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
Applicant filed Terminal Disclaimer on 05/11/2026. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection as preciously set forth in the Non-Final Rejection Office Action mailed on 2/12/2026 has been withdrawn.
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) 1-3, 5-7 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuma et al (U.S PG-PUB No. 20200175726 A1), hereinafter Kuma in view of Matsui (JP 2017126890 A).
-Regarding claim 1, Kuma discloses a three-dimensional data encoding method, comprising (Abstract, “three-dimensional … encoding”; FIGS. 1-36; [0058]): generating a bitstream (FIG. 2; [0086], “a bit stream … encoding”; [0301]) by encoding subspaces included in a current space included in three-dimensional data (FIGS. 2-4, quantizer 112, generator 113, encoder 114; FIGS. 11, 24-25, 29; [0058], “encodes data of a point cloud … with use of a voxel … bounding box (Bounding box), including the encoding target”), wherein the generating of the bitstream includes (FIGS. 2-4, 24-25, 29): encoding information that is common to the subspaces (FIG. 2, control information generator; FIGS. 9, 16, 21, 24, 34; [0007]; [0055]; [0072]; [0075];[0092]) and includes information indicating coordinates of the current space (Abstract; FIGS. 4-6, 9; [0104]-[0105]; [0106], “information … coordinate system”; [0108]; [0113]; [0130], “another coordinate system inclined with respect to the world coordinate system”; [0404]) and information indicating some of the subspaces ([0155], “sets identification information … indicating the number of inscribing bounding boxes”; [0159], “indicating the number of alignment bounding boxes”; [0167]; [0267]); and encoding information indicating a size of each of the subspaces, (FIGS. 11, 25-27; [0113], “set a coordinate system for each of the bounding boxes”; [0159], “a size and a position are coincident with a size and a position of the cube … and information relating to a coordinate system of the alignment bounding box”; [0167]; [0250]-[0252] ; [0268]), and wherein a first subspace and a second subspace that are included in the subspaces can partially overlap (FIGS. 10, 13, 27; [0164]; [0167]; [0419]).
Kuma does not disclose encoding/decoding information indicating a total number of the subspaces.
In the same field of endeavor, Matsui teaches a method to encode/encode a point group of N dimensional space with high compression ratio (Matsui: FIGS. 1-14; [0009]). Matsui further teaches the information indicating a total number of the subspaces that is stored in a header (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]; [0031]-[0032]). Matsui also teaches encoding/decoding information that is common to the subspaces, and the information indicating a size of the subspaces (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]. [0031]-[0032]) and coordinate information of a point cloud in an N-dimensional coordinate space (Matsui: [0009]; FIGS. 1-3, 6-7; [0025]-[0026]; [0031]-[0032]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Kuma with the teaching of Matsui by using header for control information in order to improve compression ratio and decoding analysis.
-Regarding claim 5, Kuma discloses a three-dimensional data decoding method, comprising (Abstract; FIGS. 1-36; [0058]): decoding a bitstream obtained by encoding subspaces included in a current space including three-dimensional data (FIG. 2; [0102], “the encoded data and the control information … from the encoding device 100 may be decoded …”; FIG. 31, analyzer 711, decoder 712; [0361], “decodes … bit stream”; FIG. 33), wherein in the decoding of the bitstream includes (FIGS. 31, 33): decoding, from the bitstream (FIGS. 30-34), information that is common to the subspaces (FIG. 30; FIG. 31, analyzer 711; FIGS. 32-34; FIG. 2) and includes information indicating coordinates of the current space (FIGS. 30-31, 34; FIGS. 4-6, 9) and information indicating some of the subspaces ([0155], “sets identification information … indicating the number of inscribing bounding boxes”; [0159], “indicating the number of alignment bounding boxes”; [0167]; [0267]); and decoding, from the bitstream (FIGS. 30-34), information indicating a size of each of the subspaces (FIGS. 11, 25-27; [0113], “set a coordinate system for each of the bounding boxes”; [0159], “a size and a position are coincident with a size and a position of the cube … and information relating to a coordinate system of the alignment bounding box”; [0167]; [0175], “decoding order for each of the bounding boxes”; [0179]; [0250]-[0252] ; [0268]), and wherein a first subspace and a second subspace that are included in the subspaces can partially overlap (FIGS. 10, 13, 27; [0164]; [0167]; [0419]).
Kuma does not disclose encoding/decoding information indicating a total number of the subspaces.
In the same field of endeavor, Matsui teaches a method to encode/encode a point group of N dimensional space with high compression ratio (Matsui: FIGS. 1-14; [0009]). Matsui teaches encoding/decoding information is common to the subspaces and indicating coordinates of the coordinate information of a point cloud in an N-dimensional coordinate space (Matsui: [0009]; FIGS. 1-3, 6-7; [0025]-[0026]; [0031]-[0032]) Matsui further teaches the information indicating a total number of the subspaces that is stored in a header (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]; [0031]-[0032]). Matsui also teaches encoding/decoding information that is common to the subspaces and the information indicating sizes of the subspaces (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]. [0031]-[0032]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Kuma with the teaching of Matsui by using header for control information in order to improve compression ratio and decoding analysis.
-Regarding claims 2 and 6, Kuma in view of Matsui teaches the encoding method of claim 1 and decoding method of claim 5. The combination further teaches encoding/decoding, using an octree structure (Kuma: [0057]; [0079], “data of the point cloud … any method such as Octree … to generate a signal string”; [0081], “an Octree method …”; See also Matsui: [0002]; [0014]; [0025]-[0026]; [0033]; FIG. 5).
-Regarding claims 3 and 7, Kuma in view of Matsui teaches the encoding method of claim 2 and decoding method of claim 6. The combination further teaches encoding/decoding, using a non-octree structure (Kuma: [0067], “an encoding method … such as … KDtree have been considered”).
-Regarding claim 9, Kuma discloses a three-dimensional data encoding device, comprising (Abstract, “three-dimensional … encoding”; FIGS. 1-36; [0058]): a processor; and memory, wherein, using the memory, the processor generates a bitstream by encoding subspaces included in a current space included in three-dimensional data (FIGS. 2-4, quantizer 112, generator 113, encoder 114; FIGS. 11, 24-25, 29; [0058], “encodes data of a point cloud … with use of a voxel … bounding box (Bounding box), including the encoding target”), wherein, when generating a bitstream (FIG. 2; [0086], “a bit stream … encoding”; [0301]), the processor (FIG. 36), encodes information that is common to the subspaces (FIG. 2, control information generator; FIGS. 9, 16, 21, 24, 34; [0007]; [0055]; [0072]; [0075];[0092]) and includes information indicating coordinates of the current space (Abstract; FIGS. 4-6, 9; [0104]-[0105]; [0106], “information … coordinate system”; [0108]; [0113]; [0130], “another coordinate system inclined with respect to the world coordinate system”; [0404]) and information indicating some of the subspaces ([0155], “sets identification information … indicating the number of inscribing bounding boxes”; [0159], “indicating the number of alignment bounding boxes”; [0167]; [0267]); and encodes information indicating a size of each of the subspaces (FIGS. 11, 25-27; [0113], “set a coordinate system for each of the bounding boxes”; [0159], “a size and a position are coincident with a size and a position of the cube … and information relating to a coordinate system of the alignment bounding box”; [0167]; [0250]-[0252] ; [0268]), and wherein a first subspace and a second subspace that are included in the subspaces can partially overlap (FIGS. 10, 13, 27; [0164]; [0167]; [0419]).
Kuma does not disclose encoding/decoding information indicating a total number of the subspaces.
In the same field of endeavor, Matsui teaches a method to encode/encode a point group of N dimensional space with high compression ratio (Matsui: FIGS. 1-14; [0009]). Matsui further teaches the information indicating a total number of the subspaces that is stored in a header (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]; [0031]-[0032]). Matsui also teaches encoding/decoding information that is common to the subspaces, and the information indicating a size of the subspaces (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]. [0031]-[0032]) and coordinate information of a point cloud in an N-dimensional coordinate space (Matsui: [0009]; FIGS. 1-3, 6-7; [0025]-[0026]; [0031]-[0032]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Kuma with the teaching of Matsui by using header for control information in order to improve compression ratio and decoding analysis.
-Regarding claim 10, Kuma discloses a three-dimensional data decoding device, comprising (Abstract; FIGS. 1-36; [0058]): a processor; and memory, wherein, using the memory, the processor (FIG. 36) decodes a bitstream obtained by encoding subspaces included in a current space included in three-dimensional data (FIG. 2; [0102], “the encoded data and the control information … from the encoding device 100 may be decoded …”; FIG. 31, analyzer 711, decoder 712; [0361], “decodes … bit stream”; FIG. 33),, wherein, when decoding the bitstream (FIGS. 31, 33), the processor (FIG. 36): decodes, from the bitstream (FIGS. 30-34), information that is common to the subspaces (FIG. 30; FIG. 31, analyzer 711; FIGS. 32-34; FIG. 2) and includes information indicating coordinates of the current space (FIGS. 30-31, 34; FIGS. 4-6, 9) and information indicating some of the subspaces ([0155], “sets identification information … indicating the number of inscribing bounding boxes”; [0159], “indicating the number of alignment bounding boxes”; [0167]; [0267]); and decodes, from the bitstream (FIGS. 30-34), information indicating a size of each of the subspaces (FIGS. 11, 25-27; [0113], “set a coordinate system for each of the bounding boxes”; [0159], “a size and a position are coincident with a size and a position of the cube … and information relating to a coordinate system of the alignment bounding box”; [0167]; [0175], “decoding order for each of the bounding boxes”; [0179]; [0250]-[0252] ; [0268]), and wherein a first subspace and a second subspace that are included in the subspaces can partially overlap (FIGS. 10, 13, 27; [0164]; [0167]; [0419]).
Kuma does not disclose encoding/decoding information indicating a total number of the subspaces.
In the same field of endeavor, Matsui teaches a method to encode/encode a point group of N dimensional space with high compression ratio (Matsui: FIGS. 1-14; [0009]). Matsui teaches encoding/decoding information is common to the subspaces and indicating coordinates of the coordinate information of a point cloud in an N-dimensional coordinate space (Matsui: [0009]; FIGS. 1-3, 6-7; [0025]-[0026]; [0031]-[0032]) Matsui further teaches the information indicating a total number of the subspaces that is stored in a header (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]; [0031]-[0032]). Matsui also teaches encoding/decoding information that is common to the subspaces and the information indicating sizes of the subspaces (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]. [0031]-[0032]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Kuma with the teaching of Matsui by using header for control information in order to improve compression ratio and decoding analysis.
Claim(s) 4 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuma et al (U.S PG-PUB No. 20200175726 A1), hereinafter Kuma in view of Matsui (JP 2017126890 A), and further in view of Kato et al (US 20200273211 A1), hereinafter Kato.
-Regarding claims 4 and 8, Kuma in view of Matsui teaches the encoding method of claim 3 and decoding method of claim 7.
Kuma in view of Matsui does not teach wherein the first three-dimensional point is included in the first subspace and the second three-dimensional point is included in the second subspace.
However, Kato is an analogous art pertinent to the problem to be solved in this application and teaches a method for enabling partial control of the resolution of a data group that can be turned into a tree structure (Kato: Abstract; FIGS. 1-29). Kato further teaches wherein the first three-dimensional point is included in the first subspace and the second three-dimensional point is included in the second subspace (Kato: [0058], “there might be a case where Octree encoding and some other encoding tools are combined, and some nodes are made to have a higher resolution by the other encoding tool …”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of Kuma in view of Matsui with the teaching of Kato by combining octree structure and non-octree structure in order to prevent a decrease in encoding efficiency (Kato: [0057]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 05/11/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the combination of Kuma and Matsui does not teach encoding information indicating a size of each of the subspaces because “Matsui fails to teach "information indicating a size of each of the subspaces," and “Matsui merely discloses information indicating the size of the initial block” (Remarks: Sec. II.).
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to teach encoding information indicating a size of each of the subspaces, both Kuma and Matsui teaches the argued features. Kuma discloses encoding information indicating a size of each of the subspaces, (Kuma: FIGS. 11, 25-27; [0113], “set a coordinate system for each of the bounding boxes”; [0159], “a size and a position are coincident with a size and a position of the cube … and information relating to a coordinate system of the alignment bounding box”; [0167]; [0250]-[0252] ; [0268]) (See also this office action, page 3 and Non-Final Rejection office action dated 02/12/2026, page 9). Matsui teaches encoding information indicating a size of each of the subspaces as well (Matsui: FIGS. 1-4, 6-7; [0026]. [0031]-[0032]) (See this office action, page 3 and Non-Final Rejection office action dated 02/12/2026, page 9). As indicated in the remarks, page 5 last paragraph – 1st paragraph, Matsui teaches information for defining the cube of the initial block (top block) including minimum value of each component of the x, y, z axes defining the cube and a respective maximum value (Matsui: [0026]). However, Matsui further teaches “The header then follows the octree data … the intra-block point cloud data” (Matsui: [0026]) and “… the intra-block coordinate encoding unit 105 performs intra-block coordinate encoding of the block of interest. Intra-block coordinate encoding is now described. FIG. 3 (d) illustrates a block of interest to be subjected to intra-block coordinate encoding and a 3D point included therein the difference in coordinates of each 3D point is encoded from the representative coordinates of the block of interest. In other words, the 3D points in the block of interest are encoded as relative coordinates relative to the representative coordinates of the block of interest …” (Matsui: [0025]). This means that the size of other blocks can be determined based encoding the size of initial block and encoding of differences in coordinates with other blocks.
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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/XIAO LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664
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