Appeal No. 2001-1642
Application No. 09/191,310
observations. For instance, in the defective pixel detection
case, the hypotheses may be the presence of a defective pixel
and the presence of a functional pixel. When an adequate
number of observations are made, a decision may be arrived at
as to which of the two hypotheses fit. That decision may or
may not be accurate since it is based upon a statistical
approximation.
In the Ebel method, the number of observations is one, but
the hypothesis that the row or group of pixels is defective is
made by an observation of the row and the surrounding rows to see
if an unexpected value is observed. If the unexpectedly high or
low value (the “score”) is observed, then the decision is made
whether the row is defective or not. It may or may not be
accurate.
3) if said score for each pixel satisfies a stopping
condition, classifying said each pixel as being one of either
defective or functional.
The one visual observation, if illustrating a significant
unexpected difference or not (a “stopping condition” based on the
“score”) allows the decision to be made regarding the row of
pixels, thus classifying the row as functional or defective.
It thus appears to us that the observation of the image made
to determine the CCD baseline in Ebel may anticipate or at least
render the claimed subject matter obvious. The appellants and the
examiner should consider this alternative interpretation of the
disclosure of Ebel and complete the record accordingly.
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