DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is a response to an amendment filed on 04/22/2026, in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are not persuasive.
In regards to claim 1 applicant argues that Zhang does not disclose or suggest separating the affine model parameters into two groups, obtaining both the two groups of parameters from neighbor blocks of the current block, and constructing one or more affine models using the obtained two groups of affine model parameters.
However, examiner respectfully disagrees. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., separating the affine model parameters into two groups) are not recited in the rejected claims. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Claim 1 recites “obtaining, by a decoder, one or more first parameters based on a first neighbor block of a current block; obtaining, by the decoder, one or more second parameters based on the first neighbor block or a second neighbor block of the current block”. The terms “first parameter” and “second parameter” are broad terms and the parameters can be any coding parameter obtained from neighboring blocks. In this case, affine model information of spatial neighboring blocks is read on the first parameter, and the control point motion information are read on the second parameter. Thus, Zhang fully discloses all limitation of the argued claims and the claims remain rejected.
Claims 1-20 remain rejected since the system disclosed by the applicant is taught by the prior arts.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 2021/0266577 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses: A method of video decoding, comprising:
obtaining, by a decoder (see Zhang, Fig. 17), one or more first parameters based on a first neighbor block of a current block (see Zhang, paragraph 81-82, affine model information, such as affine model type, of the spatial neighboring affine-coded blocks);
obtaining, by the decoder, one or more second parameters based on the first neighbor block or a second neighbor block of the current block (see Zhang, paragraph 81 and 83, obtaining control point motion information);
constructing, by the decoder, one or more affine models by using the one or more first parameters and the one or more second parameters (see Zhang, paragraph 81, 4-parameter or 6-parameter affine model is constructed); and
obtaining, by the decoder, one or more control point motion vectors (CPMVs) for the current block based on the one or more affine models (see Zhang, paragraph 83, using the CP MVs of the current block in the affine merge mode).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the decoder, the first neighbor block from a plurality of adjacent neighbor blocks and a plurality of non-adjacent neighbor blocks, wherein the plurality of adjacent neighbor blocks are adjacent to the current block, and the plurality of non-adjacent neighbor blocks are respectively located at a number of blocks away from one side of the current block (see Zhang, Fig.4 and Fig. 14 and paragraph 653).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the decoder, the second neighbor block from a plurality of inter-coded neighbor blocks of the current block, wherein the plurality of inter-coded neighbor blocks comprise affine coded blocks and non-affine coded blocks (see Zhang, paragraph 192 and 728).
Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the decoder, the first neighbor block from a plurality of inter-coded neighbor blocks of the current block, wherein the plurality of inter-coded neighbor blocks comprise affine coded blocks (see Zhang, paragraph 728).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining, by the decoder, the first neighbor block from a plurality of non-adjacent neighbor blocks (see Zhang, Fig. 14) based on a first scanning rule (see Zhang, paragraph 244), wherein the plurality of non-adjacent neighbor blocks are respectively located at a number of blocks away from one side of the current block (see Zhang, Fig. 14); and
obtaining, by the decoder, the second neighbor block from the plurality of non-adjacent neighbor blocks based on a second scanning rule, wherein the second scanning rule is completely or partially same as the first scanning rule (see Zhang, Fig. 14, and paragraph 113 and 244).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise a plurality of non-translational parameters associated with an affine model, and the one or more second parameters comprise a plurality of translational parameters associated with the affine model (see Zhang, paragraph 539-540).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 2, further comprising: in response to determining that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block use a same reference picture for at least one motion direction, determining, by the decoder, that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block are valid (see Zhang, paragraph 110 and 244).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to determining that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block use the same reference picture for one motion direction, determining, by the decoder, that a prediction direction of a motion vector candidate formed based on the one or more CPMVs is uni-prediction and the same reference picture is used for the motion vector candidate for the one motion direction (see Zhang, paragraph 222).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to determining that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block use the same reference picture for both motion directions, determining, by the decoder, that a prediction direction and a reference picture of the current block are respectively same as a prediction direction and a reference picture of the first and second neighbor blocks (see Zhang, paragraph 222-223).
Regarding claim 10, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 2, further comprising: in response to determining that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block use a same resolution for motion vectors (see Zhang, paragraph 220), determining, by the decoder, that the first neighbor block and the second neighbor block are valid (see Zhang, paragraph 244).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, further comprising: constructing, by the decoder, the one or more affine models based on the one or more first parameters (see Zhang, paragraph 73, 4-parameter or 6-parameter type affine model), the one or more second parameters (see Zhang, paragraph 73-74, motion vector information), a first position of the current block, and a second position of the second neighbor block or the first neighbor block (see Zhang, Fig. 2 and paragraph 74).
Regarding claim 12, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 11, wherein the first position comprises a top-left corner of the current block, and the second position comprises a top-left corner of the first or the second neighbor block (see Zhang, Fig. 2 and paragraph 74).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise a plurality of parameters associated with an affine model, and the one or more second parameters comprise a plurality of distance parameters (see Zhang, Fig. 14 and paragraph 226, affine type being 6-parameter or 4-parameter type, distance offset table and the offset direction tables are used accordingly).
Regarding claim 14, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of distance parameters comprise a first distance parameter indicating a horizontal distance between the current block and the second neighbor block, and a second distance parameter indicating a vertical distance between the current block and the second neighbor block (see Zhang, Fig. 14 and paragraph 223-224, x-dir distance and y-dir distance).
Regarding claim 15, Zhang discloses: The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of distance parameters comprise a first distance parameter indicating a horizontal distance between the current block and the first neighbor block and a second distance parameter indicating a vertical distance between the current block and the first neighbor block (see Zhang, Fig. 14 and paragraph 223-224, x-dir distance and y-dir distance).
Regarding claims 16-19, claims 16-19 are drawn to an apparatus having limitations similar to the method claimed in claims 1-4 treated in the above rejections. Therefore, apparatus claims 16-19 correspond to method claims 1-4 and are rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above. Please see Fig. 17 and paragraph 1091 of Zhang for video coding apparatus and CRM used for video coding.
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 is drawn to a method having limitations similar to the method claimed in claim 1 treated in the above rejections. Therefore, method claim 20 correspond to method claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARYAM A NASRI whose telephone number is (571)270-7158. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-8:00 M-T.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Ustaris can be reached at 5712727383. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARYAM A NASRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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