DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 10/20/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
On pages 6–7 of the Remarks, Applicant contends Galpin and Wang are deficient for failing to teach or suggest the features added by way of amendment drawn to using motion vector refinement. Examiner finds the argument moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by amendment. While Wang’s teaching of using motion vectors plus offsets would likely teach or suggest motion vector refinement, additional prior art made of record bolsters the evidence that Wang’s offsets are utilized for the purpose of motion vector refinement. Specifically, the rejection now additionally relies on the teachings of Panusopone, combined with Galpin and Wang, to teach or suggest the averred features. See rejections, infra. Accordingly, the rejection is sustained.
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 of this title, 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 18–38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Galpin (US 2022/0014778 A1), Wang (EP 4,243,419 B1), and Panusopone (US 2023/0144567 A1).
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests a method for video processing, comprising: determining, during a conversion between a target video block of a video and a bitstream of the video, a geometric partitioning mode (GPM) merge list for the target video block, the GPM merge list comprising a plurality of motion candidates (Galpin, ¶ 0116: teaches the MHP uni-prediction candidates can be derived in the same manner as the triangle merge list; Examiner notes GPM and triangle mode are synonymous in the art wherein the triangle mode is just a case where the line is exactly diagonal and other sloped lines make wedge or trapezoid shapes; Wang, ¶ 0059: teaches a “uni-prediction candidate list may comprise one or more candidates, and each candidate may be a motion vector”; Wang, ¶ 0108: teaches triangle mode and geometric partitioning are generally the same prediction mode wherein triangle mode just means the diagonal partitioning line is exactly diagonal with respect to the block and otherwise wedge or trapezoid shapes are created by a non-exact diagonal partition line); applying a multi-hypothesis prediction process for the target video block based on the GPM merge list; and performing the conversion based on a result of the multi-hypothesis prediction process (Galpin, 0115: teaches multi-hypothesis coding wherein the motion candidate part (i.e. inter part) of the coding mode is derived from a uni-prediction merge list that is different from the regular merge list; Galpin, ¶ 0116: teaches the MHP uni-prediction candidates can be derived in the same manner as the triangle merge list), wherein a refinement process is applied during the multi-hypothesis prediction process (Wang, ¶ 0092: teaches the uni-directional motion vector merge candidate can include an offset, which the skilled artisan equates with a refinement; Panusopone, ¶ 0072: teaches motion vector refinement by applying offsets for geometric prediction).
One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to combine the elements taught by Galpin, with those of Wang, because both references are drawn to the same field of endeavor such that one wishing to practice motion vector merge candidate list construction for GPM and MHP would be led to their relevant teachings and because combining Galpin’s recognition that the triangle mode uni-prediction merge list is like the MHP uni-prediction merge list with Wang’s realization of the same fact amounts to a mere combination of prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield a predictable result. This rationale applies to all combinations of Galpin and Wang used in this Office Action unless otherwise noted.
One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to combine the elements taught by Galpin and Wang, with those of Panusopone, because all three references are drawn to the same field of endeavor such that one wishing to practice motion vector merge candidate list construction for GPM and MHP would be led to their relevant teachings and because combining Galpin’s geometric partitioning merge mode or Wang’s motion vector plus offset (Wang, ¶ 0092) with Panusopone’s geometric partitioning merge mode (Panusopone, e.g. ¶ 0064) to additionally include motion vector refinement using MV offsets for each GEO partition (Panusopone, ¶ 0072) amounts to a mere combination of prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield a predictable result. This rationale applies to all combinations of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone used in this Office Action unless otherwise noted.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein derivation of a plurality of hypothetic predictions in the multi-hypothesis prediction process is based on a construction process of the GPM merge list (Galpin, Abstract: teaches multi-hypothesis prediction is based on a motion vector list construction process; Galpin, ¶ 0116: teaches the MHP uni-prediction candidates can be derived in the same manner as the triangle merge list; Examiner notes GPM and triangle mode are synonymous in the art wherein the triangle mode is just a case where the line is exactly diagonal and other sloped lines make wedge or trapezoid shapes; Wang, ¶ 0059: teaches a “uni-prediction candidate list may comprise one or more candidates, and each candidate may be a motion vector”; Wang, ¶ 0108: teaches triangle mode and geometric partitioning are generally the same prediction mode wherein triangle mode just means the diagonal partitioning line is exactly diagonal with respect to the block and otherwise wedge or trapezoid shapes are created by a non-exact diagonal partition line).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein applying the multi-hypothesis prediction process comprises: generating a plurality of hypothetic predictions for the target video block based on the GPM merge list (Galpin, 0115: teaches multi-hypothesis coding wherein the motion candidate part (i.e. inter part) of the coding mode is derived from a uni-prediction merge list that is different from the regular merge list; Galpin, ¶ 0116: teaches the MHP uni prediction candidates can be shared with the GPM merge list).
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein the GPM merge list is different from a further merge list (Galpin, 0115: teaches multi-hypothesis coding wherein the motion candidate part (i.e. inter part) of the coding mode is derived from a uni-prediction merge list that is different from the regular merge list; see also Wang, ¶ 0063: teaching the different procedure for triangle merge candidate list construction and regular merge candidate list construction).
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein applying the multi-hypothesis prediction process comprises: generating a plurality of hypothetic uni-predictions for the target video block based on the GPM merge list (Galpin, 0115: teaches multi-hypothesis coding wherein the motion candidate part (i.e. inter part) of the coding mode is derived from a uni-prediction merge list that is different from the regular merge list).
Regarding claim 23, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein the conversion comprises encoding the target video block into the bitstream (Galpin, Abstract: teaches the multi-hypothesis prediction with weights is for efficient encoding).
Regarding claim 24, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, wherein the conversion comprises decoding the target video block from the bitstream (Galpin, Abstract: teaches the multi-hypothesis prediction with weights is for efficient decoding).
Claim 25 lists the same elements as claim 18, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 18 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 26 lists the same elements as claim 19, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 19 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 27 lists the same elements as claim 20, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 20 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 28 lists the same elements as claim 21, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 21 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 29 lists the same elements as claim 22, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 22 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 30 lists the same elements as claim 23, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 23 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 31 lists the same elements as claim 24, but in apparatus form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 24 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 32 lists the same elements as claim 18, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 18 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 33 lists the same elements as claim 19, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 19 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 34 lists the same elements as claim 20, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 20 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 35 lists the same elements as claim 21, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 21 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 36 lists the same elements as claim 22, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejection of claim 22 applies to the instant claim.
Claim 37 lists the same elements as claims 23 and 24, but in CRM form rather than method form. Therefore, the rationale for the rejections of claims 23 and 24 apply to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 38, the combination of Galpin, Wang, and Panusopone teaches or suggests the method of claim 18, further comprising: storing the bitstream in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium (Galpin, ¶ 0043).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al., “CE4-related: CIIP Simplification,” JVET-O0384, 15th Meeting: Gothenburg, SE, July 2019.
Chen et al., “Joint Inter-Intra Prediction Based on Mode-Variant and Edge-Directed Weighting Approaches in Video Coding, “IEEE International Conference on Acoustic, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2014.
Cha et al., “Improved Combined Inter-Intra Prediction Using Spatial-Variant Weighted Coefficient,” 2011.
Chiang et al., “CE10.1.1: Multi-hypothesis prediction for improving AMVP mode, skip or merge mode, and intra mode,” JVET-L0100-v3, 12th Meeting: Macao, CN, October 2018.
Wang (EP 4,243,419 B1) teaches a “uni-prediction candidate list may comprise one or more candidates, and each candidate may be a motion vector” (¶ 0059) and teaches triangle mode and geometric partitioning are generally the same prediction mode wherein triangle mode just means the diagonal partitioning line is exactly diagonal with respect to the block and otherwise wedge or trapezoid shapes are created by a non-exact diagonal partition line (¶ 0108).
Chiu (US 2021/0227206 A1) teaches GPM merge candidate lists and regular merge candidate lists (e.g. ¶ 0051).
Chen (US 2021/0160528 A1) teaches triangle and GPM prediction may be considered in the same breath and may use the same or similar approaches as CIIP (i.e. multi-hypothesis) (e.g. ¶¶ 0011, 0184, 0206, 0226).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael J Hess whose telephone number is (571)270-7933. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 9:00am-5:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Vaughn can be reached on (571)272-3922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL J HESS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481