US 9042448

US Patent 9042448 Summary:

Title: Moving picture encoding system, moving picture encoding method, moving picture encoding program, moving picture decoding system, moving picture decoding method, moving picture decoding program, moving picture reencoding sytem, moving picture reencoding method, and moving picture reencoding program

Assignee:

• Current: Advanced Coding Technologies LLC
• Original: JVCKenwood Corp

Inventors: Satoru Sakazume

Filing Date: 2009-05-28

Issue Date: 2015-05-26

Abstract: The invention pertains to systems, methods, and programs for encoding, decoding, and re-encoding moving picture sequences, specifically focusing on processes like super-resolution enlargement. A core aspect involves a multi-layer encoding approach: a first encoder handles standard resolution video, while a first super-resolution enlarger creates higher-resolution versions. These super-resolution images are then down-converted back to standard resolution. A second encoder utilizes these converted super-resolution images as encoding targets and decoded images from the first encoder as reference frames, aiming to improve encoding efficiency by exploiting correlations across different spatial resolutions and by incorporating frequency component information not fully expressible at standard resolution.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Moving picture encoding system): This system encodes moving pictures. It includes a first encoder that processes standard resolution video to produce encoded bits and decoded pictures. A first super-resolution enlarger takes the original standard resolution video and creates higher resolution versions. A first resolution converter then scales these enlarged pictures back down to standard resolution. Finally, a second encoder uses these "super-resolution-enhanced" standard resolution pictures as the main content to be encoded, referencing the decoded pictures from the first encoder to help predict and encode the final output.
• Claim 13 (Moving picture encoding method): This method describes the steps for encoding moving pictures. It involves a first step of encoding and decoding standard resolution video to get encoded bits and decoded pictures. A second step applies super-resolution enlargement to the original standard resolution video, making it higher resolution. A third step converts these enlarged pictures back to standard resolution. A fourth step uses these converted super-resolution pictures as the target for a second encoding process, leveraging the decoded pictures from the first step as reference frames for prediction.
• Claim 14 (Moving picture encoding program): This claim describes a computer program that, when executed, performs the same method steps outlined in Claim 13 for encoding moving pictures.
• Claim 26 (Moving picture decoding system): This system is designed to decode moving pictures. It has a demultiplexer that separates incoming encoded data into standard resolution streams. A first decoder then decodes these standard resolution streams. A first super-resolution enlarger enhances the decoded standard resolution pictures. A first resolution converter then takes these enhanced pictures and converts them back to standard resolution. A second decoder then uses additional high-resolution encoded data from the demultiplexer, the enhanced decoded pictures, and the converted standard resolution enhanced pictures to perform a final prediction and decoding, resulting in super-resolution enlarged decoded pictures.
• Claim 31 (Moving picture decoding method): This method outlines the process for decoding moving pictures. It includes demultiplexing input encoded data, decoding standard resolution parts, performing super-resolution enlargement on these decoded parts, and then converting them back to standard resolution. Finally, it uses higher-resolution encoded data along with the enlarged and converted decoded pictures to perform a prediction and decoding, yielding super-resolution enlarged pictures.
• Claim 32 (Moving picture decoding program): This claim describes a computer program that, when executed, performs the same decoding method steps outlined in Claim 31.
• Claim 39 (Moving picture reencoding system): This system is for re-encoding moving pictures. It includes a demultiplexer, a decoder, a first super-resolution enlarger, a first resolution converter, and a second decoder, all functioning similarly to the decoding system described in Claim 26 to produce decoded pictures, super-resolution decoded pictures at standard resolution, and super-resolution enlarged pictures. Additionally, it contains a reencoder that takes these various decoded outputs and re-encodes them into a new sequence of encoded bits.
• Claim 40 (Moving picture reencoding method): This method details the steps for re-encoding moving pictures. It involves demultiplexing, decoding standard resolution video, applying super-resolution enlargement to the decoded video, converting the enlarged video back to standard resolution, and then performing a second decoding step using high-resolution extensions and the previously processed pictures. The final step is a re-encoding process that uses all these decoded and processed pictures to create re-encoded bit sequences.
• Claim 41 (Moving picture reencoding program): This claim describes a computer program that, when executed, performs the same re-encoding method steps outlined in Claim 40.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, my search for US patent 9042448 in the CAFC 2026 dockets did not return any specific results. The Google Patents litigation information indicates PTAB and District Court cases filed in 2024 and 2025, but no direct CAFC dockets for 2026 were found based on the available information.

As of April 26, 2026, the following litigation involving US Patent 9042448 is known:

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Cases:

• IPR2025-01070

  • Petitioner: Unified Patents PTAB Data [cite: Unified Patents PTAB Data]
  • Patent Owner: Advanced Coding Technologies LLC (Current Assignee of US9042448)
  • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
  • Case Number: IPR2025-01070
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2025.
  • Current Status: Not Instituted - Procedural

• IPR2025-01278

  • Petitioner: Unified Patents PTAB Data [cite: Unified Patents PTAB Data]
  • Patent Owner: Advanced Coding Technologies LLC (Current Assignee of US9042448)
  • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
  • Case Number: IPR2025-01278
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2025.
  • Current Status: Not Instituted - Procedural

District Court Cases:

• Texas Northern District Court

  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Jurisdiction: Texas Northern District Court
  • Case Number: 3:25-cv-02667
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2025.
  • Current Status: Active litigation

• Texas Western District Court

  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Jurisdiction: Texas Western District Court
  • Case Number: 7:25-cv-00446
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2025.
  • Current Status: Active litigation

• Texas Eastern District Court (Case 1)

  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:24-cv-00353
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2024.
  • Current Status: Active litigation

• Texas Eastern District Court (Case 2)

  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet.
  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:24-cv-00687
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but initiated in 2024.
  • Current Status: Active litigation

It's important to note that the provided information from Google Patents indicates "Family has litigation" and links to Unified Patents for some of the cases. For the district court cases, specific plaintiff and defendant names are not available in the provided snippets, only the jurisdiction and case number. Further investigation into PACER or the specific court dockets would be needed for more detailed information on these cases.

Proceedings overview

Two AIA trial proceedings have been filed against US Patent 9042448. Both IPR2025-01278 (Google LLC) and IPR2025-01070 ([Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.)) reached a "Discretionary Denial" status, meaning the PTAB declined to institute the inter partes review. This indicates a hardened defensive posture for the patent, as its claims have not been challenged on the merits at the PTAB.

IPR2025-01278 — Google LLC v. Advanced Coding Technologies LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-07-11
• Status: Discretionary Denial – The PTAB declined to institute the inter partes review.
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available at this stage in the search.
• Petition grounds: Information not publicly available in the provided context or initial search.
• Institution decision: Denied (date of last modification: 2026-02-23). The specific reasoning for the discretionary denial would be detailed in the PTAB's decision on institution, which is not available from the provided data or immediate search results.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Defensive value: Google's petition for IPR was denied institution. This suggests that, at least based on the arguments and evidence presented by Google, the PTAB found reasons not to proceed with a full review of the patent's claims. For a defendant, this means the patent has withstood one challenge, potentially making similar IPR grounds harder to pursue without new or stronger arguments.

IPR2025-01070 — Apple Inc. v. Advanced Coding Technologies LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-06-02
• Status: Discretionary Denial – The PTAB declined to institute the inter partes review.
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available at this stage in the search.
• Petition grounds: Information not publicly available in the provided context or initial search.
• Institution decision: Denied (date of last modification: 2025-11-26). The specific reasoning for the discretionary denial would be detailed in the PTAB's decision on institution, which is not available from the provided data or immediate search results.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Defensive value: Apple's petition for IPR was denied institution. Similar to Google's IPR, this indicates that the PTAB found reasons to exercise its discretion not to institute a trial. This strengthens the patent's position against future IPR challenges, as two attempts by major tech companies have failed at the institution stage.

Strategic summary

All claims of US9042448 remain UNTESTED and SUSTAINED by the PTAB. Neither of the two filed Inter Partes Review proceedings (IPR2025-01278 by Google LLC and IPR2025-01070 by Apple Inc.) proceeded to trial; both were met with a "Discretionary Denial" by the PTAB. This means that no claims of the patent have been invalidated or even subjected to a full merits review at the PTAB.

The estoppel landscape is influenced by these denials. Under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2), a petitioner and its privies are estopped from asserting invalidity grounds in future proceedings if those grounds were raised or reasonably could have been raised during an IPR that results in a final written decision. Since both IPRs were denied institution, there are no final written decisions on the merits of patentability. Therefore, the statutory estoppel provisions of § 315(e)(2) are not strictly triggered. However, the PTAB often considers prior discretionary denials when evaluating new petitions, potentially making it more difficult for the same petitioners (Google and Apple) or their privies to bring similar challenges without substantially new arguments or prior art. For a new defendant, all prior-art grounds remain theoretically available, though they would need to carefully consider the reasons for the prior discretionary denials.

The pattern signals indicate that Advanced Coding Technologies LLC has successfully defended the patent against two IPR challenges from prominent technology companies at the institution stage. The fact that both were discretionary denials suggests the PTAB may have found issues with the petitions themselves, the timing, or other factors that led them to decline institution, rather than a full review of the prior art. This gives the patent owner a strong position, as the patent has effectively survived two attempts to challenge its validity via IPR without any claims being touched.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant currently facing assertion of this patent, it is critical to understand the specific reasoning behind the "Discretionary Denial" decisions for IPR2025-01278 and IPR2025-01070. The absence of a link to the decisions in the provided data means these documents must be retrieved from the USPTO PTAB E2E system. Analyzing these decisions will illuminate what aspects of the petitions or the patent claims the PTAB found problematic, which can then inform any potential new IPR filing or other invalidity defense strategies. Without this detail, it is difficult to assess what types of arguments the PTAB might be receptive to in a future IPR.

No active proceedings are currently pending, as both IPRs have reached a final status of "Discretionary Denial." Therefore, there are no upcoming trial-stage milestones to track. The current situation indicates that the patent owner has successfully fended off initial PTAB challenges, which could make future IPRs more challenging to institute.

Inventors

• Satoru Sakazume (JVCKenwood Corp)

Original assignee

JVCKenwood Corp. JVCKenwood is a multinational electronics company that manufactures a wide range of products, including car electronics, professional systems, and home and personal audio. It is highly probable they shipped products embodying the claims, given their business. JVCKenwood Corp is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2010-12-01 (executed) / recorded 2010-12-21 — Reel 025879/0009

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: JVCKenwood Corp
  • Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
  • Correspondent: Edward H. Lentz, JVC Americas Corp., 1700 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019
  • Context: Internal reorg (parent company change of name/structure)

• 2012-04-06 (executed) / recorded 2012-04-25 — Reel 027734/0628

  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
  • Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
  • Correspondent: Edward H. Lentz, JVC Americas Corp., 1700 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal reorg (merger of corporate entities)

• 2022-03-24 (executed) / recorded 2022-04-26 — Reel 056467/0315

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: JVCKENWOOD Corporation
  • Assignee: ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Correspondent: David A. Stein, ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC, 14090 Southwest Fwy, Suite 300, Sugar Land, TX, 77478
  • Context: Transfer to asserter

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9042448
    2009 : Filed by JVCKenwood Corp
    2010 : Assigned to Victor Co of Japan Ltd
    2011 : Published US20110075734A1
    2012 : Assigned to JVC Kenwood Corp
    2015 : Issued US9042448B2
    2022 : Assigned to Advanced Coding Tech LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The assignment from JVCKENWOOD Corporation to ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC (Reel 056467/0315, recorded 2022-04-26) shows a transfer from a known operating company to an LLC with a generic, licensing-suggestive name ("ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC") and a registered-agent address in Sugar Land, TX. This is a common pattern for shell entities.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present. ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC is a known patent asserter, as indicated by the litigation records on Google Patents, including PTAB cases and US district court cases filed in Texas Northern, Western, and Eastern District Courts in 2024 and 2025.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Edward H. Lentz of JVC Americas Corp. appears as the correspondent for both the 2010 assignment (Reel 025879/0009) and the 2012 merger (Reel 027734/0628). This indicates the consistent use of a particular legal counsel for internal corporate patent matters within the original operating company structure. David A. Stein of ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC is listed as the correspondent for the 2022 assignment to ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC (Reel 056467/0315).

4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are three transfers in total, but they are spaced over several years, not in quick succession. The transfers prior to the NPE transfer are internal corporate reorganizations.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The patent was assigned to ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC on 2022-03-24 (executed) / 2022-04-26 (recorded) (Reel 056467/0315). The earliest reported litigation found in Google Patents is a US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court on 2024-05-13 (2:24-cv-00353). While this is outside the 6-month window, the pattern of acquisition by a known NPE followed by assertion is clear. Further litigation records show cases filed in 2025, which are closer in time to the current date, reinforcing the assertion pattern.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. The original assignee, JVCKenwood Corp, is still operating.

7. Privateering — unclear. While the patent was transferred from an operating company to a known NPE, there is no public information in the provided context or from a quick cross-reference (Google Patents legal events) to definitively state if JVCKenwood Corp is benefiting from or directing the assertions made by ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC, which is a known asserter, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of ADVANCED CODING TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a known patent asserter per Google Patents litigation records, as the current assignee (Reel 056467/0315, recorded 2022-04-26), coupled with the transfer from an operating company to a shell-like entity with a generic name and registered agent address, strongly indicates an NPE pattern. This transfer also precedes multiple infringement suits filed in district courts.

USPTO Assignment Center search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (Search for patent number 9042448)

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9042448, based on the citations listed in its Google Patents record. While a definitive claim-by-claim anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires a detailed review of each prior art's full text and claims, this analysis provides a high-level assessment of potential relevance based on available information, primarily titles and publication/filing dates. The current date is April 26, 2026.

Cited Patent References for US9042448

US Patent Citations

1. US20030091244A1

   • Full Citation: US20030091244A1 (Saitoh et al.) - "IMAGE ENLARGEMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD"
   • Publication Date: 2003-05-15
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes an apparatus and method for image enlargement, likely involving techniques to enhance resolution beyond simple interpolation.
   • Potential Anticipation: Potentially anticipates aspects of US9042448 related to the "super-resolution enlargement" process performed by the first and second super-resolution enlargers (e.g., elements 103, 105 in FIG. 1, and steps S202, S207 in FIG. 2), particularly concerning the underlying image enlargement algorithms. This could be relevant to claims involving the creation of super-resolution enlarged pictures.

2. US6975765B2

   • Full Citation: US6975765B2 (Saitoh et al.) - "Video image signal processing system and video image signal processing method"
   • Publication Date: 2005-12-13
   • Filing Date: 2003-07-25
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for processing video image signals, likely including various operations on video data.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could potentially anticipate general video signal processing steps or components found within US9042448's encoding/decoding systems, such as basic prediction, transformation, or quantization steps, but is less specific to super-resolution or hierarchical encoding from its title.

3. US20050180496A1

   • Full Citation: US20050180496A1 (Saitoh et al.) - "Image processing apparatus and image processing method"
   • Publication Date: 2005-08-18
   • Brief Description: This patent application relates to an apparatus and method for image processing.
   • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US6975765B2, this could broadly anticipate image processing steps in US9042448, especially those not directly related to the novel super-resolution or multi-layer prediction aspects. Given the common inventor with US20030091244A1, it might also touch upon resolution enhancement.

4. US20060002462A1

   • Full Citation: US20060002462A1 (Nakahashi et al.) - "Video codec"
   • Publication Date: 2006-01-05
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a video codec, implying systems and methods for video encoding and decoding.
   • Potential Anticipation: Potentially anticipates general video encoding and decoding principles, such as motion estimation, motion compensation, transform coding, and entropy coding, which are fundamental to the "first encoder" (102) and "second encoder" (107) in US9042448.

5. US7068846B2

   • Full Citation: US7068846B2 (Lee et al.) - "Super-resolution imaging apparatus and method thereof"
   • Publication Date: 2006-06-27
   • Filing Date: 2004-01-20
   • Brief Description: This patent explicitly deals with super-resolution imaging, including an apparatus and method for achieving it.
   • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to US9042448's core inventive concept of super-resolution enlargement. It could potentially anticipate the methods and apparatus for generating super-resolution pictures, impacting claims related to the first and second super-resolution enlargers (103, 105) and their internal components (e.g., positioner 1031, interpolator 1032, estimated picture creator 1033, repetition determiner 1034).

6. US7079703B2

   • Full Citation: US7079703B2 (Nakahashi et al.) - "Image processing apparatus and image processing method"
   • Publication Date: 2006-07-18
   • Filing Date: 2004-01-26
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an image processing apparatus and method.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly anticipate image processing steps within US9042448, similar to other general image/video processing patents cited.

7. US7203370B2

   • Full Citation: US7203370B2 (Sakazume et al.) - "Resolution conversion circuit and video signal processing apparatus"
   • Publication Date: 2007-04-10
   • Filing Date: 2004-03-24
   • Brief Description: This patent, co-invented by Satoru Sakazume (inventor of US9042448), describes a resolution conversion circuit and video signal processing apparatus.
   • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to US9042448's "first resolution converter" (104) and "second resolution converter" (106), as well as the "third resolution converter" (110) in later embodiments. It directly relates to the process of resolution conversion (e.g., down-converting super-resolution enlarged pictures to standard resolution, or up-converting decoded pictures to a higher resolution). This patent could potentially anticipate claims relating to the resolution conversion processes and apparatus (e.g., pixel inserter 1041, filtering processor 1042, pixel thinner 1043).

8. US7298918B2

   • Full Citation: US7298918B2 (Sugano) - "Image coding and decoding device, and image coding and decoding method"
   • Publication Date: 2007-11-20
   • Filing Date: 2003-08-11
   • Brief Description: This patent describes devices and methods for image coding and decoding.
   • Potential Anticipation: Could anticipate general image coding/decoding techniques employed in the encoders and decoders of US9042448, such as those related to data compression and reconstruction.

9. US7327893B2

   • Full Citation: US7327893B2 (Van Der Veen et al.) - "Image decoding method, image decoding apparatus, image encoding method, and image encoding apparatus"
   • Publication Date: 2008-02-05
   • Filing Date: 2004-12-09
   • Brief Description: This patent describes methods and apparatus for both image decoding and encoding.
   • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other general coding/decoding patents, this could potentially anticipate fundamental encoding/decoding operations in US9042448's first and second encoders/decoders.

10. US7340003B2

    • Full Citation: US7340003B2 (Nakahashi et al.) - "Image processing method, image processing apparatus, and image processing program"
    • Publication Date: 2008-03-04
    • Filing Date: 2004-07-28
    • Brief Description: This patent covers image processing methods, apparatus, and programs.
    • Potential Anticipation: Broadly relevant to various image processing steps within US9042448's systems, but likely not specific to the unique combination of super-resolution and multi-layer encoding.

11. US7519238B2

    • Full Citation: US7519238B2 (Maki) - "Image encoding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, image encoding method, and image decoding method"
    • Publication Date: 2009-04-14
    • Filing Date: 2005-12-21
    • Brief Description: This patent describes apparatus and methods for image encoding and decoding.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could anticipate general image encoding/decoding techniques and architectures.

12. US20080031529A1

    • Full Citation: US20080031529A1 (Kwak et al.) - "Motion vector encoding and decoding method and apparatus"
    • Publication Date: 2008-02-07
    • Brief Description: This patent application focuses on methods and apparatus for encoding and decoding motion vectors, which are crucial in video compression.
    • Potential Anticipation: Potentially anticipates aspects of US9042448 related to motion estimation and compensation within the first and second encoders (e.g., motion estimator 408, motion compensator 409 in FIG. 10), and the encoding/decoding of motion vector information that is part of the multiplexed bit sequence (e.g., bit sequence 310 in FIG. 3).

13. US20080123737A1

    • Full Citation: US20080123737A1 (Takahashi et al.) - "Image decoding apparatus, image decoding method, image encoding apparatus, image encoding method, and program"
    • Publication Date: 2008-05-29
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes apparatus, methods, and programs for image decoding and encoding.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding and decoding principles, similar to other broad coding/decoding prior art.

14. US7564906B2

    • Full Citation: US7564906B2 (Lee et al.) - "Coding/decoding device and coding/decoding method"
    • Publication Date: 2009-07-21
    • Filing Date: 2005-08-18
    • Brief Description: This patent describes general coding/decoding devices and methods.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding and decoding principles, similar to other broad coding/decoding prior art.

15. US20090285499A1

    • Full Citation: US20090285499A1 (Satoh et al.) - "IMAGE ENCODING APPARATUS AND IMAGE ENCODING METHOD"
    • Publication Date: 2009-11-19
    • Brief Description: This patent application covers an image encoding apparatus and method.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding techniques and architectures.

16. US7693356B2

    • Full Citation: US7693356B2 (Sakazume) - "Motion picture encoding system, motion picture encoding method, motion picture encoding program, motion picture decoding system, motion picture decoding method, motion picture decoding program, motion picture reencoding system, motion picture reencoding method, and motion picture reencoding program"
    • Publication Date: 2010-04-06
    • Filing Date: 2007-07-23
    • Brief Description: This patent has the same inventor (Satoru Sakazume) as US9042448 and a very similar title, indicating it covers related subject matter in motion picture encoding, decoding, and reencoding. It likely describes an earlier or related embodiment of the inventor's work in this field.
    • Potential Anticipation: Extremely relevant. Given the identical inventor and highly similar scope described in the title, this patent likely covers foundational aspects of the encoding/decoding/reencoding systems, methods, and programs in US9042448. It could potentially anticipate broad claims related to multi-resolution video processing, hierarchical encoding, and the overall system architecture, particularly the interaction between different encoding/decoding layers. Specific claims relating to the definition and interaction of the "first encoder," "second encoder," and their respective processes might be anticipated or rendered obvious.

17. US7813589B2

    • Full Citation: US7813589B2 (Kobayashi et al.) - "Image coding method and apparatus for coding hierarchically-structured image data using an intra mode in an enhancement layer"
    • Publication Date: 2010-10-12
    • Filing Date: 2006-05-12
    • Brief Description: This patent describes hierarchical image coding, specifically using an intra mode in an enhancement layer.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to the hierarchical encoding and inter-layer prediction aspects of US9042448. The concept of an "enhancement layer" (which the super-resolution stream in US9042448 can be considered) and using intra-mode coding within it could potentially anticipate claims relating to the structure of the encoded bitstreams and how prediction is handled between layers.

18. US20100290547A1

    • Full Citation: US20100290547A1 (Minami et al.) - "Image coding device and image decoding device"
    • Publication Date: 2010-11-18
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes devices for image coding and decoding.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding and decoding principles, similar to other broad coding/decoding prior art.

19. US7940989B2

    • Full Citation: US7940989B2 (Satoh et al.) - "IMAGE ENCODING APPARATUS AND IMAGE ENCODING METHOD"
    • Publication Date: 2011-05-10
    • Filing Date: 2009-02-18
    • Brief Description: This patent describes an image encoding apparatus and method.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding techniques and architectures.

20. US8233718B2

    • Full Citation: US8233718B2 (Okubo et al.) - "Image encoding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, image encoding method, image decoding method, and program"
    • Publication Date: 2012-07-31
    • Filing Date: 2009-02-04
    • Brief Description: This patent describes apparatus, methods, and programs for image encoding and decoding.
    • Potential Anticipation: General video encoding and decoding principles.

21. US8300703B2

    • Full Citation: US8300703B2 (Fukushima et al.) - "IMAGE ENCODING APPARATUS, IMAGE DECODING APPARATUS, IMAGE ENCODING METHOD, IMAGE DECODING METHOD, AND IMAGE ENCODING AND DECODING PROGRAM"
    • Publication Date: 2012-10-30
    • Filing Date: 2008-05-30
    • Brief Description: This patent describes apparatus, methods, and programs for image encoding and decoding. Notably, it shares the same priority date as US9042448 (2008-05-30).
    • Potential Anticipation: The shared priority date suggests concurrent development or a common inventive origin. This patent may cover fundamental encoding and decoding concepts that underpin aspects of US9042448. Without further details, it's difficult to pinpoint specific claims, but it could broadly anticipate elements of the encoding/decoding processes or system architectures, especially if related to scalable or multi-resolution coding, if described in its full text.

22. US8565511B2

    • Full Citation: US8565511B2 (Takahata et al.) - "Image encoding method, image decoding method, image encoding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, and program"
    • Publication Date: 2013-10-22
    • Filing Date: 2008-05-30
    • Brief Description: This patent describes methods, apparatus, and programs for image encoding and decoding. It also shares the same priority date as US9042448 (2008-05-30).
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US8300703B2, the shared priority date suggests a closely related or parallel development. This patent likely addresses aspects of image encoding and decoding that could be foundational to US9042448, potentially anticipating general claims related to the overall coding scheme or specific components if they touch upon hierarchical or resolution-adaptive coding.

23. US8761266B2

    • Full Citation: US8761266B2 (Ha et al.) - "Scalable image decoding apparatus and method"
    • Publication Date: 2014-06-24
    • Filing Date: 2008-12-16
    • Brief Description: This patent specifically focuses on scalable image decoding apparatus and methods.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to the decoding system and method of US9042448, especially claims related to processing hierarchically encoded bitstreams (e.g., those from a first and second encoder) and generating decoded pictures at different resolutions. This could anticipate claims regarding the demultiplexer (1201), first decoder (1202), and subsequent processing in the decoding path of US9042448.

24. US8774279B2

    • Full Citation: US8774279B2 (Takagi et al.) - "Image encoding/decoding device and image encoding/decoding method"
    • Publication Date: 2014-07-08
    • Filing Date: 2009-05-28
    • Brief Description: This patent describes an image encoding/decoding device and method, sharing the same filing date as US9042448.
    • Potential Anticipation: The shared filing date could indicate related work or a divisional application. This patent likely covers general image encoding/decoding techniques that are present in US9042448, potentially anticipating general architectural or methodological claims that are common to video codecs.

Non-Patent Citations

1. MPEG-4, ISO/IEC 14496-10 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), (2003)

   • Full Citation: MPEG-4, ISO/IEC 14496-10 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), (2003)
   • Publication Date: 2003
   • Brief Description: This is a widely adopted video compression standard (H.264/AVC) that defines methods for encoding and decoding video.
   • Potential Anticipation: This standard defines many fundamental video encoding and decoding techniques, including inter-picture prediction, intra-picture prediction, transform coding, quantization, and entropy coding. US9042448's "first encoder" (102) and "second encoder" (107) are described as performing "prescribed encoding" and "prescribed decoding," which often build upon or conform to such established standards. Therefore, many general video coding operations and components within US9042448's claims could be considered anticipated or rendered obvious by AVC.

2. MPEG-4, ISO/IEC 14496-10:2005/Amd 1:2007 Scalable Video Coding (SVC), (2007)

   • Full Citation: MPEG-4, ISO/IEC 14496-10:2005/Amd 1:2007 Scalable Video Coding (SVC), (2007)
   • Publication Date: 2007
   • Brief Description: This is an amendment to the H.264/AVC standard that adds scalable video coding functionalities, allowing for efficient encoding of video at multiple resolutions, frame rates, and qualities.
   • Potential Anticipation: US9042448 explicitly mentions "MPEG-4 SVC" in its background and describes "inter-layer prediction" and encoding at different spatial resolutions. The core concept of SVC, particularly spatial scalability, where a lower resolution layer is encoded and a higher resolution layer can predict from it, directly anticipates a central aspect of US9042448's claims regarding the "second encoder" (107) using reference pictures from the "first encoder" (102) (representing a base layer) to encode an enhanced layer. Claims related to hierarchical encoding, the use of decoded pictures from a standard resolution encoder as reference for another encoder working on a different resolution (or a resolution-converted version), and the overall architecture for scalable video coding are strongly implicated by SVC. The patent text itself refers to the "second encoder 107" executing an encoding in the CGS (Coarse Grain Scalability) layer under MPEG-4 SVC.

Most Relevant Prior Art Summary

Based on this review, the following are considered the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9042448:

• MPEG-4, ISO/IEC 14496-10:2005/Amd 1:2007 Scalable Video Coding (SVC), (2007): This non-patent citation is foundational as US9042448 explicitly builds upon and references SVC's concepts of inter-layer prediction and spatial scalability for different resolutions. It directly anticipates the hierarchical encoding structure.
• US7693356B2 (Sakazume): Being from the same inventor and having a nearly identical title and scope, this patent is highly likely to be a direct predecessor or a closely related family member. It would anticipate many of the overarching system and method claims for motion picture encoding/decoding/reencoding that involve multi-resolution processing.
• US7068846B2 (Lee et al.) - "Super-resolution imaging apparatus and method thereof": This patent specifically addresses super-resolution imaging, a core component of US9042448. It could anticipate the specific techniques and internal workings of the super-resolution enlargers.
• US7203370B2 (Sakazume et al.) - "Resolution conversion circuit and video signal processing apparatus": Also from the same inventor, this patent directly relates to resolution conversion, a critical step in preparing the super-resolution enlarged pictures for the second encoder in US9042448.
• US7813589B2 (Kobayashi et al.) - "Image coding method and apparatus for coding hierarchically-structured image data using an intra mode in an enhancement layer": This patent's focus on hierarchical coding with an enhancement layer is directly relevant to the multi-layer encoding scheme of US9042448.
• US8300703B2 (Fukushima et al.) and US8565511B2 (Takahata et al.): The shared priority date with US9042448 makes these patents very significant, indicating they might cover closely related or foundational aspects that were developed concurrently. Further investigation into their full texts would be crucial to determine precise anticipation.

These references collectively touch upon the core inventive aspects of US9042448: super-resolution, resolution conversion, and hierarchical/scalable video encoding with inter-layer prediction.

Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103 for US Patent 9042448

This analysis considers combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US9042448 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention (priority date May 30, 2008). The primary prior art references identified within the patent text itself are "Patent Literature 1" and "MPEG-4 SVC" (Scalable Video Coding) [cite: Patent Literature 1 and MPEG-4 SVC].

Core Inventive Concept of US9042448

US9042448 generally describes a moving picture encoding system that enhances encoding efficiency by leveraging super-resolution processing. Specifically, it involves:

1. Encoding and decoding a sequence of moving pictures at a standard resolution (e.g., via a "first encoder").
2. Applying a super-resolution enlargement process to the original standard-resolution input pictures to create "super-resolution enlarged pictures" (higher resolution).
3. Converting these super-resolution enlarged pictures back to the standard resolution, resulting in "super-resolution enlarged and converted pictures."
4. A "second encoder" then encodes these "super-resolution enlarged and converted pictures" as target pictures, often using decoded pictures from the first encoder (or super-resolution processed decoded pictures) as reference pictures for inter-layer prediction.
   The patent emphasizes capturing "information on frequency components in the spatial direction and the temporal direction that has been potentially contained in the input moving pictures but unable to express to a sufficient degree by the standard resolution" through this super-resolution process to improve encoding efficiency [cite: a moving picture encoding system, 2nd to last definition block, 2nd paragraph of that definition block].

Prior Art Background

The patent explicitly references "Patent Literature 1 and MPEG-4 SVC" as prior art that "include predictive pictures or predictive blocks created from reference pictures of a layer lower than the layer in which a current encoding is made, for use in combination with target pictures or target blocks of the current layer to make an inter-layer prediction in between, aiming at still enhanced encoding efficiencies making use of high correlations between different spatial resolutions" [cite: Patent Literature 1 and MPEG-4 SVC]. This establishes that hierarchical or scalable video coding, employing inter-layer prediction between different spatial resolutions to enhance encoding efficiency, was known in the art, particularly through standards like MPEG-4 SVC. MPEG-4 SVC is further noted as a "scalable extension of MPEG-4 AVC".

The patent also describes the internal workings of its "first super-resolution enlarger 103" (comprising a positioner, interpolator, estimated picture creator, and repetition determiner) and "first resolution converter 104" (comprising a pixel inserter, filtering processor, and pixel thinner) [cite: the first super-resolution enlarger 103, Part (a) of FIG. 6]. These descriptions indicate that the individual components and processes for super-resolution and resolution conversion (upsampling/downsampling with filtering) were known techniques.

Obviousness Combination and Motivation

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in the field of video coding, seeking to improve the efficiency of scalable video coding systems, would have been motivated to combine the teachings of MPEG-4 SVC (or Patent Literature 1) with known super-resolution and resolution conversion techniques.

Problem Addressed by the Combination:
The patent highlights a problem in existing hierarchical coding schemes: "failures to allot a sufficient code rate would degrade image qualities of predictive pictures or predictive blocks, resulting in reduced encoding efficiencies" [cite: like techniques making use of high correlations in the temporal direction]. This implies that the information content available for inter-layer prediction, even from lower-resolution layers, might not be optimal, leading to less efficient encoding of higher layers or enhanced standard-resolution layers.

Motivation for a PHOSITA to Combine:
A PHOSITA, aware of the challenge of maximizing encoding efficiency in scalable video coding and familiar with techniques for recovering high-frequency information, would naturally consider super-resolution as a means to "enrich" the information available to the encoder. Super-resolution techniques are designed to reconstruct a higher-resolution image from multiple lower-resolution images, thereby potentially inferring details not explicitly present in a single low-resolution frame.

The motivation to combine would specifically arise from the desire to:

1. Enhance the "target pictures" for an encoding layer (e.g., a standard-resolution enhancement layer): If the goal is to encode a standard-resolution video stream with a higher quality or more detail than typically achievable by simple downsampling from a high-resolution input, applying super-resolution to the original standard-resolution input would be an intuitive step. The super-resolution process would extract additional frequency components (as described in the patent), and then a subsequent resolution conversion would re-conform the signal to the standard resolution, but with "an increased amount of information" [cite: a moving picture encoding system, 2nd to last definition block]. This enhanced standard-resolution signal would provide a richer basis for the second encoder to operate on, thereby improving the efficiency of encoding this enhanced layer.
2. Provide richer "reference pictures" for inter-layer prediction: In an MPEG-4 SVC-like system where a higher layer predicts from a lower layer, providing a more detailed or "super-resolved" version of the decoded lower-layer picture as a reference could improve the accuracy of the prediction, thus reducing the amount of residual information to be encoded. This is also contemplated by the present patent's "second super-resolution enlarger" and "second resolution converter" used to create "second reference pictures." [cite: the second encoder 107, FIG. 1 and 8]

Specific Combination:
Consider a scalable video encoding system, such as that taught by MPEG-4 SVC (or Patent Literature 1), which includes:

• A base layer encoder (analogous to the "first encoder" 102) encoding a standard resolution video stream.
• An enhancement layer encoder (analogous to the "second encoder" 107 or "third encoder" 108) encoding an enhanced video stream, potentially at the same or higher resolution, and utilizing inter-layer prediction from the base layer's decoded pictures.

A PHOSITA would modify this system by introducing:

• A super-resolution enlarger (employing known techniques like positioning, interpolation, and reconstruction, as described in the patent's "first super-resolution enlarger 103" [cite: Part (a) of FIG. 4]) to process the input standard-resolution video, or the decoded base-layer video, to recover lost high-frequency details.
• A resolution converter (employing known techniques like pixel insertion, filtering with a low-pass filter, and pixel thinning, as described in the patent's "first resolution converter 104" [cite: Part (a) of FIG. 6]) to convert the super-resolution enlarged pictures back to the desired target resolution (e.g., the standard resolution for the "super-resolution enlarged and converted pictures," or the high resolution for the "resolution conversion enlarged decoded pictures").

The resulting "super-resolution enlarged and converted pictures" (for encoding target) or "super-resolution enlarged decoded pictures" (for reference) would then be fed into the enhancement layer encoder, providing it with more informative signals for encoding or prediction. The motivation is to improve the very "enhanced encoding efficiencies making use of high correlations between different spatial resolutions" that the prior art (MPEG-4 SVC) sought, by making those correlations more robust and information-rich through super-resolution processing.

Therefore, the combination of MPEG-4 SVC (or Patent Literature 1) with common knowledge of super-resolution techniques and resolution conversion methods would render the core aspects of US9042448 obvious, as it addresses a known problem in the art (degradation of predictive picture quality and reduced encoding efficiency) using known solutions in an expected manner to achieve a predictable improvement in efficiency.