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 Amendment
The Amendment filed 11/10/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Claims 1- 4, 8- 10, 11- 13, 16- 17, and 20 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 10, and 16 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vadim Seregin (US 20180278951 A1) (hereinafter Seregin) in view of Yaowu Xu (US 20170324978 A1) (hereinafter (Xu) further in view of Ye Hu (US 20230068657 A1) (hereinafter Hu):
Regarding Claim 1, Seregin teaches a method ([0030] teaches the video coding method) comprising:
entropy decoding, based on the probability model, an indication of whether a value of a BVD sign symbol matches a value of a sign symbol of a BVD predictor associated with the current block ([0028], [0066], [0207], and [0204] teach entropy decoding using the probability model and indicator that is indicates that the motion vector difference sign is the same sign as the motion vector difference predictor sign);
determining, based on the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor and the indication, a value of a sign symbol of a BVD for the current block ([0028], and [0208] teach determining the motion vector difference component sign based on the sign predictor and the indicator); and
Seregin does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Xu teaches selecting, by a computing device, from among a plurality of probability models a probability model ([0003], [0058], [0061], [0066] teaches selecting from multiple probability models a model by evaluating a magnitude classification set by threshold);
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Hu teaches based on a range of magnitude values comprising a value of a magnitude of a block vector difference (BVD) predicted for a current block of content ([0236]- [0238], and [0261]- [0263] teaches selecting the context model that further selects the probability model based on the magnitude of the BVD falling within a defined range),
decoding the current block of content based on the BVD for the current block of content ([0067]- [0072] decoding the block based on the BVD components for the current block).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to further add the determinization of the range at which the magnitude falls within as disclosed by Hu to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 2, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Hu further teaches further comprising determining, based on a prefix of a code word for the magnitude of the BVD predicted for the current block of content and independent of a suffix of the code word, the range of magnitude values ([0005], [0117], [0113], [0118]- [0121], [0159], [0161], and [0164]- [0166] teach interval determination based on a prefix value, and the interval determination occurs independent of suffix decoding).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin in view Xu to further add the teaching of Hu as disclosed by above to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 3, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Xu further teaches wherein the selecting the probability model is further based on a lower bound of the range of magnitude values ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold. Note: the threshold value is the lower bound).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the teachings of Xu as disclosed above to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Regarding Claim 4, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Xu further teaches wherein the selecting the probability model comprises selecting the probability model further on based whether a magnitude value within the range of magnitude values satisfies a threshold ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the teachings of Xu as disclosed above to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Regarding Claim 5, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches
determining a plurality of costs for a plurality of BVD candidates ([0214]- [0215] teaches determining the cost for multiple motion candidates), wherein a value of a sign symbol of a first BVD candidate, of the plurality of BVD candidates, is different than a value of a sign symbol of a second BVD candidate, of the plurality of BVD candidates ([0027], and [0105] teaches the sign of the motion component signs are different from one another); and
selecting, based on the plurality of costs, one of the plurality of BVD candidates as the BVD predictor ([0108], [0150], and [0214] teaches selecting based on a cost analysis one of the candidate as the predictor).
Regarding Claim 6, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 5. Seregin further teaches wherein the determining the plurality of costs comprises determining a template matching cost, for a BVD candidate of the plurality of BVD candidates, based on a difference between a template of the current block and a template of a candidate reference block displaced relative to the current block by a sum of the BVD candidate and a block vector predictor (BVP) ([0022]- [0023], [0106]- [0107], and [0117]- [0120] teaches determinizing a template matching cost for the motion candidates using SAD, or SSD based on the difference between the template of the current block and the reference block ).
Regarding Claim 7, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 5. Seregin further teaches wherein the selecting the BVD predictor comprises selecting the BVD predictor further based on a cost associated with the BVD predictor being a smallest cost of the plurality of costs ([0115], and [0115]- [0116] teaches selecting the motion predictor based on the smallest cost).
Regarding Claim 8, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Hu further teaches the BVD predicted for the current block is a motion vector difference (MVD) ([0066], and [0099]- [0101] teaches the BVD is a MVD); and
the BVD predictor is an MVD predictor ([0066] and [0099]- [0101] teaches the BVD predictor is a MVD predictor).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin in view Xu to further add the teaching of Hu as disclosed by above to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 9, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches wherein the determining the value of the BVD sign symbol comprises:
determining that the value of the BVD sign symbol is equal to the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor based on the indication indicating that the value of the BVD sign symbol matches the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor ([0101], and [0103] teach an indicator that determines if the sign is equal to the predictor, if the flag is true then the signs are set equal to the predictors); or
determining that the value of the BVD sign symbol is not equal to the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor based on the indication indicating that the value of the BVD sign symbol does not match the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor ([0102], and [0103] teach an indicator that determines if the sign is equal to the predictor, if the flag is false then the signs are set opposite to the predictors).
Regarding Claim 10, Seregin teaches a method comprising:
determining, by a computing device, a plurality of costs for a plurality of block vector difference (BVD) candidates associated with a current block of content ([0214]- [0215] teaches determining the cost for multiple motion candidates), wherein a value of a sign symbol of a first BVD candidate, of the plurality of BVD candidates, is different than a value of a sign symbol of a second BVD candidate, of the plurality of BVD candidates ([0027], and [0105] teaches the sign of the motion component signs are different from one another);
selecting, based on the plurality of costs, one of the of the plurality of BVD candidates as a BVD predictor ([0108], [0150], and [0214] teaches selecting based on a cost analysis one of the candidate as the predictor);
entropy decoding, based on a probability model …, an indication of whether a value of a sign symbol of a BVD predicted for the current block of content matches a value of a sign symbol of the BVD predictor ([0028], [0066], [0207], and [0204] teach entropy decoding using the probability model and indicator that is indicates that the motion vector difference sign is the same sign as the motion vector difference predictor sign);
determining, based on the value of the sign symbol of the BVD predictor and the indication, a value of a sign symbol of a BVD for the current block ([0028], and [0208] teach determining the motion vector difference component sign based on the sign predictor and the indicator); and
determining the BVD for the current block using the determined value of the sign symbol ([0209] teaches determining the motion vector difference using the determined sign symbol).
Seregin does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Xu teaches probability model selected based on … magnitude values ([0003], [0058], [0061], [0066] teaches selecting from multiple probability models a model by evaluating a magnitude classification set by threshold);
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Hu teaches a range of magnitude values ([0236]- [0238], and [0261]- [0263] teaches selecting the context model that further selects the probability model based on the magnitude of the BVD falling within a defined range)
decoding the current block of content based on the BVD for the current block of content ([0067]- [0072] decoding the block based on the BVD components for the current block).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to further add the determinization of the range at which the magnitude falls within as disclosed by Hu to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 11, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 10. Xu further teaches selecting, from among a plurality of probability models … the probability model ([0003], [0058], [0061], [0066] teaches selecting from multiple probability models a model by evaluating a magnitude classification set by threshold).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Hu teaches based on the range of magnitude values ([0236]- [0238], and [0261]- [0263] teaches selecting the context model that further selects the probability model based on the magnitude of the BVD falling within a defined range);
determining, based on a prefix of a code word for a magnitude of the BVD predicted for the current block of content and independent of a suffix of the code word, the range of magnitude values ([0005], [0117], [0113], [0118]- [0121], [0159], [0161], and [0164]- [0166] teach interval determination based on a prefix value, and the interval determination occurs independent of suffix decoding).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin in view Xu to further add the teaching of Hu as disclosed by above to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 12, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 10. Xu further teaches selecting, from among a plurality of probability models and based on a lower bound of a range of magnitude values that a magnitude of the BVD predicted for the current block of content falls within, the probability model ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold. Note: the threshold value is the lower bound).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the teachings of Xu as disclosed above to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Regarding Claim 13, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 10. Xu further teaches selecting, from among a plurality of probability models and based on whether a magnitude value within a range of magnitude values meets a threshold, the probability model ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold).; and
selecting, from among a plurality of probability models and based on the range of magnitude values, the probability model ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold).
Regarding Claim 14, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 10. Seregin further teaches wherein the difference between the value of the sign symbol of the first BVD candidate and the value of the sign symbol of the second BVD candidate is the only difference between the first BVD candidate and the second BVD candidate ([0104]- [0105] teaches the multiple candidate where the difference between the candidates is the sign symbol).
Regarding Claim 15, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 10. Seregin further teaches wherein at least one of the value of the sign symbol of the first BVD candidate or the value of the sign symbol of the second BVD candidate is a sign symbol of either a horizontal BVD component or a vertical BVD component ([0104]- [0105] teaches the multiple candidate where the sign symbol of candidates are of the horizontal and vertical components).
Regarding Claim 16, Seregin teaches a method comprising:
entropy decoding, based on the probability model, an indication of whether a value of a sign symbol of the BVD predicted for the current block of content matches a value of a sign symbol of a BVD predictor ([0028], [0066], [0207], and [0204] teach entropy decoding using the probability model and indicator that is indicates that the motion vector difference sign is the same sign as the motion vector difference predictor sign);
determining, based on the sign symbol of the BVD predictor and the indication a value of a sign symbol of a BVD for the current block ([0028], and [0208] teach determining the motion vector difference component sign based on the sign predictor and the indicator);
based on the determined sign symbol of the BVD for the current block, entropy decoding an indication of whether a value of a magnitude symbol of the BVD predicted for the current block matches a value of a magnitude symbol of the BVD predictor ([0101], and [0103] teach an indicator that determines if the sign is equal to the predictor, if the flag is true then the signs are set equal to the predictors).
Seregin does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Xu selecting, from among a plurality of probability models …, a probability model ([0003], [0058], [0061], [0066] teaches selecting from multiple probability models a model by evaluating a magnitude classification set by threshold);
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Xu does not explicitly teach the following limitations; however, in an analogous art, Hu teaches
determining, by a computing device and based on a prefix of a code word for a magnitude of a block vector difference (BVD) predicted for a current block of content and independent of a suffix of the code word, a range of magnitude values ([0005], [0117], [0113], [0118]- [0121], [0159], [0161], and [0164]- [0166] teach interval determination based on a prefix value, and the interval determination occurs independent of suffix decoding) , wherein the magnitude of the BVD predicted for the current block of content falls within the range of magnitude values ([0236]- [0238], and [0261]- [0263] teaches selecting the context model that further selects the probability model based on the magnitude of the BVD falling within a defined range);
based on the range of magnitude values ([0236]- [0238], and [0261]- [0263] teaches selecting the context model that further selects the probability model based on the magnitude of the BVD falling within a defined range).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the selection of the probability model as disclosed by Xu to further add the determinization of the range at which the magnitude falls within as disclosed by Hu to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Regarding Claim 17, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 16. Xu further teaches selecting the probability model is further based on:
a lower bound of the range of magnitude values ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold. Note: the threshold value is the lower bound); or
whether a magnitude value within the range of magnitude values satisfies a threshold ([0061], and [0065]- [0066] teach the use of a threshold as a boundary and selecting the probability model when the magnitude is equal to or larger than the threshold).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin to add the teachings of Xu as disclosed above to improve the coding efficiency (Xu [0020]).
Regarding Claim 18, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 16. Seregin further teaches determining a plurality of template matching costs for a plurality of BVD candidates ([0022]- [0023], [0106]- [0107], and [0117]- [0120] teaches determinizing a template matching cost for the motion candidates using SAD, or SSD based on the difference between the template of the current block and the reference block),
wherein a value of a sign symbol of a first BVD candidate is different than a value of a sign symbol of a second BVD candidate ([0027], and [0105] teaches the sign of the motion component signs are different from one another); and
selecting, based on the plurality of template matching costs, one of the plurality of BVD candidates as the BVD predictor ([0108], [0150], and [0214] teaches selecting based on a cost analysis one of the candidate as the predictor);
Regarding Claim 19, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 18. Seregin further teaches wherein the selecting the BVD predictor comprises selecting the BVD predictor further based on a template matching cost associated with the BVD predictor being a smallest template matching cost of the plurality of template matching costs ([0115], and [0115]- [0116] teaches selecting the motion predictor based on the smallest cost).
Regarding Claim 20, Seregin in view of Xu and Hu teach method of claim 16. Hu further teaches determining a block vector (BV) based on a block vector predictor (BVP) and the BVD for the current block ([0034], [0065]- [0066] teaches the block vector is determined using the block vector predictor and the block vector difference).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the video encoding and decoding method and system as disclosed by Seregin in view Xu to further add the teaching of Hu as disclosed by above to improve encoding and decoding performance (Hu [0004]).
Conclusion
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 MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (703)756-1694. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jamie Atala can be reached at (571) 272-7384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA/Examiner, Art Unit 2486
/JAMIE J ATALA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2486