DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed on July 29, 2026. Claims 1, 3-7 , 9-10, and 12-17 are pending and are examined.
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
The amendments made to claims 1, 4, 9-10, and 17 have been fully considered.
In light of these amendments, the previous objection to claim 4 is withdrawn.
Response to Argument
Applicant's arguments and amendments received July 29, 2026 have been fully considered.
With regard to 35 U.S.C. § 103, Applicant argues the cited prior art fails to disclose applying a value that is derived based on the normal vector to a position for the points. This language corresponds to the newly amended language of claims 1, 9, 10, and 17.
Ultimately, Applicants arguments have been considered but they are directed to newly amended language, which is addressed below. See the rejection below for how the cited references in view of newly identified art read on the newly amended language as well as the examiner's interpretation of the cited art in view of the presented claim set.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The cited prior art fails to disclose wherein the encoding the geometry data of the point cloud frame further includes: calculating a rotation motion vector by applying a weight to the geometry data based on the normal vector.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 9-10, 12, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0021856 (“Tourapis”) in view of the level of skill in the art.
With respect to claim 1, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed, including:
A method comprising:
encoding geometry data of a point cloud frame (see Abstract, Figs. 1A, 2A, 4A, 6A-6B, 7, items 104, 202, 204, 402-408, 618, ¶¶39, 78-79, 152, describing an encoder to encode, for data of a point cloud frame, spatial/geometry information, i.e., geometry data of point cloud data);
encoding attribute data of the point cloud frame (see Abstract, Figs. 1A, 2A, 3, 4A, 10A, items 104, 112, 204, 300, 402, 410-428, ¶¶39, 42, 47-52, describing encoding attribute data for a point cloud frame),
wherein the encoding the geometry data of the point cloud frame includes:
deriving a normal vector for points of the point cloud frame (see ¶¶133-134, describing that the process of compressing the spatial information, i.e., encoding the geometry data of the point cloud, includes the derivation of a normal vector for the points of the point cloud frame);
applying a value that is derived based on the normal vector to a position for the points (see citations with respect to element above, describing that location correction information, i.e., a value, may be derived based on the normal vector to a position for the points and applied); and
generating a motion compensated reference frame for the point cloud frame based on a road for the point cloud frame (see ¶¶41-42, 102, 112, 182-191, describing that the system may generate a motion compensated reference frame for the current point cloud frame and that the point cloud data may be for a road, i.e., the generation of the reference frame may be based on a road for the point cloud frame), and
wherein a bitstream including the encoded geometry data and the encoded attribute data includes information for specifying that motion compensation is applied based on the road (see citations and arguments with respect to element above, describing that the bitstream including the encoded geometry data and attribute data includes motion compensation information/parameters/indices/vectors/residuals/deltas, etc., i.e., information for specifying that encoding is applied, and that the motion compensation may be for a point cloud that is a road, i.e., the information specifying that encoding is applied is based on the road).
Tourapis does not specifically state use the term “motion compensation”. However, Tourapis teaches compression that includes the modification of a reference frame to obtain the current point cloud frame using a motion field (see citations in claim elements above). This would have been understood by one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have been a form of motion compensation – the prediction of a current frame from a reference frame by using motion information. Therefore, it would have been obvious to have modified Tourapis to use the term “motion compensation” to describe its process.
With respect to claim 3, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of independent claim 1. Tourapis additionally discloses:
wherein deriving the normal vector includes:
calculating the normal vector based on, among points within a first range from an origin, points having a coordinate value in a first distance (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above, and Tourapis Fig. 6, items 604-612, ¶¶132-134, describing that the normal vector may be calculated based on the difference between the relocated or adjusted point location relative to a particular subdivision location (e.g., [XA, YA, ZA] – a location between points of the sub-sampled point cloud determined based on sub-division location parameters) and the original subdivision location (e.g., [X, Y, Z]), i.e., based on points having a coordinate value in a first distance among points within a first range from an origin).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claim 1 also apply to claim 3.
With respect to claim 9, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of independent claim 1. Tourapis additionally discloses:
A device comprising:
a memory (see Tourapis Fig. 16, item 1620 ¶¶467-470, 475-476, describing that the , encoder/decoder may be embodied by a memory and processor connected thereto); and
at least one processor connected to the memory (see citations and arguments with respect to element above), the at least one processor configured to:
encode geometry data of point cloud data (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above), wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
encode geometry data of a point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above); and
encode attribute data of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above),
wherein, to encode the geometry data of the point cloud frame, the encoder is further configured to:
derive a normal vector for points of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above);
apply a value that is based on the normal vector to a position for the points (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above); and
generate a motion compensated reference frame for the point cloud frame based on a road for the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above),
wherein a bitstream including the encoded geometry data and the encoded attribute data includes information for specifying that motion compensation is applied based on the road (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claim 1 also apply to claim 9.
With respect to claim 10, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of independent claim 1. Tourapis additionally discloses:
A method comprising:
decoding geometry data of a point cloud frame in a bitstream (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and Tourapis Abstract, Figs. 1A, 2B, 2D, items 116, 220, 222, ¶¶39-40, 76-77, describing a decoder for decoding spatial/geometry information, i.e., geometry information of point cloud data); and
decoding attribute data of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and decoder described above),
wherein the decoding the geometry data of the point cloud frame includes:
obtaining a normal vector for points of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and decoder described above);
apply a value that is derived based on the normal vector to a position for the points (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and decoder described above); and
generating a motion compensated reference frame for the point cloud frame based on a road for the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and decoder described above), and
wherein the bitstream includes information for specifying that motion compensation is applied based on the road (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above and decoder described above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claim 1 also apply to claim 10.
With respect to claim 12, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of independent claim 10. Tourapis additionally discloses:
wherein the bitstream further contains information about the normal vector,
wherein the normal vector is calculated based on, among points within a first range from an origin, points having a coordinate value in a first distance (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 3 above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claim 1 also apply to claim 12.
With respect to claim 17, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of independent claim 10. Tourapis additionally discloses:
A device comprising:
a memory (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 9 above); and
at least one processor connected to the memory (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 9 above), the at least one processor configured to:
decode geometry data of a point cloud frame in a bitstream (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 10 above); and
decode attribute data of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above),
wherein, to decode the geometry data of the point cloud frame, the decoder is further configured to:
obtain a normal vector for points of the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 10 above);
apply a value that is derived based on the normal vector to a position for the points (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 10 above) and
generate a motion compensated reference frame for the point cloud frame based on a road for the point cloud frame (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 10 above), and
wherein the bitstream includes information for specifying that motion compensation is applied based on the road (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 1 above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claim 1 also apply to claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 4-5 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tourapis in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0124371 (“Zhang”), which corresponds to a priority application dated June 2019.
With respect to claim 4, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above, Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of dependent claim 3.
Tourapis but does not explicitly disclose calculating the normal vector as an average of second vectors of the points in the first distance.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhang discloses that it was known to use an average of neighboring vectors to calculate the normal vector, i.e.,:
calculating the normal vector as an average of second vectors of the points in the first distance (see ¶¶108-109, describing that the normal vector of a point may be calculated by finding the normal vectors of neighborhood points and averaging them to determine the normal vector of an encoding point, i.e., average of second vectors of the points).
Tourapis describes obtaining a normal vector to compute location correction information (see citations with respect to claims 1 and 3-4 above). At the time of filing, one of ordinary skill would have been familiar with methods for calculating normal vectors, including, as evidenced by Zhang, using a combination of nearby vectors in a similar plane. Accordingly, to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing, doing so in the coding system of Tourapis would have represented nothing more than the simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to include a mechanism for calculating the normal vector of the coding point as an average of second vectors of nearby points, in the coding system of Tourapis as taught by Zhang.
With respect to claim 5, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above, Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of dependent claim 3 and Tourapis in view of Zhang discloses each and every element of dependent claim 4, the combination of which is incorporated herein. Tourapis/Zhang additionally discloses:
wherein the deriving the normal vector includes:
generating faces connecting the points in the first distance; and
calculating the normal vector as an average of normal vectors to the faces (see citations with respect to claims 1 and 3-4 above describing that the normal vector may be calculated as an average of normal vectors within the neighborhood and Tourapis Figs. 6, 7, ¶¶128, 133-134, 139-143, describing that the process of 6A-6B may be used to predict spatial information, but that it may be performed using K-D spatial information where a point cloud is divided into intersecting planes, i.e., faces, connecting the points of the point cloud, i.e., including the points in the first distance).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claims 1 and 4 also apply to claim 7.
With respect to claim 13, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of the level of skill in the art discloses each and every element of dependent claim 12 and Tourapis in view of Zhang discloses each and every element of dependent claim 4, the combination of which is incorporated herein. Tourapis/Zhang additionally discloses:
wherein the normal vector is calculated as an average of second vectors of the points in the first distance (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 4 above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claims 1 and 6 also apply to claim 15.
With respect to claim 14, Tourapis discloses the invention substantially as claimed. As detailed above Tourapis in view of Zhang discloses each and every element of dependent claim 12 and every element of dependent claim 5, the combination of which is incorporated herein. Tourapis/Zhang additionally discloses:
wherein the normal vector is calculated as an average of normal vectors to faces connecting the points in the first distance (see citations and arguments with respect to claim 5 above).
The reasons for combining the cited prior art with respect to claims 1 and 7 also apply to claim 16.
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 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 LINDSAY JANE KILE UHL whose telephone number is (571)270-0337. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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LINDSAY J UHL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2481
/LINDSAY J UHL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481
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