Appeal No. 2001-2573
Application No. 09/070,486
Representative claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A method for converting digitized image pixel values from
a first range to a second range, the method comprising the steps
of:
(a) determining a lower limit value of a relevant portion of
the first range based upon non-log transformed pixel values;
(b) generating an intensity histogram representative of pixel
populations having specified intensities, and transforming the
histogram to generate a log-transformed histogram;
(c) identifying a threshold value for an upper limit of log-
transformed values from the log-transformed histogram;
(d) identifying a population of pixels having log-transformed
values having a desired relationship to the threshold value;
(e) determining an upper limit value of the relevant portion
of the first range based upon the identified population; and
(f) converting the non-log transformed pixel values to
converted values over the second range based upon the lower and
upper limit values.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Hara et al. (Hara) 4,950,894 Aug. 21, 1990
Shimura 5,060,081 Oct. 22, 1991
Kobayashi et al. (Kobayashi) 5,757,022 May 26, 1998
(filed Oct. 17, 1996)
Claims 1-20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a). As
evidence of obviousness the examiner offers Kobayashi in view of
Shimura with respect to claims 1-6, 8-10 and 14-19, and the
examiner adds Hara with respect to claims 7, 11-13 and 20.
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