Appeal No. 1999-1587
Application 08/601,751
smoothing filter as taught by Kawai on Ikeuchi’s image data
[answer, pages 5-6]. Appellant argues that the data which is
smoothed in claim 6 is the multi-level control signal which is
output from the
neurofilter and not an image signal as in Kawai [brief,
pages 12-15].
We agree with appellant that the examiner has not
provided a cogent rationale as to why the multi-level control
output of a neurofilter as recited in claim 6 should be
smoothed as claimed. The examiner’s rationale concerns the
desirability of smoothing image data, but the data which is
output from the neural network 17 in Ikeuchi is not image
data, but instead, is bi-level control data. The record
before us does not present any motivation for smoothing the
bi-level output from neural network 17 of Ikeuchi. Therefore,
we do not sustain the rejection of claims 6-8 based on the
teachings of Ikeuchi and Kawai.
In conclusion, we have not sustained either of the
examiner’s rejections of the appealed claims. Therefore, the
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