DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is a response to an application filed on 11/10/2025, in which claims 19-22, 24-30, and 32-33 are pending and ready for examination.
Response to Amendment
Claims 19, 27, and 33 are currently amended. Claims 23 and 31 are cancelled.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims rejected under 35 USC 102, 103 in Remarks filed on 11/10/2025 have been considered but are moot upon further consideration and a new ground of rejection made under 35 USC 103 based on Park (WO 2022260339 A1) in view of Xiu (WO 2017192995 A1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 19-22 and 26-30, and 32-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (WO 2022260339 A1) in view of Xiu (WO 2017192995 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Park discloses an image decoding method performed by a decoding apparatus, the image decoding method comprising (Park; Para. [0149]. An image decoding process/system is used to perform video coding.):
obtaining a bitstream including image information;
deriving a Decoder Side Intra Mode Derivation (DIMD) mode for a current block (Park; Para. [0148-149]. A DIMD mode is derived for a current block.);
deriving an intra prediction mode for the current block (Park; Para. [0148-149]. Intra modes are derived for a current block.);
generating prediction samples for the current block based on the intra prediction mode for the current block (Park; Para. [0150-151]. Prediction samples for a current block is determined in accordance with intra modes for a current block.); and
generating reconstructed samples for the current block based on the prediction samples for the current block (Park; Para. [0150-151]. Reconstructed sample of a current block is determined in accordance with prediction samples of a current block), and
configuring a Most Probable Mode (MPM) list including intra prediction mode candidates for the current block (Park; Para. [0148-149]. A MPM list is set including intra mode candidates for a current block.),
wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on whether the DIMD mode is applied to the current block (Park; Para. [0149-150]. Intra modes for a current block are derived in accordance with a DIMD mode being used.).
But it does not specifically disclose wherein, based on the DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and the DIMD mode not being applied to the current block, the one directional intra mode is not included in the MPM list (Xiu; Para. [0105]. For DIMD being used with a derived intra mode of at least one direction, a derived intra mode of at least one direction is added as one candidate into a MPM list, thus a derived intra mode of at least one direction is not added as one candidate into a MPM list for DIMD not being used.), and
wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the MPM list (Xiu; Para. [0105]. An intra mode for a current block is determined in accordance with a MPM list.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Park to adapt an image processing approach, by incorporating Xiu’s teaching wherein MPM and DIMD are used in conjunction, for the motivation to allow DIMD to perform intra prediction mode prediction without explicitly signaling a intra mode (Xiu; Abstract.).
Regarding claim 20, Park discloses wherein, based on the DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and the DIMD mode being applied to the current block, a prediction mode is derived based on performing weighted averaging based on the one directional intra mode and planar mode (Park; Para. [0148-149]. In accordance with a DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and a DIMD being used for a current block, a prediction mode is determined using weighted average of one directional intra mode and a planar mode.), and
wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the prediction mode (Park; Para. [0148-149]. An intra mode for a current block is determined in accordance with a prediction mode.).
Regarding claim 21, Park discloses wherein a weighting factor for the one directional intra mode is equal to 2/3 and a weighting factor for the planar mode is equal to 1/3 (Park; Para. [0148]. A weight for one directional mode is 2/3, and a weight for a planar mode is 1/3.).
Regarding claim 22, configuring a Most Probable Mode (MPM) list including intra prediction mode candidates for the current block (Park; Para. [0148]. A MPM list, including intra mode candidates, is set/configured.),
wherein, based on the DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and the DIMD mode not being applied to the current block, a prediction mode is derived based on performing weighted averaging based on the one directional intra mode and planar mode, wherein the prediction mode is included in the MPM list (Park; Para. [0148-149]. For a DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and not being used to a current block, a prediction mode is derived using weighted average in accordance with one directional intra mode and planar mode, wherein a MPM list includes a prediction mode.), and
wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the MPM list (Park; Para. [0148]. An intra mode for a current block is determined in accordance with a MPM list.).
Regarding claim 26, Park discloses wherein, based on the DIMD mode not being applied to the current block, a default mode of the DIMD mode is one of a DC mode, a horizontal prediction mode or vertical prediction mode, and a directional prediction mode (Park; Para. [0148-149]. For DIMD not being used for a current block, a used/default mode of DIMD is one of a non-directional mode of DC.).
Claims 27-30 are directed to an image encoding method performed by an encoding apparatus, the image encoding method comprising a sequence of processing steps that are in symmetric/reciprocal manner with the steps corresponding to the same as claimed in claims 19-22, and are rejected for the same reason of anticipation as outlined above.
Claim 32 is directed to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a bitstream generated by an image encoding method of claim 27, the image encoding method comprising a sequence of processing steps that are in symmetric/reciprocal manner with the steps corresponding to the same as claimed in claim 19, and is rejected for the same reason of anticipation as outlined above.
Claim 33 is directed to a transmission method of data for an image, the transmission method comprising a sequence of processing steps that are in symmetric/reciprocal manner with the steps corresponding to the same as claimed in claim 19, and is rejected for the same reason of anticipation as outlined above.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (WO 2022260339 A1) in view of Kim (WO 2023277535 A1).
Regarding claim 24, Park discloses the limitation in claim 19 (Park; See remarks regarding claim 19 above.).
But it does not specifically disclose deriving a Template-based Intra Mode Derivation (TIMD) mode for the current block, wherein, based on the DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and the DIMD mode not being applied to the current block, the TIMD mode is derived based on an intra prediction mode excluding the one directional intra mode, and wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the TIMD mode.
However, Kim teaches deriving a Template-based Intra Mode Derivation (TIMD) mode for the current block (Kim; Para. [0194]. A TIMD intra mode is derived for a current block.), wherein, based on the DIMD mode being derived as one directional intra mode and the DIMD mode not being applied to the current block, the TIMD mode is derived based on an intra prediction mode excluding the one directional intra mode (Kim; Para. [0194]. A TIMD intra mode is derived using an intra mode without one intra mode for DIMD in accordance with DIMD being derived as one intra mode and not being used for a current block.), and
wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the TIMD mode (Kim; Para. [0194]. An intra mode for a current block is derived in accordance with a TIMD mode.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Park to adapt an intra mode, by incorporating Kim’s teaching wherein TIMD and MPM are used in conjunction, for the motivation to allow DIMD to perform intra prediction mode prediction (Kim, Abstract.).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (WO 2022260339 A1) in view of Moon (WO 2018070790 A1).
Regarding claim 25, Park discloses the limitation in claim 23 (Park; See remarks regarding claim 23 above.).
But it does not specifically disclose wherein the image information includes remaining mode information, wherein remaining intra prediction modes excluding the intra prediction mode candidates included in the MPM list and the one directional intra mode are derived based on the remaining mode information, and wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the remaining intra prediction modes.
However, Moon teaches wherein the image information includes remaining mode information (Moon; Para. [0255]. Image information includes remaining modes.),
wherein remaining intra prediction modes excluding the intra prediction mode candidates included in the MPM list and the one directional intra mode are derived based on the remaining mode information (Moon; Para. [0255]. Remaining modes except MPM modes and a directional intra mode are derived in accordance with remaining mode information.), and wherein the intra prediction mode for the current block is derived based on the remaining intra prediction modes (Moon; Para. [0255]. Intra prediction mode for a current block is derived in accordance with remaining modes).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Park to adapt an intra mode, by incorporating Moon’s teaching wherein remaining mods and DIMD are used in conjunction, for the motivation to allow DIMD to perform intra prediction mode prediction (Moon; Para. [0009].).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Andrivon (WO 2025015024 A1) teaches a video coding system that performs template-based intra mode derivation with directional sample-wise fusion.
Naser (WO 2025002781 A1) teaches a video coding system that performs generalized intra prediction fusion.
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.
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/ALBERT KIR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2485