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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/30/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of a new ground of rejections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-8, and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hendry et al. (US 2017/0111642 A1 – hereinafter Hendry) and Denoual et al. (GB 2599171 A - hereinafter Denoual).
Regarding claim 1, Hendry discloses a media file receiving method performed by a media file receiving apparatus for receiving a media file of a predetermined format, the media file including video data, the media file receiving method comprising: obtaining one or more tracks and sample groups from a media file ([0011] – obtaining one or more tracks and sample groups from a media file storing a multi-layer bitstream); and processing video data in the media file by reconstructing samples included in the tracks based on the sample groups ([0011]; [0065] – processing video data by reconstructing samples in the tracks based on the sample groups that comprise samples of the tracks), wherein, based on that a current track of the tracks comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and a sample group is present for the current track ([0011]; [0034]; [0107]; [0140]-[0147] – based on a plurality of layers present in the track and a predetermined sample group, e.g. a TSA, STSA, SAP, or linf sample group, is present in the track), the current track comprises layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers ([0011]; [0107]; [0140]-[0147] – the current track comprises the sample-to-group box as layer information for the target layers or sublayers which can be used to specify the target layers, or the track comprises layer information to identify layers/sublayers as described at least in [0140]-[0147]).
However, Hendry does not disclose the sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group.
Denoual discloses a sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group (Fig. 3; page 4, line 19; page 24, lines 5-6 – a track comprising a ‘vopi’ sample group, the track comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers as shown in Fig. 3 and described at least in page 24, lines 18-23).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to incorporate the teachings of Denoual into the method taught by Hendry to place description of the bitstream composition in the metadata part of the media file in order to allow parsers or readers to be aware of the composition without having to decode encoding format-specific SEI NAL units of the encapsulated bitstream.
Regarding claim 3, Hendry also discloses the layer information is included in a ‘linf’ sample group ([0140]-[0147] - layer information to identify layers/sublayers in a ‘linf’ sample group).
Regarding claim 4, Hendry also discloses the “linf” sample group is included in a sample table box of the current track ([0140]-[0147]).
Regarding claim 5, Hendry also discloses the layer information comprises information for the number of layers present in the current track and an identifier of each of the layers ([0140]-[0147] – list of layers and sub layers is signaled in the Layer Information sample group, which specifies a number of layers in the track by the field ‘num_layers_in_track).
Regarding claim 6, Hendry also discloses the layer information further comprises information for a minimum temporal identifier and a maximum temporal identifier of the sublayers ([0140]-[0147] – by the field ‘min_sub_layer_id and max_sub_layer_id).
Claim 7 is rejected for the same reason as discussed in claim 1 in view of Hendry also disclosing a media file receiving apparatus (Fig. 6) comprising a memory ([0226]-[0227]; Fig. 6 – computer readable medium 148) and at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to perform the recited method ([0204]; [0206]; [0226] – one or more processors of file processing unit 149).
Regarding claim 8, Hendry discloses a media file generating method performed by a media file generating apparatus for generating a media file of a predetermined format, the media file including video data, the media file generating method comprising: encoding video data ([0047]; Fig. 5 – encoding video data by an encoder as shown in Fig. 5); generating one or more tracks and sample groups for the encoded video data ([0010] – generating one or more tracks comprising samples that are mapped into a sample group); and generating a media file based on the generated tracks and sample groups ([0010] – generating a file by a file processing unit 128 as further shown in Fig. 5), wherein, based on that a current track of the tracks comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and a sample group is present for the current track ([0010]; [0034]; [0140]-[0147] – based on a plurality of layers present in the track and a predetermined sample group, e.g. a TSA, STSA, SAP, or linf sample group, is present in the track), the current track comprises layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers ([0010]; [0107]; [0140]-[0147] – the current track comprises the sample-to-group box as layer information for the target layers or sublayers which can be used to specify the target layers, or the track comprises layer information to identify layers/sublayers as described at least in [0140]-[0147]).
However, Hendry does not disclose the sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group.
Denoual discloses a sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group (Fig. 3; page 4, line 19; page 24, lines 5-6 – a track comprising a ‘vopi’ sample group, the track comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers as shown in Fig. 3 and described at least in page 24, lines 18-23).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to incorporate the teachings of Denoual into the method taught by Hendry to place description of the bitstream composition in the metadata part of the media file in order to allow parsers or readers to be aware of the composition without having to decode encoding format-specific SEI NAL units of the encapsulated bitstream.
Regarding claim 10, Hendry also discloses the layer information is included in a ‘linf’ sample group ([0140]-[0147] - layer information to identify layers/sublayers in a ‘linf’ sample group).
Regarding claim 11, Hendry also discloses the “linf” sample group is included in a sample table box of the current track ([0140]-[0147]).
Regarding claim 12, Hendry also discloses the layer information comprises information for the number of layers present in the current track and an identifier of each of the layers ([0140]-[0147] – list of layers and sub layers is signaled in the Layer Information sample group, which specifies a number of layers in the track by the field ‘num_layers_in_track).
Regarding claim 13, Hendry also discloses the layer information further comprises information for a minimum temporal identifier and a maximum temporal identifier of the sublayers ([0140]-[0147] – by the field ‘min_sub_layer_id and max_sub_layer_id).
Regarding claim 14, Hendry discloses a method of transmitting a media file performed by a media file transmitting apparatus for transmitting a media file of a predetermined format, the media file including video data (Fig. 1; Fig. 5 – transmitting to a destination device), the media file transmitting method comprising: transmitting the media file to the media file receiving apparatus (Fig. 1; Fig. 5 – transmitting to a destination device), wherein the media file is generated by a media file generating method, the media file generating method comprising: encoding video data ([0047]; Fig. 5 – encoding video data by an encoder as shown in Fig. 5); generating one or more tracks and sample groups for the encoded video data ([0010] – generating one or more tracks comprising samples that are mapped into a sample group); and generating a media file based on the generated tracks and sample groups ([0010] – generating a file by a file processing unit 128 as further shown in Fig. 5), wherein, based on that a current track of the tracks comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and a sample group is present for the current track ([0010]; [0034]; [0107]; [0140]-[0147] – based on a plurality of layers present in the track and a predetermined sample group, e.g. a TSA, STSA, SAP, or linf sample group, is present in the track), the current track comprises layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers ([0010]; [0107]; [0140]-[0147] – the current track comprises the sample-to-group box as layer information for the target layers or sublayers which can be used to specify the target layers, or the track comprises layer information to identify layers/sublayers as described at least in [0140]-[0147]).
However, Hendry does not disclose the sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group.
Denoual discloses a sample group is a ‘vopi’ sample group (Fig. 3; page 4, line 19; page 24, lines 5-6 – a track comprising a ‘vopi’ sample group, the track comprises a plurality of layers or sublayers and layer information for the plurality of layers or sublayers as shown in Fig. 3 and described at least in page 24, lines 18-23).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to incorporate the teachings of Denoual into the method taught by Hendry to place description of the bitstream composition in the metadata part of the media file in order to allow parsers or readers to be aware of the composition without having to decode encoding format-specific SEI NAL units of the encapsulated bitstream.
Claim 15 is rejected for the same reason as discussed in claim 1 in view of Hendry also disclosing a media file receiving apparatus (Fig. 5; [0191]) comprising a memory ([0226]-[0227]; Fig. 5 – computer readable medium 130 or a video memory as further described at least in [0195]-[0196]) and at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to perform the recited method ([0191]; [0226] – one or more processors of file processing unit 128).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1116. The examiner can normally be reached IFT.
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, Thai Q Tran can be reached on 571-272-7382. 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.
/HUNG Q DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2484
Prosecution Insights