Appeal No. 96-1268
Application 08/013,739
points may be detected by differentiation processing of digitized image signals. In column 3, line
66, through column 4, line 10, Shimura teaches that the quantum level of the image data for the
region outside the irradiation field is generally low, while the quantum level of the image data for
the region inside the irradiation field is generally high. Shimura then teaches that the edge points
are detected by determining when the difference values between the image signals at a portion
becomes substantially larger than the difference values at the other portions.
In column 7, line 19, through column 8, line 41, Shimura illustrates this method by
referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4a and b. In column 7, lines 19-24, Shimura teaches that Figure 2
shows an irradiation field B on a phosphor sheet 103. In column 7, lines 58-67, Shimura teaches
that differentiation processing is done in the directions D1 to Dn which are radially outward
toward the outer edge of the phosphor sheet 103 from the center O of the phosphor sheet 103. In
column 8, lines 5-54, Shimura teaches that the prospective edge points are determined when the
difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value. In particular, Shimura teaches that since the
level of the image signals for the region inside the irradiation field B is markedly higher than the
level of the image signals for the region outside the field B, the values of the preliminary read-out
image signals Sp in a given direction Di distribute as shown in Figure 4a and accordingly, the edge
point of the irradiation field as shown in Figure 4b. We do not find that Shimura teaches the
method step iv as recited in Appellant’s claim 7 or that Shimura is concerned with the problem of
determining the location of a radiation blocking plate when the plate is placed at the periphery of
the radiation image.
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