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 .
Status of Claims
The following is a Non-Final Office Action in response to the correspondence filed on 01/18/2025.
Claims 1-15 are considered in this Office Action. Claims 1-15 are currently pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR10-2021-0190261, filed on 12/28/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed on 06/27/2024 appear to be in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and are being considered by the examiner. The initialed and dated copies of applicants’ IDS form 1449 are attached to this instant Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-3, 6-12, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vadim Seregin (US 20180278951 A1) (hereinafter Seregin):
Regarding Claim 1, Seregin teaches an image decoding method ([0008] video decoding method), the method comprising:
generating a motion vector prediction list for a current block ([0072] teaches generating a candidate MVP list );
selecting one from a plurality of motion vector prediction candidates included in the motion information prediction list ([0076], and [0072] teach selecting one candidate from the list);
reconstructing a motion vector difference value of the current block ([0209] teaches reconstructing the MVD ); and
adding the motion vector prediction candidate and the motion vector difference value to derive a motion vector of the current block ([0211] teaches adding the MVP and the MVD to derive the MV),
wherein a sign of the motion vector difference value is determined based on sign prediction information indicating whether a predicted sign matches an actual sign ([0007], and [0101] teaches using the sign prediction information to determine if the predicated sign matches the actual sign).
Regarding Claim 2, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches motion vector candidates are derived by applying each sign combination of the motion vector difference value ([0104] teaches generating MV candidates by applying all sign combinations to the MVD magnitude),
a reference region within a reference picture is designated based on each of the motion vector candidates ([0107] teaches identifying reference regions for each candidate),
the predicted sign corresponds to a sign combination used to derive a reference region with a smallest cost among a plurality of reference regions ( [0109], and [0116] teach selecting the sign predictor based on the candidate with the smallest discontinuity ).
Regarding Claim 3, Seregin teaches the method of claim 2. Seregin further teaches wherein the reference region is a reference template adjacent to a reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate ([0117], and [0119] teach using L-shaped templates adjacent to the refence blocks indicated by MV candidates),
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a Sum of Difference (SAD) to the reference template and a current template adjacent to the current block ([0098], [0117], and [0123] teaches calculating cost using SAD between the current block’s template and the reference block’s template).
Regarding Claim 6, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches the sign prediction information is decoded based on probability information ([0065], and [0132] teaches context coding using probabilities for the sign prediction).
Regarding Claim 7, Seregin teaches the method of claim 6. Seregin further teaches the probability information is determined based on a sign of a motion vector difference value in a direction to which a sign prediction is not applied among a L0 direction and a L1 direction ([0110] teaches the probability information is based on the sign of the MVD as a specified direction that is not L1 or L2 direction).
Regarding Claim 8, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches the sign prediction information is signaled for each of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction ([0070], [0098], and [0101]- [0102] teaches signaling a flag for each component in the vertical and horizontal directions).
Regarding Claim 9, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1. Seregin further teaches the motion vector, the motion vector prediction candidate and the motion vector difference value relate to a control point motion vector of the current block ([0073]- [0076], [0211], and fig. 2 teach applying the MVD sign perdition method to the affine mode control point motions vectors. The MV, MVP, and MVD are affiliated with the control point motion vector).
Regarding Claim 10, Seregin teaches an image encoding method ([0009] teaches video encoding method), the method comprising:
generating a motion vector prediction list for a current block ([0072] and [0071] teaches generating a candidate MVP list );
selecting one from a plurality of motion vector prediction candidates included in the motion information prediction list ([0076], and [0072] teach selecting one candidate from the list);
deriving a motion vector difference value by subtracting a motion vector prediction candidate from a motion vector of the current block ([0006], and [0071] teach the MVD calculation as the MV and the MVP);
deriving a prediction sign for the motion vector difference value ([0178] teaches determining the sign for the MVD ); and
encoding sign prediction information indicating whether an actual sign of the motion vector difference value matches the prediction sign ([0009], and [0101] teaches encoding an indicator that indicates if the predicated sign matches the actual sign).
Regarding Claim 11, Seregin teaches the method of claim 10. Seregin further a plurality of motion vector candidates are derived by applying a plurality of sign combinations to the motion vector difference value ([0104] teaches generating MV candidates by applying all sign combinations to the MVD magnitude),
a reference region within a reference picture is designated based on each of the motion vector candidates ([0107] teaches identifying reference regions for each candidate),
the predicted sign corresponds to a sign combination used to derive a reference region with a smallest cost among a plurality of reference regions. ( [0109], and [0116] teach selecting the sign predictor based on the candidate with the smallest discontinuity ).
Regarding Claim 12, Seregin teaches the method of claim 11. Seregin further teaches wherein the reference region is a reference template adjacent to a reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate ([0117], and [0119] teach using L-shaped templates adjacent to the refence blocks indicated by MV candidates),
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a Sum of Difference (SAD) to the reference template and a current template adjacent to the current block ([0098], [0117], and [0123] teaches calculating cost using SAD between the current block’s template and the reference block’s template).
Regarding Claim 15, Seregin teaches A computer readable recording medium storing a bitstream generated by an image encoding method ([0036] teaches the computer readable medium, [0041] teaches the bitstream generated by encoding method), the computer readable recording medium comprising:
generating a motion vector prediction list for a current block ([0072] and [0071] teaches generating a candidate MVP list );
selecting one from a plurality of motion vector prediction candidates included in the motion information prediction list ([0076], and [0072] teach selecting one candidate from the list);
deriving a motion vector difference value by subtracting the motion vector prediction candidate from a motion vector of the current block ([0006], and [0071] teach the MVD calculation as the MV and the MVP);
deriving a prediction sign for the motion vector difference value ([0178] teaches determining the sign for the MVD ); and
encoding sign prediction information indicating whether an actual sign of the motion vector difference value matches the prediction sign ([0009], and [0101] teaches encoding an indicator that indicates if the predicated sign matches the actual sign).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Vadim Seregin (US 20180278951 A1) (hereinafter Seregin) in view of Jaeho Lee (US 20200314444 A1) (hereinafter Lee):
Regarding Claim 4, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1. ; however Seregin does not explicitly teach wherein the reference region is a L0 reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate,
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a SAD to the L0 reference block and a L1 reference block corresponding to the L0 reference block.
However, in an analogous art, Jang teaches wherein the reference region is a L0 reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate ([0141] teaches evaluating L0 reference blocks indicated by motion candidates),
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a SAD to the L0 reference block and a L1 reference block corresponding to the L0 reference block ([0142] teaches calculating the cost of the candidate by applying SAF between the L0 block and the L1 block).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify video coding system and method as disclosed by Seregin to add cost analysis as disclosed by Lee to increase the coding efficiency (Lee[0012]).
Regarding Claim 13, Seregin teaches the method of claim 11. ; however Seregin does not explicitly teach wherein the reference region is a L0 reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate,
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a SAD to the L0 reference block and a L1 reference block corresponding to the L0 reference block.
However, in an analogous art, Lee teaches wherein the reference region is a L0 reference block indicated by the motion vector candidate ([0141] teaches evaluating L0 reference blocks indicated by motion candidates),
a cost for the reference region is obtained by applying a SAD to the L0 reference block and a L1 reference block corresponding to the L0 reference block ([0142] teaches calculating the cost of the candidate by applying SAF between the L0 block and the L1 block).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify video coding system and method as disclosed by Seregin to add cost analysis as disclosed by Lee to increase the coding efficiency (Lee[0012]).
Claims 5, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Vadim Seregin (US 20180278951 A1) (hereinafter Seregin) in view of Geonjung Ko (US 20210243476 A1) (hereinafter Ko):
Regarding Claim 5, Seregin teaches the method of claim 1; however Seregin does not explicitly teach if a reference region indicated by the motion vector candidate is out of a boundary of the reference picture, the motion vector candidate is determined to be unavailable
However, in an analogous art, Ko teaches if a reference region indicated by the motion vector candidate is out of a boundary of the reference picture, the motion vector candidate is determined to be unavailable ([0242], and [0255] teach determining the candidate is unavailable if the reference location is out of the picture boundary).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify video coding system and method as disclosed by Seregin to add [the determination of MV candidate availability as disclosed by Ko to increase the coding efficiency (Ko[0004]).
Regarding Claim 14, Seregin teaches the method of claim 11; however Seregin does not explicitly teach if a reference region indicated by the motion vector candidate is out of a boundary of the reference picture, the motion vector candidate is determined to be unavailable
However, in an analogous art, Ko teaches if a reference region indicated by the motion vector candidate is out of a boundary of the reference picture, the motion vector candidate is determined to be unavailable ([0242], and [0255] teach determining the candidate is unavailable if the reference location is out of the picture boundary).
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify video coding system and method as disclosed by Seregin to add [the determination of MV candidate availability as disclosed by Ko to increase the coding efficiency (Ko[0004]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (703)756-1694. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jamie Atala can be reached at (571) 272-7384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA/Examiner, Art Unit 2486
/JAMIE J ATALA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2486
Prosecution Insights