Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 21-22, 24, 26-32, 34, 36-40 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liao (US 2012/0155553) in view of Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004), Yachida (US PG Publication 2010/0086225 A1), and Brailovskiy (US PG Publication 2013/0279567).
Regarding Claim 21, Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses a method of encoding (method and apparatus for encoding, Abstract) a video content (media, Abstract) including a plurality of video frames having a first frame and a second frame preceding the first frame (sequence of video frames in e.g., Fig. 9, [0088]), the method comprising:
performing a first pass of an encoding process (one pass Xcoded version, Fig. 8) of the plurality of video frames (of media program 504, Fig. 8) that generates encoding information (output parameters and parameter values 802, Fig. 8; texture complexity T(n), motion complexity M(n), frame rate, size and bit rate (Kbps), and these metrics may be expressed as an average value, maximum value, or as a function of time [0072]; or an instantaneous value [0078]) about the first frame (instantaneous bitrate/ texture/ motion of a frame [0075], [0078]) based in part on the second frame (motion complexity [0078]; motion complexity is based on a second frame preceding in coding order the first frame [0088], as motion vectors indicate displacements relative to the second frame);
storing (see communication line in Fig. 8) …, the encoding information about the first frame (output parameters and parameter values 802, Fig. 8; texture complexity T(n), motion complexity M(n), frame rate, size and bit rate (Kbps), and these metrics may be expressed as an average value, maximum value, or as a function of time [0072]; or an instantaneous value [0078]) generated by the fiCrst pass of the encoding process (output of transcoder 502, the first past transcoder, Fig. 8);
after performing the first pass of the encoding process (constraints decision module 804 and adjustment module 808 are after the first pass transcoder 502, Fig. 8; if the single-pass transcoded version of media program 504 did not satisfy all constraints [0080]):
retrieving the encoding information (output parameters and values are passed to the constraint decision module, Fig. 8) …, the encoding information including an encoding parameter (output parameters and parameter values 802, Fig. 8; texture complexity T(n), motion complexity M(n), frame rate, size and bit rate (Kbps), and these metrics may be expressed as an average value, maximum value, or as a function of time [0072]; or an instantaneous value [0078]) of the first frame (instantaneous values, by definition, refer to a single frame, as they are instantaneous);
obtaining, based on a … first frame (average value [0072], [0078] of the entire first version [0078]), a threshold (constraints 803 provided to the constraint decision module 804 [0073]) for a comparison (comparing metrics of the single pass transcoded version of the media program 504 with the provided constraints 803 [0073]) with the encoding parameter (the parameter values 802, Fig. 8; texture complexity T(n), motion complexity M(n), frame rate, size and bit rate (Kbps), and these metrics may be expressed as an average value, maximum value, or as a function of time [0072]; or an instantaneous value [0078]) of the first frame (instantaneous values, by definition, refer to a single frame), wherein the threshold is computed as an average (average value [0072], [0078]) of the encoding parameter (metrics and constraints [0078]) for a plurality of at least one of (i) past frames or, (ii) future frames (the entire first version [0078]) …;
detecting, based on the comparison (compares to a constraint [0075]; satisfy one or more constraints 803 [0073]) of the encoding parameter (based on the parameter values 802, Fig. 8) with the threshold (constraints [0073]-[0082] are thresholds), the first frame as a candidate for encoding a defect (determining failed constraints and values 806, Fig. 8; encoding to constant quality [0065]) wherein the defect is at least one of a ringing, a blocking, or a break-up of a picture (video quality [0090]— ringing, blocking, and breakup are known compression distortions);
performing, in response to detecting, a second pass of the encoding process (transcoder 811 transcode the failed time interval [0083]) of the first frame to generate an encoded first frame (second pass transcoding of the time interval [0083]).
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches storing, in a first file (log file, Column 32 lines 23-42), the encoding information (H, the bits consumed by the motion vectors, stored in the log file per frame of video, Column 32 lines 23-42);
retrieving the encoding information from the first file (the values of (X, g, H) are read from the stored data file which may be the log file described above, Column 32 lines 43-49).
Liao does not disclose, but Yachida (US PG Publication 2010/0086225 A1) teaches wherein the defect is at least one of a ringing, a blocking, or a break-up of a picture (block distortion, Abstract, background, Summary [0028]-[0033]).
Liao does not disclose, but Brailovskiy (US PG Publication 2013/0279567) teaches obtaining, based on a frame type of the first frame (based on frame type I, P, or B [0023]-[0034], equations 1, 2, 3, and 4), a threshold (threshold value ω, based on frame type I, P, or B [0034])… wherein the threshold is … of the same frame type as the first frame (if the I frames are used to calculate b, the parameter, then ω is based on I frames [0034]).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to consider the encoding parameters in Figs. 2-3 of Yachida in determining the recoding parameters of Liao because Yachida teaches that a combination of these parameters can be used to determine deblocking filter strength and reduce the effect of blocking artifacts in the compressed video [0010]-[0014], improving image quality.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to tailor the parameter values 802 of Liao to the picture coding type, as in Brailovskiy because the encoding metrics of the different frame types are so different that they could improperly skew the analysis if they were combined into a single threshold or metric. For example, persons in the art know that encoded I-frames consume many times more bits and P-frame, and encoded B-frames consume many times fewer bits than P-frames, leading them to conclude that distinguishing metrics by frame-type would yield more accurate encoding assessments.
Claim 22: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 21.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches wherein the encoding parameter includes a first amount of change between the first frame and the second frame (bits MB header, Fig. 9C; macroblock header length, Figs. 10A, 10B);
and wherein detecting includes comparing the first amount of change with a threshold (B is the number of bits of the frame resulting from the original encoding; there are determined to be too many bits, Column 38 lines 30-end) to determine whether the first frame is likely to contain the defect (increase the quantization level of the macroblocks to reduce the number of bits, Column 38 lines 30-end).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 24: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 22.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches wherein the threshold has a static value (number of bits, Column 38 lines 30-end).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 26: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 21.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches wherein the encoding information includes a provisional identification of the frame type (picture coding type, Fig. 9A).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 27: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 21.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches wherein the encoding information includes a provisional allocation of bits to motion vectors (bits MB header, Fig. 9C; macroblock header length, Figs. 10A, 10B).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 28: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 21.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches wherein the encoding information includes at least one of a residual (the master video bitstream file is the compressed bitstream for the entire movie, Column 14 lines 56-end; this includes the residual, Column 6 lines 59-end) or a provisional quantization parameter value (mean qscale, Fig. 9B; quantizer scale Figs. 10A, 10B).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 29: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 21, further comprising storing the encoded first frame in an output file (stored in 2-pass coded media program 816).
Claim 30: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 29.
Liao does not disclose, but Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004) teaches generating second encoding information during the second pass of the encoding process (changing the quantization, Column 20 lines 23-33);
and storing second encoding information in the output file (the original set of log files needs to be updated to correspond to the changes which occurred during editing, Column 20 lines 23-33).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to modify Liao to store the encoder parameters and values of Liao in a log file, as taught by Azadegan, because Azadegan teaches that the log files are particularly useful during re-encoding for improving the quality of video because they are needed to determine the edit points of the video (Column 19 lines 1-10, lines 30-35).
Claim 31: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the system comprising:
a processor:
and a memory;
wherein the processor is configured (computer, Fig. 2 [0027]-[0034]).
The remainder of Claim 31 is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 21.
Claim 32: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 22.
Claim 34: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 24.
Claim 36: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 26.
Claim 37: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 27.
Claim 38: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 28.
Claim 39: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 29.
Claim 40: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 30.
Claims 23 and 33 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liao (US 2012/0155553) in view of Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004), Yachida (US PG Publication 2010/0086225 A1), Brailovskiy (US PG Publication 2013/0279567), and Messmer (US PG Publication 2012/0315011).
Claim 23: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 22.
Liao does not disclose but Messmer (US PG Publication 2012/0315011) teaches wherein the first amount of change is an amount change in a color spectrum shift (metadata includes gamut curves [0063]).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to supplement the video-editing of Liao with the gamut correction of Messmer because Messmer teaches that the capabilities of different displays can fail to render images as the artistic designer anticipated, thwarting the artist’s intent [0011], and gamut correction can restore the quality of the displayed images.
Claim 33: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 23.
Claims 25 and 35 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liao (US 2012/0155553) in view of Azadegan (US Patent 5,819,004), Yachida (US PG Publication 2010/0086225 A1), Brailovskiy (US PG Publication 2013/0279567), and Dye (US 7190284 B1).
Claim 25: Liao (US 2012/0155553) discloses the method of claim 22.
Liao does not disclose, but Dye (US 7190284 B1) teaches wherein the threshold has a dynamic value (dynamic compression error threshold, Column 32 lines 5-15).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention would have been motivated to implement the 2-pass coder of Liao with dynamic thresholds because Dye teaches that it produces high quality compression ratios, improving image quality, reducing blur, and reducing computation cost and coding rate, Column 30 lines 54-end.
Claim 35: Rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 25.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 5/8/2026 have been considered. Arguments pertaining to Hui are persuasive and Hui is not relied upon in this office action. Examiner notes, however, that Liao teaches the metric and the constraint being an average value, as mapped in this office action. Liao at [0078]. Other references in the office action are not relied upon to teach the amended limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20130148741 A1 – automatic video format detection and conversion
Perlman (WO 2009/073795 A1) – Perlman too many P frames in a row, change to I frame or increase bits in P frame
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
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/SHADAN E HAGHANI/Examiner, Art Unit 2485
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