DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to application 18/661,879 filed on 05/13/2024.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. 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
3. Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 10/10/2025, with respect to previous election/restriction requirement have been fully considered and are persuasive. The previous election/restriction requirement has been withdrawn.
Double Patenting
4. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
5. Claim 1-18 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-14 of U.S. Patent No. 11,259,014 B2.
Furthermore, although the conflicting claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because U.S. Patent No.: 11,259,014 B2 claims:
Instant Application: 18/661,879
Note: bold and underlined fonts means same features between instant application and conflicting appl.
Conflicting Application: 17/006,508
→ now US Patent No.: 11,259,014 B2
Claim [1]: A video encoder for encoding a bitstream representing a video signal comprising: circuitry receiving a video signal; circuitry receiving the video signal and generating a coded bitstream, including a coded picture, the coded picture including a coded coding tree unit comprising multiple coding units and signaling information including a first index for determining a start point and a second index for determining an end point of a non-straight, non-rectangular boundary in the coding tree unit, the bitstream being configured to be decoded by a decoding method comprising decoding the coded coding tree unit using the first index and second index by: determine, using the first index and second index, the start point and end point of the non-straight, non-rectangular boundary in the coding tree unit; generate first predictive pixel values in a first region on a first side of the non- straight, non-rectangular boundary, generate second predictive pixel values in a second region on a second side of the non-straight, non-rectangular boundary, smooth the first predictive pixel values and second predictive pixel values across the non-straight, non-rectangular boundary, and add residual pixel values to the smoothed first and second predictive pixel values.
Claim [1]: A decoder, the decoder comprising circuitry configured to: receive a bitstream, wherein the bitstream includes a current picture, the current picture including a current block of pixels with multiple geometric partition boundaries, at least a first geometric partition boundary partitioning the block into first and second non-rectangular regions, and a second partition boundary, non-parallel to and intersecting the at least a first geometric partition boundary; partition the second non-rectangular region of the current block via a geometric partitioning mode to partition the current block into three portions; determine a first predictor for use on a first side of the at least a first geometric partition boundary using a first motion vector selected from a first list of motion vector candidates; determine a second predictor for use on a second side of the at least a first geometric partition boundary using a second motion vector selected from a second list of motion vector candidates; and decode the current block using the first motion vector and the second motion vector, wherein decoding further comprises: smoothing the first predictor and the second predictor across the at least a first geometric partition boundary; and adding residual pixel values to the first predictor and the second predictor.
Claim [7]: A video encoder for encoding a bitstream representing a video signal comprising: circuitry receiving a video signal; circuitry receiving the video signal and generating a coded bitstream including a coded picture, the coded picture including a block of coded pixels and signaling information including a first index for determining the start point of a non-straight non-rectangular partition and a second index for determining the end point of the non-straight non-rectangular partition in the block, the bitstream being configured to be decoded by decoding; the block of coded pixels using the first index and second index by: determine, using the first index, a start point of a non-straight non-rectangular partition in the block, the start point being located on a first side of the block a first offset distance from a first corner of the block; determine, using the second index, an endpoint of the non-straight non- rectangular partition in the block, the end point being located on a second side of the block, a second offset distance from a second corner of the block; generate first predictive pixel values in a first region on a first side of the non-straight, non-rectangular partition; generate second predictive pixel values in a second region on a second side of the non-straight, non-rectangular partition; smooth the first predictive pixel values and second predictive pixel values across the non-straight non-rectangular partition; and add residual pixel values to the smoothed first and second predictive pixel values.
Claim [1]: A decoder, the decoder comprising circuitry configured to: receive a bitstream, wherein the bitstream includes a current picture, the current picture including a current block of pixels with multiple geometric partition boundaries, at least a first geometric partition boundary partitioning the block into first and second non-rectangular regions, and a second partition boundary, non-parallel to and intersecting the at least a first geometric partition boundary; partition the second non-rectangular region of the current block via a geometric partitioning mode to partition the current block into three portions; determine a first predictor for use on a first side of the at least a first geometric partition boundary using a first motion vector selected from a first list of motion vector candidates; determine a second predictor for use on a second side of the at least a first geometric partition boundary using a second motion vector selected from a second list of motion vector candidates; and decode the current block using the first motion vector and the second motion vector, wherein decoding further comprises: smoothing the first predictor and the second predictor across the at least a first geometric partition boundary; and adding residual pixel values to the first predictor and the second predictor.
However, examiner notes that Yie et al. (US Pub. No.: 2014/0192876 A1) teaches the unique limitations in the instant application regarding a video encoder (see fig. 14) for encoding a bitstream representing a video signal (see fig. 14, e.g., “bitstream”) comprising: circuitry (see fig. 16 unit 731) receiving a video signal (see fig. 16, e.g., “bitstream”); circuitry (see fig. 16) receiving the video signal (see fig. 16, e.g., “bitstream”) and generating a coded bitstream (see fig. 14, e.g., “bitstream”), including a coded picture (see fig. 14, e.g., “input image”), the coded picture (see fig. 14, e.g., “input image”) including a coded coding tree unit comprising multiple coding units (see fig. 8 and/or fig. 11, paragraphs [0048] and [0095]); a non-straight, non-rectangular boundary in the coding tree unit (see fig. 11 and/or fig. 12), the bitstream (see fig. 16, e.g., “bitstream”) being configured to be decoded by a decoding method (see fig. 16, e.g., “decoder”); generate first predictive pixel values (see paragraph [0125]) and second predictive pixel value (see paragraphs [0052] and [0129]); and a first region on a first side of the non- straight, non-rectangular boundary in the coding tree unit (see fig. 11 and/or fig. 12), a second region on a second side of the non-straight, non-rectangular boundary in a second (see fig. 11 and/or fig. 12).
Therefore, it 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 could recognize the advantage of providing system and methods for encoding and decoding non-rectangular partitioning in a block by modifying Furht’s teachings in the present US Patent No.: 11,259,014 B2 for the purpose of wherein determine a second predictor for use on a second side of the at least a first geometric partition boundary using a second motion vector selected from a second list of motion vector candidates, thereby improving video compression efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 1-18 of the instant application would be allowable provided obviousness type double patenting rejection above is overcome.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kang et al (US Pub. No.: 2020/0275092 A1) discloses method and device for encoding/decoding image by using geometrically changed image.
Divorra Escoda et al. (US Pub. No.: 2010/0208827 A1) discloses methods and apparatus for video encoding and decoding geometrically partitioned super macroblocks.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard Carter whose telephone number is (571)270-1220. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/R.B.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2485
/JAYANTI K PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2485
December 11, 2025