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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 April 2, 2026 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 1 - 6, 9, 11 - 15, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 2023/0069953, hereafter Chen) in view of Guo et al (US 2024/0323441, hereafter Guo).
As per claim 1, Chen discloses a method for video decoding performed by at least one processor, the method comprising:
receiving a video bitstream comprising a current block in a current picture (¶ 53 and 54); and reconstructing the current block by transforming the current block by a neural network comprising a plurality of upsample modules and activation modules (¶ 57 - 62), wherein at least one of the activation modules comprises a LeakyReLu function and a convolution function (¶ 12, 112, and 116), at least one of the activation modules comprises a LeakyReLu function and a convolution function, and reconstructing the current block comprises at least one of multiplying and adding an input to the at least one of the activation modules to an output of the at least one of the LeakyReLu function and the convolution function (Figure 6; ¶ 92).
However, Chen does not explicitly teach multiplying an input to the at least one of the activation modules to an output of the at least one of the LeakyReLu function and the convolution function, and adding the input to the at least one of the activation modules to result of multiplying the input to the at least one of the activation modules to the output of the at least one of the LeakyReLu function and the convolution function.
In the same field of endeavor, Guo discloses multiplying an input to the at least one of the activation modules to an output of the at least one of the LeakyReLu function and the convolution function, and adding the input to the at least one of the activation modules to result of multiplying the input to the at least one of the activation modules to the output of the at least one of the LeakyReLu function and the convolution function (Figure 16b; ¶ 244 - 249).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention as effectively filed to modify the invention Chen in view of Guo. The advantage improved coding performance.
As per claim 2, Chen discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the LeakyReLu function is an input to the convolution function (Figure 6; shows example of LeakyReLU output connected to convolution function).
As per claim 3, Chen discloses the method according to claim 2.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the convolution function is an input to a multiplication function of the at least one of the activation modules.
In the same field of endeavor, Guo teaches wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the convolution function is an input to a multiplication function of the at least one of the activation modules (Figure 16b; ¶ 244 - 249).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Guo. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
As per claim 4, Chen discloses the method according to claim 3.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of multiplication function is an input to an addition function of the at least one of the activation modules.
In the same field of endeavor, Guo teaches wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of multiplication function is an input to an addition function of the at least one of the activation modules (Figure 16b; ¶ 244 and 249).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Guo. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
As per claim 5, Chen discloses the method according to claim 3.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach the at least one of the activation modules consists of the LeakyReLu function, the convolution function, the multiplication function and the addition function.
In the same field of endeavor, Guo teaches the at least one of the activation modules consists of the LeakyReLu function, the convolution function, the multiplication function and the addition function. (Figure 16b; ¶ 244 - 249).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Guo. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
As per claim 6, Chen discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the convolution function is an input to a second LeakyReLu function of the at least one of the activation modules (Figure 6; Chen’s disclosure shows a figure indicating that the output of the convolution function is an input to a second LeakyReLU function).
As per claim 9, Chen discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the convolution function comprises 1x1 kernel (¶ 74; At the final layer a 1×1 convolution 395 is used).
Regarding claim 11, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 1 are applicable for claim 11.
Regarding claim 12, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 2 are applicable for claim 12.
Regarding claim 13, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 3 are applicable for claim 13.
Regarding claim 14, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 4 are applicable for claim 14.
Regarding claim 15, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 5 are applicable for claim 15.
Regarding claim 19, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 9 are applicable for claim 19.
Regarding claim 20, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 1 are applicable for claim 20.
Claim(s) 7, 8, 10, and 16 - 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Guo (hereafter Chen) in further view of Kwon et al (US 2022/0237744, hereafter Kwon).
As per claim 7, Chen discloses the method according to claim 6.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the a second LeakyReLu function is an input to a multiplication function of the at least one of the activation modules.
In the same field of endeavor, Kwon teaches wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the a second LeakyReLu function is an input to a multiplication function of the at least one of the activation modules(Figure 6; ¶ 93 and 94).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Kwon. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
As per claim 8, Chen discloses the method according to claim 7.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the multiplication function is an input to an addition function of the at least one of the activation modules.
In the same field of endeavor, Kwon teaches wherein, of the at least one of the activation modules, an output of the multiplication function is an input to an addition function of the at least one of the activation modules (Figure 6; ¶ 93 and 94).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Kwon. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
As per claim 10, Chen discloses the method according to claim 1.
However, Chen does not explicitly teach wherein at least one of the upsample modules comprises a pixel shuffle layer.
In the same field of endeavor, Kwon teaches wherein at least one of the upsample modules comprises a pixel shuffle layer (¶ 94).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Chen in view of Kwon. The advantage is improved video enhancement.
Regarding claim 16, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 6 are applicable for claim 16.
Regarding claim 17, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 7 are applicable for claim 17.
Regarding claim 18, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 8 are applicable for claim 18.
Conclusion
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/CHIKAODILI E ANYIKIRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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