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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 03/22/2024 and 07/30/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Status
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 USC 112(b).
Claim(s) 1, 15, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (CN 112740684 A).
Claim(s) 2-6 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 112740684 A) in view of Salehifar (US 20200322611 A1).
Claim(s) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 112740684 A) in view of Salehifar (US 20200322611 A1) and in further view of Lin (US 20180103251 A1)
Claims 7-12, 14, and 19 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 in addition to resolving any withstanding 112(b) rejections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 20 recite the limitation “second transform coefficient” in each claim. This is indefinite since there is no mention of “primary transform coefficient” previously in the respective claims. Claims 2-14 are rejected as they depend on claim 1.
Claims 1, 15, and 20 recite the limitation “secondary transform” in each claim. This is indefinite since there is no mention of “primary transform” previously in the respective claims. Claims 1-14 are rejected as they depend on claim 1. Claims 15-19 are rejected as they depend on claim 15.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 15, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (CN 112740684 A).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses A method for decoding video, comprising: (Lin: ¶62 discloses “image” may refer to a video. ¶64 “the target image can be an input image input to an encoding device or an input image input to a decoding device.’)
decoding a bitstream to obtain a second transform coefficient of a current block, wherein the second transform coefficient is a transform coefficient formed through performing a secondary transform on a residual block of the current block by an encoding end; (Lin: ¶376 “the second transform coefficients, which are the result of the second residual signal transform, can be encoded as independent transform coefficient blocks or as a single transform coefficient block”)
in case of determining that an intra prediction mode of the current block allows using a weighted prediction mode,, (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) selecting, from preset M types of transform cores of the secondary transform, (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”) a target transform core corresponding to the current block, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1; (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.” Lin discloses multiple transform cores to be chosen from.)
performing an inverse secondary transform on the second transform coefficient by using the target transform core (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”) to obtain a primary transform coefficient of the current block; and (Lin: ¶475 “The second inverse transform step S2403 can be applied to the transform coefficients generated in the dequantization step to produce the first transform coefficients.”)
performing an inverse primary transform on the primary transform coefficient to obtain the residual block of the current block. (Lin: ¶488 “apply the first inverse transformation to the first transformation coefficients generated in the second inverse transformation step to produce a residual block.”)
Regarding claim 15, Lin discloses A method for encoding video, comprising: (Lin: ¶1 “This invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding/decoding images” )
in case of determining that an intra prediction mode of a current block allows using a weighted prediction mode, (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) selecting, from preset M types of transform cores of a secondary transform, (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”) a target transform core corresponding to the current block, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1; (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.” Lin discloses multiple transform cores to be chosen from.)
encoding the current block to obtain a primary transform coefficient of the current block; (Lin: ¶376 “The first transform coefficients, which are the result of the first residual signal transform, and the second transform coefficients, which are the result of the second residual signal transform, can be encoded as independent transform coefficient blocks or as a single transform coefficient block.”)
performing the secondary transform on the primary transform coefficient by using the target transform core to obtain a second transform coefficient of the current block; and (Lin: ¶243 “then the transform coefficients are transformed a second time to generate secondary transform coefficients.”)
obtaining a bitstream (Lin: ¶134 “the encoding device 100 can generate a bit stream”) based on the second transform coefficient of the current block. (Lin: ¶267 “An entropy encoder can receive first-transform coefficients and second-transform coefficients and perform entropy coding on them independently, or combine them into a block of transform coefficients and perform entropy coding on them.”)
Regarding claim 20, Lin discloses A video decoder, (Lin: ¶62 discloses “image” may refer to a video. ¶64 “the target image can be an input image input to an encoding device or an input image input to a decoding device.’) comprising a processor (Lin: ¶547 “which can be executed by various computer components”) and a memory; (Lin: ¶547 “hardware devices specifically configured to store and implement program instructions (such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, etc.).”)
wherein the memory is configured to store computer programs; and (Lin: ¶547 “hardware devices specifically configured to store and implement program instructions (such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, etc.).”)
the processor is configured to: (Lin: ¶547 “which can be executed by various computer components”)
decode a bitstream to obtain a second transform coefficient of a current block, wherein the second transform coefficient is a transform coefficient formed through performing a secondary transform on a residual block of the current block by an encoding end; (Lin: ¶376 “the second transform coefficients, which are the result of the second residual signal transform, can be encoded as independent transform coefficient blocks or as a single transform coefficient block”)
select, from preset M types of transform cores of the secondary transform, a target transform core (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”) corresponding to the current block in case of determining that an intra prediction mode of the current block allows using a weighted prediction mode, (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1; and (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.” Lin discloses multiple transform cores to be chosen from.)
perform an inverse secondary transform on the second transform coefficient by using the target transform core to (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”) obtain a primary transform coefficient of the current block, (Lin: ¶475 “The second inverse transform step S2403 can be applied to the transform coefficients generated in the dequantization step to produce the first transform coefficients.”) and perform an inverse primary transform on the primary transform coefficient to obtain the residual block of the current block. (Lin: ¶488 “apply the first inverse transformation to the first transformation coefficients generated in the second inverse transformation step to produce a residual block.”)
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.
Claim(s) 2-6 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 112740684 A) in view of Salehifar (US 20200322611 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses wherein selecting, from the preset M types of the transform cores of the secondary transform, the target transform core corresponding to the current block comprises: (Lin: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”)
Lin fails to specifically disclose decoding the bitstream to obtain a first flag for indicating that the target transform core is a transform core corresponding to a target prediction mode; and
determining, based on the first flag, the transform core corresponding to the target prediction mode in the M types of the transform cores of the secondary transform as the target transform core.
In related art, Salehifar discloses decoding the bitstream to obtain a first flag for indicating that the target transform core is a transform core corresponding to a target prediction mode; and (Salehifar: ¶193 “The decoding device may obtain an AMT flag from the bitstream, which represents whether the adaptive multiple core transform (AMT) is applied or not,”)
determining, based on the first flag, the transform core corresponding to the target prediction mode in the M types of the transform cores (Salehifar: ¶193 “if the value of the AMT flag is 0, the decoding device may derive DCT type 2 as a transform kernel for the target block”) of the secondary transform as the target transform core. (Salehifar: ¶107 “, in the non-separable secondary transform, a transform kernel (or transform core, transform type) may be selected such that it may be mode dependent.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate a flag indicating a specific transform core to be used disclosed by Salehifar into the method of image decoding through quantization and transformations disclosed by Lin to identify the target transform core to be used.
Regarding claim 3, Lin, as modified by Salehifar, disclose wherein determining, based on the first flag, the transform core corresponding to the target prediction mode in the M types of the transform cores (Salehifar: ¶193 “if the value of the AMT flag is 0, the decoding device may derive DCT type 2 as a transform kernel for the target block”) of the secondary transform as the target transform core comprises: (Salehifar: ¶107 “, in the non-separable secondary transform, a transform kernel (or transform core, transform type) may be selected such that it may be mode dependent.”)
determining the intra prediction mode of the current block; (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”)
determining the target prediction mode based on the intra prediction mode of the current block and the first flag; and (Salehifar: ¶193 “if the value of the AMT flag is 0, the decoding device may derive DCT type 2 as a transform kernel for the target block”)
determining the transform core corresponding to the target prediction mode in the M types of the transform cores of the secondary transform as the target transform core. (Salehifar: ¶107 “, in the non-separable secondary transform, a transform kernel (or transform core, transform type) may be selected such that it may be mode dependent.”)
Regarding claim 4, Lin, as modified by Salehifar, disclose wherein determining the target prediction mode based on the intra prediction mode of the current block and the first flag comprises:
in case that the intra prediction mode of the current block is the weighted prediction mode (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) and the weighted prediction mode comprises N intra prediction modes, determining a prediction mode indicated by the first flag (Salehifar: ¶96 “If the value of the AMT flag (or EMT_CU_flag) for the target block is 1, the transform subset for the vertical transform kernel and the transform subset for the horizontal transform kernel may be derived based on the intra prediction mode of the target block as shown in Table 3.”) in the N intra prediction modes as the target prediction mode, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1. (Lin: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,”)
Regarding claim 5, Lin, as modified by Salehifar, disclose wherein the target prediction mode is one of P intra prediction modes, the P intra prediction modes are intra prediction modes related to a selection of a transform core of the secondary transform of the current block in the N intra prediction modes, (Lin: ¶428 “The kernel for the inverse transform of the quadratic transform coefficient block can be selectively used based on the prediction mode information”) and P is a positive integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to N. (Lin: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,”)
Regarding claims 6 and 18, Lin, as modified by Salehifar, disclose wherein in case that the selection of the transform core of the secondary transform of the current block is related to an angular prediction mode, the P intra prediction modes are angular prediction modes in the N intra prediction modes; or
in case that the selection of the transform core of the secondary transform of the current block is related to the N intra prediction modes of the current block, the P intra prediction modes are the N intra prediction modes. (Lin: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,” Lin discloses the P intra prediction modes are the N intra prediction nodes)
Regarding claim 16, Lin discloses the claimed invention except for wherein signalling a first flag in the bitstream, wherein the first flag is used for indicating that the target transform core is a transform core corresponding to a target prediction mode.
In related art, Salehifar discloses signalling a first flag in the bitstream, wherein the first flag is used for indicating that the target transform core is a transform core corresponding to a target prediction mode. (Salehifar: ¶193 “The decoding device may obtain an AMT flag from the bitstream, which represents whether the adaptive multiple core transform (AMT) is applied or not,”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate a flag indicating the use of aa transform core disclosed by Salehifar into the method of image decoding through quantization and transformations disclosed by Lin to identify the target transform core to be used.
Regarding claim 17, Lin, as modified by Salehifar discloses wherein in case that the intra prediction mode of the current block is the weighted prediction mode and the weighted prediction mode comprises N intra prediction modes, (Lin: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) the target prediction mode is one of P intra prediction modes, the P intra prediction modes are intra prediction modes related to a selection of a transform core of the secondary transform of the current block in the N intra prediction modes, (Lin: ¶428 “The kernel for the inverse transform of the quadratic transform coefficient block can be selectively used based on the prediction mode information”) and P is a positive integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to N. (Lin: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,”)
Claim(s) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 112740684 A) in view of Salehifar (US 20200322611 A1) and in further view of Lin (US 20180103251 A1)
Regarding claim 13, Lin ‘684, as modified by Salehifar, discloses wherein in case that the intra prediction mode of the current block is the weighted prediction mode (Lin ‘684: ¶239 “The inter-frame-intra-frame combined prediction mode can be represented as a mode for deriving the prediction samples of the current block by weighting the prediction samples generated by inter-frame prediction and the prediction samples generated by intra-frame prediction.”) and the weighted prediction mode comprises N intra prediction modes, (Lin ‘684: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,”) selecting, from the preset M types of the transform cores of the secondary transform, the target transform core corresponding to the current block comprises: (Lin ‘684: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”)
determining transform cores of the secondary transform corresponding to the N intra prediction modes (Lin ‘684: ¶210 “Alternatively, the number of intra-frame prediction modes can be 3, 5, 9, 17, 34, 35, 36, 65, or 67,”) from the preset M types of the transform cores of the secondary transform; (Lin ‘684: ¶363 “the second transform can use DCT-2, DCT-4, DST-4, DST-7 or DCT-8 transform cores.”)
Lin ‘684, as modified by Salehifar, fails to specifically disclose determining rate distortion costs when decoding by using the transform cores of the secondary transform corresponding to the N intra prediction modes; and
determining a transform core of the secondary transform with a minimum rate distortion cost as the target transform core corresponding to the current block.
In related art, Lin ‘251 discloses determining rate distortion costs when decoding by using the transform cores of the secondary transform corresponding to the N intra prediction modes; and (Lin ’251: “the second transform (for example, the NSST) is performed to current block residual value data that has been subjected to the first transform… the sub stage ST22 to calculate rate-distortion costs (RDCost) corresponding to each of the candidate perdition modes to serve as the distortion costs. ” )
determining a transform core of the secondary transform with a minimum rate distortion cost as the target transform core corresponding to the current block. (Lin ’251: “The sub stage ST24 is to select the candidate prediction mode with the optimal rate-distortion cost ”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12, 14, and 19 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 in addition to resolving any withstanding 112(b) rejections.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Koo (US 11425421 B1) discloses An image decoding method according to the present specification comprises the steps of: deriving transform coefficients through inverse quantization on the basis of quantized transform coefficient for a target block; deriving modified transform coefficients on the basis of inverse reduced secondary transform (RST) of the transform coefficients; and generating a reconstructed picture on the basis of residual samples for the target block on the basis of an inverse primary transform of the modified transform coefficients, wherein the step of deriving the modified transform coefficients is characterized in deriving 16 modified transform coefficients by applying a transform kernel matrix to 8 transform coefficients in a 4×4 region of the target block.
Zhao (US 12200250 B2) discloses Aspects of the disclosure provide methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums for video encoding/decoding. In a method, prediction information for a current block is encoded. The prediction information indicates a secondary transform index, based on which a secondary transform core is determined. A first primary transform coefficient block is generated based on a primary transform core of the current block. A size of the first primary transform coefficient block is less than a size of the secondary transform core. A second primary transform coefficient block is generated based on the first primary transform coefficient block. A size of the second primary transform coefficient block equals the size of the secondary transform core. A secondary transform coefficient block is determined based on the second primary transform coefficient block and the secondary transform core. The current block is encoded based on the secondary transform coefficient block.
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/MICHAEL KIM MAIDEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2665
/Stephen R Koziol/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2665