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 .
Claims 1, 4 and 6 have been amended. Claim 5 has been cancelled. Claims 1-4 and 6 are pending for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/19/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 01/08/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1-4 and 6 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of KANOH (US 20210160491 A1).
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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JUN (US 20200288150 A1) in view of KANOH (US 20210160491 A1).
Regarding claim 1, JUN teaches a method for decoding an image comprising:
deriving a prediction mode of a current block (When an intra mode is used as a prediction mode, the switch 115 may be switched to an intra. [0113]);
generating a prediction block based on the prediction mode of the current block (generate a prediction block for an input block of the input image. [0113]); and
reconstructing the current block based on the prediction block (a reconstructed block may be generated. [0128]),
wherein in response to the determination the current block is partitioned into the plurality of subblocks based on information on partitioning and wherein a shape of each subblock comprises a triangle shape ([0336] In (a) of FIG. 16, when a current block is divided into two sub-blocks, the current block may be divided into two sub-blocks of a triangle form obtained by dividing the current block by a diagonal boundary from the left-upper to right-lower.).
JUN does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, KANOH teaches wherein, the current block is determined to be partitioned into a plurality of subblocks based on an aspect ratio of the current block, and the prediction mode of an inter prediction for the current block ([0512] In the process illustrated in FIG. 29, a block partitioning method candidate may be eliminated based on a determination condition other than the shape of a current block to be split. For example, a block partitioning method candidate to be eliminated from the first candidates may be determined according to the type of a picture such as I-picture, P-picture, and B-picture, or the type of a prediction mode such as intra prediction mode and inter prediction mode. [0065] The first condition is, for example, that a ratio of a longer side to a shorter side of the current block is greater than a first value. Examiner note: fig. 15 partitions current block based on aspect ratio condition)
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of KANOH and apply them to JUN. One would be motivated as such as to reduce computational complexity.
Regarding claim 2, JUN in view of KANOH teaches the method of claim 1. JUN teaches wherein the information on partitioning comprises information on applying partitioning and information on partitioning direction ([0161] When a coding unit corresponding to a node of a multi-type tree is further partitioned by a multi-type tree partition structure, the coding unit may include partition direction information.).
Regarding claim 3, JUN in view of KANOH teaches the method of claim 1. JUN teaches wherein the current block is partitioned into the plurality of subblocks further based on a size of the current block ([0125] at least one value or a combination form of a unit/block size, a unit/block depth, unit/block partition information, unit/block shape, unit/block partition structure, whether to partition of a quad-tree form, whether to partition of a binary-tree form, a partition direction of a binary-tree form (horizontal direction or vertical direction), a partition form of a binary-tree form (symmetric partition or asymmetric partition), whether or not a current coding unit is partitioned by ternary tree partitioning, direction (horizontal or vertical direction) of the ternary tree partitioning, type (symmetric or asymmetric type) of the ternary tree partitioning).
Regarding claim 4, JUN teaches a method for encoding an image comprising:
deriving a prediction mode of a current block (When an intra mode is used as a prediction mode, the switch 115 may be switched to an intra. [0113]);
generating a prediction block based on the prediction mode of the current block (generate a prediction block for an input block of the input image. [0113]); and
encoding the current block based on the prediction block (The encoding apparatus 100 may generate a prediction block for an input block of the input image. [0113]),
wherein in response to the determination the current block is partitioned into the plurality of subblocks based on information on partitioning and wherein a shape of each subblock comprises a triangle shape ([0336] In (a) of FIG. 16, when a current block is divided into two sub-blocks, the current block may be divided into two sub-blocks of a triangle form obtained by dividing the current block by a diagonal boundary from the left-upper to right-lower.).
JUN does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, KANOH teaches wherein, the current block is determined to be partitioned into a plurality of subblocks based on an aspect ratio of the current block, and the prediction mode of an inter prediction for the current block ([0512] In the process illustrated in FIG. 29, a block partitioning method candidate may be eliminated based on a determination condition other than the shape of a current block to be split. For example, a block partitioning method candidate to be eliminated from the first candidates may be determined according to the type of a picture such as I-picture, P-picture, and B-picture, or the type of a prediction mode such as intra prediction mode and inter prediction mode. [0065] The first condition is, for example, that a ratio of a longer side to a shorter side of the current block is greater than a first value. Examiner note: fig. 15 partitions current block based on aspect ratio condition)
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of KANOH and apply them to JUN. One would be motivated as such as to reduce computational complexity
Regarding claim 6, JUN teaches a method of transmitting a bitstream comprising:
deriving a prediction mode of a current block (When an intra mode is used as a prediction mode, the switch 115 may be switched to an intra. [0113]);
generating a prediction block based on the prediction mode of the current block (generate a prediction block for an input block of the input image. [0113]); and
encoding the current block based on the prediction block (The encoding apparatus 100 may generate a prediction block for an input block of the input image. [0113]),
wherein in response to the determination the current block is partitioned into the plurality of subblocks based on information on partitioning and wherein a shape of each subblock comprises a triangle shape ([0336] In (a) of FIG. 16, when a current block is divided into two sub-blocks, the current block may be divided into two sub-blocks of a triangle form obtained by dividing the current block by a diagonal boundary from the left-upper to right-lower.).
JUN does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, KANOH teaches wherein, the current block is determined to be partitioned into a plurality of subblocks based on an aspect ratio of the current block, and the prediction mode of an inter prediction for the current block ([0512] In the process illustrated in FIG. 29, a block partitioning method candidate may be eliminated based on a determination condition other than the shape of a current block to be split. For example, a block partitioning method candidate to be eliminated from the first candidates may be determined according to the type of a picture such as I-picture, P-picture, and B-picture, or the type of a prediction mode such as intra prediction mode and inter prediction mode. [0065] The first condition is, for example, that a ratio of a longer side to a shorter side of the current block is greater than a first value. Examiner note: fig. 15 partitions current block based on aspect ratio condition)
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of KANOH and apply them to JUN. One would be motivated as such as to reduce computational complexity
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 HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (571)270-0425. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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 57127227384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486
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