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
Form PTO-892 is updated to list the Ramasubramonian reference (US Patent Pub. No.: US 2022/0207780 A1) that was missing in the office action dated 11/17/2025.
Applicant's arguments filed April 17, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 1 and 10,
(1) applicant states that “Although Ramasubramonian generally discloses inter prediction using a reference point in a reference frame, Applicant respectfully submits that Ramasubramonian does not disclose determining the above three distinct elements and using those determined three elements to calculate the prediction value of the second distance.”. Examiner disagrees with this statement. Ramasubramonian teaches inter prediction using a reference point in a reference frame. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Ramasubramonian to incorporate the teachings of Mathematics to use mathematical relationships to calculate a prediction value of a second distance between the second position and the second three-dimensional point based on geometry relationships using the three calculated elements.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment of April 17, 2026 overcomes the following objection:
Specification because of informalities
The Amendment of April 17, 2026 does not overcome the following rejection:
Rejection of claims 1-20 based on 35 USC 101
because claim language involves data processing which is a mental process and does not imply computer implemented image analysis which would add additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Suggestion is to change “three-dimensional data encoding method” to “three-dimensional image data encoding method” and “three-dimensional data decoding method” to “three-dimensional image data decoding method”.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramasubramonian (US Patent Pub. No.: US 2022/0207780 A1), hereinafter Ramasubramonian, in view of Mathematics (Express spherical coordinates with different centers in terms of each other, August, 2013, https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/458123/express-spherical-coordinates-with-different-centers-in-terms-of-each-other), hereinafter Mathematics.
Regarding claim 1, Ramasubramonian teaches a three-dimensional data (A point cloud contains a set of points in a 3D space. [0040]) encoding method (This disclosure relates to point cloud encoding and decoding. [0002]) comprising: determining a first three-dimensional point (FIG. 7 point 756A
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) that is encoded (Reference frame 754 may be a frame that is encoded and/or reconstructed prior to current frame 750 being decoded and/or reconstructed (e.g., reference frame 754 may precede current frame 750 in a coding order). [0179]) and has a position represented by a first polar coordinate system (FIG 5A point M.
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) having a first position as a reference (FIG. 5A origin of polar coordinate system 500 for the reference frame); andcalculating a prediction value of a second distance (For instance, to predict the current point using inter prediction, the G-PCC coder may identify a reference point in a different frame than the current frame and predict one or more parameters (e.g., a radius r, an azimuth 4), and a laser index i) of the current point based on one or more parameters of the reference point. [0016]) between the second position (origin of polar coordinate system for the current frame)) and the second three-dimensional point (FIG. 7 point 752A).
Ramasubramonian does not expressly teach the following limitations as further recited, but Mathematics further teaches determining a first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph) and has a position represented by a first polar coordinate system (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph) having a first position as a reference (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used. Page 1 3rd paragraph); [[and]] determining (i) a distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and a second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) of a second three-dimensional point and has a position (A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize this can be a point with coordinates R2, φ2, θ2 in the second spherical coordinate system.) represented by a second polar coordinate system having the second position as a reference (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph), (ii) a first angle (It is common knowledge an angle between two lines can be calculated.) between a first line connecting the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and a second line connecting the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph), and (iii) a first distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph); andcalculating a prediction value of a second distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the second three-dimensional point (A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize this can be a point with coordinates R2, φ2, θ2 in the second spherical coordinate system.) using (i) the distance between the first position and the second position, (ii) the first angle, and (iii) the first distance (It is common knowledge that the second distance can be calculated based on geometry relationships using the three calculated elements.).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Ramasubramonian to incorporate the teachings of Mathematics to use mathematical relationships to calculate a prediction value of a second distance between the second position and the second three-dimensional point based on geometry.
Claims 2-8, unamended and are rejected based on the combination of Ramasubramonian, in view of Mathematics. The grounds of rejection established in the last Office Action is fully incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 10, Ramasubramonian in the combination teaches a three-dimensional data (A point cloud contains a set of points in a 3D space. [0040]) decoding method (This disclosure relates to point cloud encoding and decoding. [0002]) comprising: determining a first three-dimensional point that is decoded (The G-PCC coder may choose a reference point in the reference frame that is associated with the reference pivot point. [0192]) and has a position represented by a first polar coordinate system (FIG 5A point M) having a first position as a reference (FIG. 5A origin of polar coordinate system 500); andcalculating a prediction value of a second distance between the second position and the second three-dimensional point (The prediction may be derived by adding the components of the first residual to the respective components of the pivot point (e.g., the radius prediction may be obtained by adding the radius component of the first residual to the radius component of the pivot point (similarly for azimuth)). In some examples, the first prediction may be set equal to the reference point. [0194]).
Mathematics in the combination further teaches determining a first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph) and has a position represented by a first polar coordinate system (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph) having a first position as a reference (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used. Page 1 3rd paragraph); [[and]] determining (i) a distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and a second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) of a second three-dimensional point and has a position (A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize this can be a point with coordinates R2, φ2, θ2 in the second spherical coordinate system.) represented by a second polar coordinate system having the second position as a reference (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph), (ii) a first angle (It is common knowledge an angle between two lines can be calculated.) between a first line connecting the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and a second line connecting the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph), and (iii) a first distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the first position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the first three-dimensional point (Consider a point P, with coordinates R1, φ1, θ1 in the first spherical coordinate system. Page 2 1st paragraph); and calculating a prediction value of a second distance (It is common knowledge a distance between two points can be calculated.) between the second position (Let the origin of your spherical coordinates be the origin of the first Cartesian system being used, and the origin of your spherical coordinates be at X0, Y0, Z0 in the same Cartesian system. Page 1 3rd paragraph) and the second three-dimensional point (A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize this can be a point with coordinates R2, φ2, θ2 in the second spherical coordinate system.) using (i) the distance between the first position and the second position, (ii) the first angle, and (iii) the first distance (It is common knowledge that the second distance can be calculated based on geometry relationships using the three calculated elements.).
Claims 11-17, unamended and are rejected based on the combination of Ramasubramonian, in view of Mathematics. The grounds of rejection established in the last Office Action is fully incorporated herein.
Apparatus claim 19 is drawn to the apparatus corresponding to the method of using same as claimed in claim 1. Therefore apparatus claim 19 corresponds to method claim 1, and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Apparatus claim 20 is drawn to the apparatus corresponding to the method of using same as claimed in claim 10. Therefore apparatus claim 20 corresponds to method claim 10, and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Examiner’s Note
Claims 9 and 18 recite limitations which would otherwise be allowable contingent upon overcoming the aforementioned 101 SME rejection;
and 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior arts of record teach the three-dimensional data encoding method according to claim 8. However, none of them alone or in any combination teaches wherein a first determination method for determining a prediction value used to prediction encode three-dimensional points on a first plane perpendicular to the reference plane is different from a second determination method for determining a prediction value used to prediction encode three-dimensional points on a second plane perpendicular to the reference plane, the first plane facing the first position and the second position in a third direction, the second plane facing the first position and the second position in a fourth direction, the third direction is different from the fourth direction, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the first plane are included in the first three-dimensional points, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the first plane are included in the second three-dimensional points, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the second plane are included in the first three-dimensional points, and one or more of the three-dimensional points on the second plane are included in the second three-dimensional points as specified in claim 9.
The closest prior arts of record teach the three-dimensional data decoding method according to claim 17. However, none of them alone or in any combination teaches wherein a first determination method for determining a prediction value to prediction decode three-dimensional points on a first plane perpendicular to the reference plane is different from a second determination method for determining a prediction value used to prediction decode three-dimensional points on a second plane perpendicular to the reference plane, the first plane facing the first position and the second position in a third direction, the second plane facing the first position and the second position in a fourth direction, the third direction is different from the fourth direction, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the first plane are included in the first three-dimensional points, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the first plane are included in the second three-dimensional points, one or more of the three-dimensional points on the second plane are included in the first three-dimensional points, and one or more of the three-dimensional points on the second plane are included in the second three-dimensional points as specified in claim 18.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/LEI ZHAO/Examiner, Art Unit 2668
/VU LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2668
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