Appeal No. 2004-0557
Application No. 08/829,187
included in the image signals by combining a first non-noise-
reduced image signal previously stored in a frame memory with a
second current non-noise-reduced signal to form a noise-reduced
image signal (see specification, pages 13-14). Claim 1 is
illustrative of the claimed invention, and it reads as follows:
1. An electronic endoscope system, comprising:
an image capturing system, which receives sequential frames
of an optical image of an object and sequentially outputs a
plurality of image signals respectively corresponding to a
plurality of color components of said sequential frames of said
optical image;
a frame memory for storing image signals;
a noise reduction system, which reduces random noise
included in each of said plurality of image signals by combining
a non-noise-reduced image signal previously stored in said frame
memory and including first random noise, with a non-noise-reduced
current image signal from said image capturing system and
including second random noise, to form a noise-reduced image
signal, and outputs a plurality of said noise-reduced image
signals, respectively corresponding to said plurality of image
signals;
a memory which receives said plurality of noise-reduced
image signals for each of said sequential frames of said optical
image; and
a video signal generating system, which generates a video
signal for each of said sequential frames based on said noise-
reduced image signals, corresponding to said plurality of color
components.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Buchin 5,475,420 Dec. 12, 1995
2
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