Ex Parte Pronkine

Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences

Oct 14, 2004

09460930 (B.P.A.I. Oct. 14, 2004)

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written for publication and is not binding precedent of the Board.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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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