Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The Office Action is in response to amendment filed on 09/02/2025.
Response to Amendment
4. The Amendment filed on 09/02/2025 has been received. Independent Claims 169, 171, 176, and 182 have been amended. Claims 169-188 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments filed on 09/02/2025, pages 9-20 have been fully considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §112 rejection
The Amendment filed on 09/02/2025 overcome the 112(a) and 112(b) rejection in the non-final office action in 05/02/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §102/103 rejection
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim under 35 U.S.C. § 102/103 has been fully considered.
First, Applicant argued that the prior arts (ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411)) does not teach amended limitations in independent claims, since:
“Applicant respectfully submits that Zakharchenko and the claimed invention operate in a significantly different manner and present substantially different mechanisms for volumetric video coding. More specifically, amended claim 169 of the claimed invention states “‘storage of information corresponding to an algorithm for compression of a mesh; prediction of values for an individual vertex from a first mesh frame of the mesh for a second mesh frame; generation of a volumetric video coding bitstream comprising information that is mapped to the mesh, where the mapped information comprises only attribute video components; or conversion of a first file format to a second file format; and storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure”. In contrast, Zakharchenko is focused on general “solutions that address technological challenges related to 3D content” such as segmenting a mesh, sorting faces and vertex indices, and generating connectivity information frames based on the processed mesh. In comparison, amended claim 169 claims that the volumetric video coding structure (or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure) enables at least one of storing..., prediction..., generation..., or conversion...; and storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure (or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure). Thus, the claimed method is not merely focused on the storing..., prediction..., generation..., or conversion... features of generating the volumetric video coding structure (or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure), but also in regard to then using that generated volumetric video coding structure or extension to store a vertex of the mesh. Applicant respectfully submits that Zakharchenko does not “anticipate” all these features recited in amended claim 169. More precisely, Zakharchenko does not disclose or suggest applicant’s claimed storing..., prediction..., generation..., or conversion... features for generating the volumetric video coding structure or the extension, and then subsequently using that generated volumetric video coding structure or extension to store a vertex of the mesh where the structure or extension was generated with at least one of the four (4) features of storing..., prediction..., generation..., or conversion... as recited in amended claim 169. Furthermore, Zakharchenko does not disclose or suggest using at least one of applicant’s claimed storing..., prediction..., generation..., or conversion... to generate a structure or extension and then store a vertex of the mesh using that generated structure or extension. Rather, Zakharchenko merely describes mesh compression and prediction in general and focuses on segmenting a mesh, sorting faces and vertex indices, and generating connectivity information frames based on the processed mesh. Hence, Zakharchenko does not teach or suggest the features which applicant is claiming in amended claim 169”This teaching relates to .
temporary data storage for processing coordination, not specifically storing the entropy-coded sequence of image frames as claimed
” Independent claim 171 contains features similar to claim 169 as now presented. In view of the remarks noted above, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 171 as now presented is also patentable and should be allowed. Reconsideration and withdrawal of this rejection is respectfully requested.”
“Independent claim 176 contains features similar to claim 169 as now presented. In view of the remarks noted above, Applicant respectfully submits that claim 176 as now presented is also patentable and should be allowed”.
“Independent claim 182 contains features similar to claim 169 as now presented. In view of the remarks noted above, Applicant respectfully submit that claim 182 as now presented is also patentable and should be allowed. Reconsideration and withdrawal of this rejection is respectfully requested”.
Examiner’s Response:
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of search. Examiner has updated search, and believe that the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411) and HELLGE et al. (WO 2022069616) teach the aforementioned limitations. For example, HELLGE discloses that storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure in fig. 7, in which, data stream generator gives the volumetric video coding structure, and vertices 117_1 – 117_3 of mesh 112 are stored; fig. 27-Fig 28 and Fig. 30-31 also shows storing a vertex of the mesh, which is based on the volumetric video coding structure as in fig. 7; also in page 30-31, as: “The data stream 130 might signal a number 117 (see 117.sub.1 to 117.sub.3) of vertices 116 of the mesh 112. As shown in Fig. 7, the number 117 of vertices 116 might be signaled together with each mesh data 112…”; and page 50-51, as: “the correspondence data stores the vertex element from the model. For example, with a model-vertex with three vertex components and component type as float, the data stored in the correspondence can be structured to be used for a Vertex correspondence to a different mesh”.
Therefore, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the amended limitation in independent claim 169.
Similarly, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the amended limitation in independent claims 171, 176 and 182.
Secondly, Applicant argued that dependent claims should be allowed, due to, at least, their dependency on independent claims.
Examiner’s Response:
As discussed above, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the amended limitation in independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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.
6. Claim 169-173, 175-178, 180, 182-183, 186-187 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411) and in view of HELLGE et al. (WO 2022069616).
Regarding claim 169, ZAKHARCHENKO teaches a method (fig. 5/fig. 4) comprising:
generating a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 4, fig. 3B; paragraph 0013, … In some embodiments of the computer-implemented method, the mesh representative of the 3D content is segmented based on objects, regions of interest, volumetric tiles, or semantic blocks associated with the 3D content; in which, segment and process the mess is a volumetric video coding structure ), wherein the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure enables at least one of the following:
storage of information corresponding to an algorithm for compression of a mesh (as shown in fig. 3B, 366, Lossless video encoder is used to compress constructed frame; in which, lossless encoding is an algorithm for compression of a mesh, which received in step 354; this information is stored in Machine-Readable Storage media 404, as shown in fig. 4) ;
prediction of values for an individual from a first mesh frame of the mesh for a second mesh frame (fig. 1A-1B; paragraph 0059, … coding 3D content illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, traversal of a triangle mesh in a deterministic, spiral-like manner ensures that each face (besides the initial face) is next to an already encoded face. This allows efficient compression of vertex coordinates and other attributes associated with each face. Attributes, such as coordinates and normals of a vertex, can be predicted from adjacent faces using various predictive algorithms, such as parallelogram prediction. This allows for efficient compression using differences between predicted and original values);
generation of a volumetric video coding bitstream (fig. 3B, 368) comprising information (fig. 2A, attribute image composition 210) that is mapped to the mesh (as shown in fig. 2A, 204, 206, 216); or conversion of a first file format to a second file format;
where the mapped information comprises only attribute video components (paragraph 0046, …attribute Map: attributes associated with the mesh surface and stored as 2D images/videos; which is only attribute video components; fig. 2B, 268);
and storing a vertex of the mesh (fig. 3A, step 302-312; fig. 1G; paragraph 0067, … FIG. 1G illustrates example mesh frames 160 associated with 3D coding approaches using vertex maps, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1G, geometry information 162 can be stored in mesh frames as an ordered list of vertex coordinate information. Each vertex coordinate is stored with corresponding geometry information. Attribute information 164 can be stored in mesh frames, separate from the geometry information 162, as an ordered list of projected vertex attribute coordinate information. The projected vertex attribute coordinate information is stored as 2D coordinate information with corresponding attribute information).
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure.
HELLGE discloses of storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 7, in which, data stream generator gives the volumetric video coding structure, and vertices 117_1 – 117_3 of mesh 112 are stored; fig. 27-Fig 28 and Fig. 30-31 also shows storing a vertex of the mesh, which is based on the volumetric video coding structure as in fig. 7; also in page 30-31, as: “The data stream 130 might signal a number 117 (see 117.sub.1 to 117.sub.3) of vertices 116 of the mesh 112. As shown in Fig. 7, the number 117 of vertices 116 might be signaled together with each mesh data 112…”; and page 50-51, as: “the correspondence data stores the vertex element from the model. For example, with a model-vertex with three vertex components and component type as float, the data stored in the correspondence can be structured to be used for a Vertex correspondence to a different mesh”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure as a modification to the method for the benefit of relationship between a model-vertex and position of the model-vertex can be represented in the correspondence (page 50-51).
Regarding claim 171, ZAKHARCHENKO teaches a method (fig. 5/fig. 4) comprising:
receive a bitstream comprising a vertex of a mesh (fig. 3C, 381; paragraph 0086, … FIG.3C illustrates an example workflow 380 for reconstructing (e.g., decoding) connectivity information; vertex of a mesh is shown in fig. 3B ), wherein the vertex is stored (fig. 3A, step 302-312; fig. 1G; paragraph 0067, … FIG. 1G illustrates example mesh frames 160 associated with 3D coding approaches using vertex maps, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1G, geometry information 162 can be stored in mesh frames as an ordered list of vertex coordinate information. Each vertex coordinate is stored with corresponding geometry information. Attribute information 164 can be stored in mesh frames, separate from the geometry information 162, as an ordered list of projected vertex attribute coordinate information. The projected vertex attribute coordinate information is stored as 2D coordinate information with corresponding attribute information);
wherein the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure enables at least one of the following:
storage of information corresponding to an algorithm for compression of the mesh (as shown in fig. 3B, 366, Lossless video encoder is used to compress constructed frame; in which, lossless encoding is an algorithm for compression of a mesh, which received in step 354; this information is stored in Machine-Readable Storage media 404, as shown in fig. 4) ;
prediction of values for an individual from a first mesh frame of the mesh for a second mesh frame (fig. 1A-1B; paragraph 0059, … coding 3D content illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, traversal of a triangle mesh in a deterministic, spiral-like manner ensures that each face (besides the initial face) is next to an already encoded face. This allows efficient compression of vertex coordinates and other attributes associated with each face. Attributes, such as coordinates and normals of a vertex, can be predicted from adjacent faces using various predictive algorithms, such as parallelogram prediction. This allows for efficient compression using differences between predicted and original values);
generation of a volumetric video coding bitstream (fig. 3B, 368) comprising information (fig. 2A, attribute image composition 210) that is mapped to the mesh (as shown in fig. 2A, 204, 206, 216); or conversion of a first file format to a second file format;
where the mapped information comprises only attribute video components (paragraph 0046, …attribute Map: attributes associated with the mesh surface and stored as 2D images/videos; which is only attribute video components; fig. 2B, 268);
and decoding the bitstream (fig. 3C).
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure.
HELLGE discloses of the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 7, in which, data stream generator gives the volumetric video coding structure, and vertices 117_1 – 117_3 of mesh 112 are stored; fig. 27-Fig 28 and Fig. 30-31 also shows storing a vertex of the mesh, which is based on the volumetric video coding structure as in fig. 7; also in page 30-31, as: “The data stream 130 might signal a number 117 (see 117.sub.1 to 117.sub.3) of vertices 116 of the mesh 112. As shown in Fig. 7, the number 117 of vertices 116 might be signaled together with each mesh data 112…”; and page 50-51, as: “the correspondence data stores the vertex element from the model. For example, with a model-vertex with three vertex components and component type as float, the data stored in the correspondence can be structured to be used for a Vertex correspondence to a different mesh”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure as a modification to the method for the benefit of relationship between a model-vertex and position of the model-vertex can be represented in the correspondence (page 50-51).
Regarding claim 176, ZAKHARCHENKO teaches an apparatus (fig. 5) comprising at least one processor (fig. 5, 504);
and at least one memory (fig. 5, Rom 508) comprising program code, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform (paragraph 0100, … he computer system 500 may implement the techniques or technology described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computer system 700 that causes or programs the computer system 500 to be a special-purpose machine. According to one or more embodiments, the techniques described herein are performed by the computer system 700 in response to the hardware processor(s) 504 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 506. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 506 from another storage medium, such as the storage device 510. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 506 can cause the hardware processor(s) 504 to perform process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions):
generating a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 4, fig. 3B; paragraph 0013, … In some embodiments of the computer-implemented method, the mesh representative of the 3D content is segmented based on objects, regions of interest, volumetric tiles, or semantic blocks associated with the 3D content; in which, segment and process the mess is a volumetric video coding structure ), wherein the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure enables at least one of the following:
storage of information corresponding to an algorithm for compression of a mesh (as shown in fig. 3B, 366, Lossless video encoder is used to compress constructed frame; in which, lossless encoding is an algorithm for compression of a mesh, which received in step 354; this information is stored in Machine-Readable Storage media 404, as shown in fig. 4) ;
prediction of values for an individual from a first mesh frame of the mesh for a second mesh frame (fig. 1A-1B; paragraph 0059, … coding 3D content illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, traversal of a triangle mesh in a deterministic, spiral-like manner ensures that each face (besides the initial face) is next to an already encoded face. This allows efficient compression of vertex coordinates and other attributes associated with each face. Attributes, such as coordinates and normals of a vertex, can be predicted from adjacent faces using various predictive algorithms, such as parallelogram prediction. This allows for efficient compression using differences between predicted and original values);
generation of a volumetric video coding bitstream (fig. 3B, 368) comprising information (fig. 2A, attribute image composition 210) that is mapped to the mesh (as shown in fig. 2A, 204, 206, 216); or conversion of a first file format to a second file format;
where the mapped information comprises only attribute video components (paragraph 0046, …attribute Map: attributes associated with the mesh surface and stored as 2D images/videos; which is only attribute video components; fig. 2B, 268);
and storing a vertex of the mesh (fig. 3A, step 302-312; fig. 1G; paragraph 0067, … FIG. 1G illustrates example mesh frames 160 associated with 3D coding approaches using vertex maps, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1G, geometry information 162 can be stored in mesh frames as an ordered list of vertex coordinate information. Each vertex coordinate is stored with corresponding geometry information. Attribute information 164 can be stored in mesh frames, separate from the geometry information 162, as an ordered list of projected vertex attribute coordinate information. The projected vertex attribute coordinate information is stored as 2D coordinate information with corresponding attribute information).
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure.
HELLGE discloses of storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 7, in which, data stream generator gives the volumetric video coding structure, and vertices 117_1 – 117_3 of mesh 112 are stored; fig. 27-Fig 28 and Fig. 30-31 also shows storing a vertex of the mesh, which is based on the volumetric video coding structure as in fig. 7; also in page 30-31, as: “The data stream 130 might signal a number 117 (see 117.sub.1 to 117.sub.3) of vertices 116 of the mesh 112. As shown in Fig. 7, the number 117 of vertices 116 might be signaled together with each mesh data 112…”; and page 50-51, as: “the correspondence data stores the vertex element from the model. For example, with a model-vertex with three vertex components and component type as float, the data stored in the correspondence can be structured to be used for a Vertex correspondence to a different mesh”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that storing a vertex of the mesh by using the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of relationship between a model-vertex and position of the model-vertex can be represented in the correspondence (page 50-51).
Regarding claim 182, ZAKHARCHENKO teaches an apparatus (fig. 5) comprising at least one processor (fig. 5, 504);
and at least one memory (fig. 5, Rom 508) comprising program code, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform (paragraph 0100, … the computer system 500 may implement the techniques or technology described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computer system 700 that causes or programs the computer system 500 to be a special-purpose machine. According to one or more embodiments, the techniques described herein are performed by the computer system 700 in response to the hardware processor(s) 504 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 506. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 506 from another storage medium, such as the storage device 510. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 506 can cause the hardware processor(s) 504 to perform process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions):
receive a bitstream comprising a vertex of a mesh (fig. 3C, 381; paragraph 0086, … FIG.3C illustrates an example workflow 380 for reconstructing (e.g., decoding) connectivity information; vertex of a mesh is shown in fig. 3B ), wherein the vertex is stored (fig. 3A, step 302-312; fig. 1G; paragraph 0067, … FIG. 1G illustrates example mesh frames 160 associated with 3D coding approaches using vertex maps, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1G, geometry information 162 can be stored in mesh frames as an ordered list of vertex coordinate information. Each vertex coordinate is stored with corresponding geometry information. Attribute information 164 can be stored in mesh frames, separate from the geometry information 162, as an ordered list of projected vertex attribute coordinate information. The projected vertex attribute coordinate information is stored as 2D coordinate information with corresponding attribute information);
wherein the volumetric video coding structure or the extension to the volumetric video coding structure enables at least one of the following:
storage of information corresponding to an algorithm for compression of the mesh (as shown in fig. 3B, 366, Lossless video encoder is used to compress constructed frame; in which, lossless encoding is an algorithm for compression of a mesh, which received in step 354; this information is stored in Machine-Readable Storage media 404, as shown in fig. 4) ;
prediction of values for an individual from a first mesh frame of the mesh for a second mesh frame (fig. 1A-1B; paragraph 0059, … coding 3D content illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, traversal of a triangle mesh in a deterministic, spiral-like manner ensures that each face (besides the initial face) is next to an already encoded face. This allows efficient compression of vertex coordinates and other attributes associated with each face. Attributes, such as coordinates and normals of a vertex, can be predicted from adjacent faces using various predictive algorithms, such as parallelogram prediction. This allows for efficient compression using differences between predicted and original values);
generation of a volumetric video coding bitstream (fig. 3B, 368) comprising information (fig. 2A, attribute image composition 210) that is mapped to the mesh (as shown in fig. 2A, 204, 206, 216); or conversion of a first file format to a second file format;
where the mapped information comprises only attribute video components (paragraph 0046, …attribute Map: attributes associated with the mesh surface and stored as 2D images/videos; which is only attribute video components; fig. 2B, 268);
and decoding the bitstream (fig. 3C).
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure.
HELLGE discloses of the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure (fig. 7, in which, data stream generator gives the volumetric video coding structure, and vertices 117_1 – 117_3 of mesh 112 are stored; fig. 27-Fig 28 and Fig. 30-31 also shows storing a vertex of the mesh, which is based on the volumetric video coding structure as in fig. 7; also in page 30-31, as: “The data stream 130 might signal a number 117 (see 117.sub.1 to 117.sub.3) of vertices 116 of the mesh 112. As shown in Fig. 7, the number 117 of vertices 116 might be signaled together with each mesh data 112…”; and page 50-51, as: “the correspondence data stores the vertex element from the model. For example, with a model-vertex with three vertex components and component type as float, the data stored in the correspondence can be structured to be used for a Vertex correspondence to a different mesh”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the vertex is stored by using a volumetric video coding structure or an extension to the volumetric video coding structure as a modification to the method for the benefit of relationship between a model-vertex and position of the model-vertex can be represented in the correspondence (page 50-51).
Regarding claim 170, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 169 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the volumetric video coding comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C), the volumetric video coding structure comprises V3C structure, and/or the volumetric video coding bitstream comprises a V3C bitstream (fig. 2B; paragraph 0002, standards include the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC). Brief Description of the Drawings).
Regarding claim 172, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 171 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the volumetric video coding comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C), the volumetric video coding structure comprises V3C structure, and/or the volumetric video coding bitstream comprises a V3C bitstream (fig. 2B; paragraph 0002, standards include the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC). Brief Description of the Drawings).
Regarding claim 177, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the volumetric video coding comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C), the volumetric video coding structure comprises V3C structure, and/or the volumetric video coding bitstream comprises a V3C bitstream (fig. 2B; paragraph 0002, standards include the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC). Brief Description of the Drawings).
Regarding claim 183, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 182 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the volumetric video coding comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C), the volumetric video coding structure comprises V3C structure, and/or the volumetric video coding bitstream comprises a V3C bitstream (fig. 2B; paragraph 0002, standards include the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC). Brief Description of the Drawings).
Regarding claim 173, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 171 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that wherein the first file format comprises a three dimensional (3D) media format (paragraph 0002, … 3D graphics are used in various entertainment applications such as interactive 3D environments or 3D videos. Interactive 3D environments offer immersive six degrees of freedom representation, which provides improved functionality for users) and the second file format comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C) format (paragraph 0002… the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC)).
Regarding claim 178, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that wherein the first file format comprises a three dimensional (3D) media format (paragraph 0002, … 3D graphics are used in various entertainment applications such as interactive 3D environments or 3D videos. Interactive 3D environments offer immersive six degrees of freedom representation, which provides improved functionality for users) and the second file format comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C) format (paragraph 0003… the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC)).
Regarding claim 175, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 171 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the information corresponding to the algorithm for compression of the mesh comprises at least one of a vertex information, mapping to a coordinate texture (uv) texture, or connectivity information (fig. 2A, 216; paragraph 0043-0044, … a set of vertex 3D (e.g., x, y, z) coordinates describing positions associated with the mesh vertices. The coordinates (e.g., x, y, z) representing the positions may have finite precision and dynamic range… Mapping: a description of how to map the mesh surface to 2D regions of the plane. Such mapping may be described by a set of UV parametric/texture (e.g., mapping) coordinates associated with the mesh vertices together with the connectivity information).
Regarding claim 180, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the information corresponding to the algorithm for compression of the mesh comprises at least one of a vertex information, mapping to a coordinate texture (uv) texture, or connectivity information (fig. 2A, 216; paragraph 0043-0044, … a set of vertex 3D (e.g., x, y, z) coordinates describing positions associated with the mesh vertices. The coordinates (e.g., x, y, z) representing the positions may have finite precision and dynamic range… Mapping: a description of how to map the mesh surface to 2D regions of the plane. Such mapping may be described by a set of UV parametric/texture (e.g., mapping) coordinates associated with the mesh vertices together with the connectivity information).
Regarding claim 186, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 182 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the information corresponding to the algorithm for compression of the mesh comprises at least one of a vertex information, mapping to a coordinate texture (uv) texture, or connectivity information (fig. 2A, 216; paragraph 0043-0044, … a set of vertex 3D (e.g., x, y, z) coordinates describing positions associated with the mesh vertices. The coordinates (e.g., x, y, z) representing the positions may have finite precision and dynamic range… Mapping: a description of how to map the mesh surface to 2D regions of the plane. Such mapping may be described by a set of UV parametric/texture (e.g., mapping) coordinates associated with the mesh vertices together with the connectivity information).
Regarding claim 187, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 182 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that accessing at least one of: order of vertices in the mesh or a connectivity information; retrieving the vertex, an intra frame, and an inter frame in a volumetric video coding patch data; or retrieving the connectivity information as one of: a new patch type capable of storing string of bits or a new network abstraction later (NAL) unit type (fig. 3A, step 312-316 are order of vertices in the mesh or a connectivity information; paragraph 0015, … for each face, the vertex indices are sorted in an ascending order).
7. Claim 174, 179, 185 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411) and in view of HELLGE et al. (WO 2022069616) and further in view of Jarek et al. (Edgebreaker: Connectivity Compression for Triangle Meshes. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 5, 1 (January 1999), 47–61).
Regarding claim 174, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 171 as discussed above.
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information.
Jarek discloses of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information (fig. 3; page 7, … At each step, Edgebreaker identifies the unique triangle, X, that is part of R0 and is incident upon g. Let v be the only vertex of X that does not bound g. Edgebreaker analyzes the relation that v has with respect to B and g, distinguishing 5 cases labeled C, L, E, R, and S (see Fig. 4).).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information as a modification to the method for the benefit of Edgebreaker may be used to compress the connectivity of an entire mesh bounding a 3D polyhedron or the connectivity of a triangulated surface patch whose boundary needs not be encoded (Abstract).
Regarding claim 179, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above.
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information.
Jarek discloses of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information (fig. 3; page 7, … At each step, Edgebreaker identifies the unique triangle, X, that is part of R0 and is incident upon g. Let v be the only vertex of X that does not bound g. Edgebreaker analyzes the relation that v has with respect to B and g, distinguishing 5 cases labeled C, L, E, R, and S (see Fig. 4).).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of Edgebreaker may be used to compress the connectivity of an entire mesh bounding a 3D polyhedron or the connectivity of a triangulated surface patch whose boundary needs not be encoded (Abstract).
Regarding claim 185, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 182 as discussed above.
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information.
Jarek discloses of the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information (fig. 3; page 7, … At each step, Edgebreaker identifies the unique triangle, X, that is part of R0 and is incident upon g. Let v be the only vertex of X that does not bound g. Edgebreaker analyzes the relation that v has with respect to B and g, distinguishing 5 cases labeled C, L, E, R, and S (see Fig. 4).).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the algorithm comprises an edgebreaker algorithm and the information corresponding to the algorithm comprises edgebreaker information as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of Edgebreaker may be used to compress the connectivity of an entire mesh bounding a 3D polyhedron or the connectivity of a triangulated surface patch whose boundary needs not be encoded (Abstract).
8. Claim 181, 188 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411) and in view of HELLGE et al. (WO 2022069616) and further in view of Chalfinet al. (US 20210158585).
Regarding claim 181, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above.
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction.
Chalfinet discloses of indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction (fig. 15; paragraph 0272, … shown in FIG. 15, this process operates to predict the position of a vertex as the position that completes the parallelogram formed by the vertices of a neighbouring primitive (triangle), and then encodes the vertex position as being the difference (a delta vector) between the predicted vertex position and the actual vertex position).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of effectively and efficiently encode the vertices (paragraph 0272).
Regarding claim 188, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 182 as discussed above.
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction.
Chalfinet discloses of indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction (fig. 15; paragraph 0272, … shown in FIG. 15, this process operates to predict the position of a vertex as the position that completes the parallelogram formed by the vertices of a neighbouring primitive (triangle), and then encodes the vertex position as being the difference (a delta vector) between the predicted vertex position and the actual vertex position).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that indicating that vertices are encoded using a parallelogram prediction, when the vertices are encoded using the parallelogram prediction as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of effectively and efficiently encode the vertices (paragraph 0272).
9. Claim 184 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZAKHARCHENKO et al. ( WO 2023023411) and in view of HELLGE et al. (WO 2022069616) and further in view of LI (CN 112308959).
Regarding claim 184, the combination of ZAKHARCHENKO and HELLGE teaches the limitations recited in claim 176 as discussed above. In addition, ZAKHARCHENKO further discloses that the second file format comprises a visual volumetric video-based coding (V3C) file format (paragraph 0002… the Visual Volumetric Video-Based Coding (V3C) standard for Video-Based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC)).
It is noticed that ZAKHARCHENKO does not disclose explicitly of the first file format comprises a draco (drc) file format.
Chalfinet discloses of the first file format comprises a draco (drc) file format (page 3, … compressing the glTF format file by draco to obtain a compressed result file).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the technology that the first file format comprises a draco (drc) file format as a modification to the apparatus for the benefit of effectively and efficiently compress the file (page 3).
10. Conclusion
. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
11. Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAIHAN JIANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1399. The examiner can normally be reached on flexible.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sath Perungavoor can be reached on (571)272-7455. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-0655.
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/ZAIHAN JIANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2488
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