Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Application No. 18/019,118

A MEDIA DECODER FOR DECODING STREAMED MEDIA AND A METHOD THEREFOR

Final Rejection §102
Filed
Feb 01, 2023
Examiner
CRUZ, IRIANA
Art Unit
2681
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Dolby International AB
OA Round
3 (Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
4-5
OA Rounds
2y 8m
To Grant
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allow Rate
590 granted / 726 resolved
+19.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+9.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
48 currently pending
Career history
774
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
10.5%
-29.5% vs TC avg
§103
53.9%
+13.9% vs TC avg
§102
24.2%
-15.8% vs TC avg
§112
8.7%
-31.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 726 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 16-17, 19-24, 26-27, 29, 31-36 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. New rejection has been made in view of the differences between previous claim 18 and current subject amendment subject matter. Said differences are the decoding of the media package is in accordance with the updated header information however previous claim 18 only forwarded the updated header information to the decoder and did not specify that the decoder uses the updated header information. New rejection below. Claim Objections Claims 21-22, 26-27, 31-36 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 21 includes two claims in one, it seems like original claim 22 was wrote into 21 as a typographical mistake. Claim 22 depends on itself. Claims 26 and 27 depend on cancelled claim 25 and claims 31-36 depend on cancelled claims 25 or 30. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 16-17, 19-22, 24, 26-27, 29, 31, 33, 35-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (US 2016/0373776 A1). With respect to Claim 16, Lim’776 shows a method (Figure 8) for decoding in a media decoder (Figure 1 image decoding apparatus 10) media streamed from a remote media service (Figure 16 streaming server ex103 in paragraph [0146] to carry out stream distribution of coded content to client devices that can decode the coded stream), the streamed media comprising media packages, the respective media packages comprising decoder configuration information and one or more media samples (paragraph [0163]), the method comprising: configuring the media decoder using an initial decoder configuration (Figure 12 S1000, paragraph [0060] and [0101]); receiving decoder configuration information corresponding to a respective media package (Figure 4A-4B and paragraph [0073] describes a media sample); identifying one or more differences between the received decoder configuration information and the initial decoder configuration, and in response (figure 12 S1004 and paragraph [0104]), deriving, from the received decoder configuration information, an updated decoder configuration for the media decoder in accordance with a set of predefined rules, the updated decoder configuration being a parameterized version of the initial decoder configuration (paragraph [0106] computes/derives second values with the predetermined rule/coefficients determined from the updated parameters, describing the second values as a parametrized version of the initial values); receiving header information (Figures 4A-4B) of the one or more media samples (Figure 16 streaming server ex103 described in paragraph [0146] to carry out stream distribution of coded content to client devices that can decode the coded stream) in the respective media package (Paragraph [0163] describes the media sample); deriving an updated header information by updating the header information (Figures 4A-4B) in accordance with the set of predefined rules (Figure 1 predefined rules in which matrix decoding unit 13 receives old quantization scaling matrix through matrix obtaining unit 11 and updated parameters from update parameter obtaining unit 12 via an inputted coded stream. The updated parameter includes an update denominator D204, paragraph [0074]) and the updated decoder configuration information (Figure 1 matrix decoding unit 13 decodes (derives) new quantization scaling matrix (updated decoder configuration information) using the old quantization scaling matrix and updated parameters (from the header figures 4A-4B paragraphs [0073]-[0075]) from the coded stream that is output by update parameter obtaining unit 12 as described in paragraph [0063].), and decoding the one or more media samples of the respective media package in accordance with the updated decoder configuration and the updated header information (figure image decoding unit 14, paragraph [0065]). With respect to Claim 17, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 16, wherein the deriving the updated decoder configuration comprises modifying at least one of a memory buffer size parameter, a media sample timing information, a media codec type, a media codec parameters (Figure S1002 and S1006 in paragraphs [0112]), or a media sample decryption initialization information of the received decoder configuration information. With respect to Claim 19, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 16, wherein the updating the heather information comprises updating at least one of a media sample size, a media sample timing information, a media sample codec parameter (Figure 1 matrix decoding unit 13 decodes (derives) new quantization scaling matrix (updated decoder configuration information) using the old quantization scaling matrix and updated parameters (from the header figures 4A-4B paragraphs [0073]-[0075]) from the coded stream that is output by update parameter obtaining unit 12 as described in paragraph [0063].), or a media sample decryption information of the header information. With respect to Claim 20, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 16, further comprising: retrieving decoder configuration information of at least a subset of media packages of the streamed media and/or of an initialization segment of the streamed media and/or other decoder configuration information (figure 12 S1000); deriving the initial decoder configuration from the retrieved decoder configuration information in accordance with the set of predefined rules (figure 12 S1002 and S1006); and initializing the media decoder using the initial decoder configuration (Figure 12 S1010). With respect to Claim 21, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 20, wherein the deriving further comprises determining a generalized decoder configuration based on the retrieved decoder configuration information (figure 1). The method according to claim 20, wherein the subset comprises one or more media packages (Paragraph [0163] describes the media sample). With respect to Claim 22, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 22, wherein the media packages comprise different decoder configuration information (figure 1). With respect to Claim 24, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 16, are applicable. With respect to Claim 26, Lim’776 shows the method according to claim 25, wherein the initial decoder configuration is derived in accordance with the set of predefined rules and based on decoder configuration information of at least a subset of media packages of the streamed media and/or of an initialization segment of the media stream and/or other decoder configuration information (figure 1). With respect to Claim 27, Lim’776 shows a media player comprising the media decoder according to claim 25. With respect to Claim 29, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 16, are applicable. With respect to Claim 31, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 20, are applicable. With respect to Claim 33, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 17, are applicable. With respect to Claim 35, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 19, are applicable. With respect to Claim 36, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 19, are applicable. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 23, 32 and 34 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tsai (US 2013/0028299 A1): paragraph [0054] FIG. 16 shows a flow diagram of the decoder control unit 33 of FIG. 15 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 141, the flow waits until the highest common denominator (HCD) indicating the greatest common link speed between two transceivers is available and link_control parameter is "ENABLE" indicating that auto-negotiation turns control over to the PHY for data processing. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRIANA CRUZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3246. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Akwasi M. Sarpong can be reached at (571) 270-3438. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /IRIANA CRUZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
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Prosecution Timeline

Feb 01, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 28, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Aug 01, 2025
Response Filed
Oct 08, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Jan 08, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Jan 08, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Jan 12, 2026
Response Filed
Mar 31, 2026
Final Rejection — §102 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

4-5
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (+9.3%)
2y 8m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 726 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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