patent Judge ) ) ) ) BOARD OF PATENT TERRY J. OWENS ) APPEALS AND Administrative Patent Judge ) INTERFERENCES ) ) ) MAHSHID SAADAT ) Administrative Patent Judge ) TJO:hh Appeal No. 2004-0943 Application No. 09/460,930 7 PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICAN CORP. 580 WHITE PLAINS RD. TARRYTOWN, NY 10591 Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation