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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to an election filed, without traverse, on 01/07/2026 of a newly filed application in which claims 1-20 of the instant application are pending. Claims 1-7 and 13-20 are being examined while claims 8-12 are considered withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because “generate reconstructed samples from the reconstructed LDR samples according the selected LDR” should read “generate reconstructed samples from the reconstructed LDR samples according to the selected LDR”.
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, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhai (US 2015/0302562) in view of Mertens (US 2014/0044372).
As to claim 1, Zhai teaches a method for decoding a block in a bitstream of a video or an image, comprising ([0014] and [0092]):
receiving the bitstream; determining, from the bitstream, that a Low Dynamic Range (LDR) is applied to the block; and when the low dynamic range is applied to the block: determining the LDR for encoding the block ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]);
decoding the block to generated reconstructed LDR samples of the block; and generate reconstructed samples from the reconstructed LDR samples according to the LDR ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]).
Zhai does not teach determining the LDR selected for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR.
However, Mertens teaches determining a LDR selected for encoding a block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR ([0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system with Mertens’s system to show determining the LDR selected for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR in order to provide techniques that have the benefits of encoding an optimal LDR-within-HDR framework in a single picture (Mertens; [0009]).
As to claim 16, Zhai teaches a method for encoding a block in a bitstream of a video or an image, comprising ([0014] and [0092]):
determining that a Low Dynamic Range (LDR) is to be applied to the block; and when it is determined that the low dynamic range is to be applied to the block: using the LDR for encoding the block ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]);
processing the block using the LDR to generated encoded LDR samples of block in the bitstream; and explicitly or implicitly signaling in the bitstream whether LDR is applied to the block and the LDR ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]).
Zhai does not teach selecting the LDR for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR.
However, Mertens teaches selecting a LDR for encoding a block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR ([0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system with Mertens’s system to show selecting the LDR for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR in order to provide techniques that have the benefits of encoding an optimal LDR-within-HDR framework in a single picture (Mertens; [0009]).
As to claim 15, the combination of Zhai and Mertens teaches wherein the LDR selected for the encoding the block is implicitly derived based on coded information of the block (Zhai; [0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]; Mertens; [0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
Claims 2, 5-7, 13, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhai in view of Mertens and further in view of Francois (US 2018/0213259).
As to claim 20, Zhai teaches a method for processing a block of a video or image, comprising converting the block to a bitstream, wherein the bitstream comprises ([0014] and [0092]):
an encoded block generated by: determining that a Low Dynamic Range (LDR) is to be applied to the block; and when it is determined that the low dynamic range is to be applied to the block: using the LDR for encoding the block ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]);
processing the block using the LDR to generated encoded LDR samples of block in the bitstream; and explicitly or implicitly signaling in the bitstream whether LDR is applied to the block and the LDR ([0014], [0037], [0043], [0046], [0049]-[0050], [0052]-[0054], and [0092]).
Zhai does not teach selecting the LDR for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR; and at least one syntax element for explicitly or implicitly indicating the LDR.
However, Mertens teaches selecting a LDR for encoding a block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR ([0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system with Mertens’s system to show selecting the LDR for encoding the block among a group of LDRs; and using the selected LDR in order to provide techniques that have the benefits of encoding an optimal LDR-within-HDR framework in a single picture (Mertens; [0009]).
The combination of Zhai and Mertens does not teach at least one syntax element for explicitly or implicitly indicating the LDR.
However, Francois teaches at least one syntax element for explicitly or implicitly indicating a LDR ([0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see FIGs. 3, 11, and 22).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system and Mertens’s system with Francois’s system to show at least one syntax element for explicitly or implicitly indicating the LDR in order to provide a coding scheme adapted for signaling two picture/video output formats, such as LDR and HDR picture formats, in a same bitstream (Francois; [0011] and [0014]).
As to claim 2, the combination of Zhai and Mertens teaches wherein the group of LDRs are pre-defined (Mertens; [0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
The combination of Zhai and Mertens does not teach wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled by an LDR syntax element in the bitstream or is implicitly derived from the bitstream.
However, Francois teaches wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled by an LDR syntax element in a bitstream or is implicitly derived from the bitstream ([0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see FIGs. 3, 11, and 22).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system and Mertens’s system with Francois’s system to show wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled by an LDR syntax element in the bitstream or is implicitly derived from the bitstream in order to provide a coding scheme adapted for signaling two picture/video output formats, such as LDR and HDR picture formats, in a same bitstream (Francois; [0011] and [0014]).
As to claim 17, the combination of Zhai and Mertens teaches wherein the group of LDRs are pre-defined (Mertens; [0010]-[0011], [0019]-[0020], [0061], [0067]-[0068], and [0071]-[0072]).
The combination of Zhai and Mertens does not teach wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled in an LDR syntax element in the bitstream.
However, Francois teaches wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled in an LDR syntax element in a bitstream ([0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see FIGs. 3, 11, and 22).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system and Mertens’s system with Francois’s system to show wherein an LDR index is explicitly signaled in an LDR syntax element in the bitstream in order to provide a coding scheme adapted for signaling two picture/video output formats, such as LDR and HDR picture formats, in a same bitstream (Francois; [0011] and [0014]).
As to claim 5, the combination of Zhai, Mertens, and Francois teaches wherein the LDR index is explicitly signaled by the LDR syntax element as a high-level syntax in a sequence header, a picture header, a subpicture header, a frame header, a slice header, or a tile header (Francois; [0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see [0153]-[0155], [0187]-[0193], and [0196]).
As to claim 6, the combination of Zhai, Mertens, and Francois teaches wherein the LDR index is explicitly signaled by the LDR syntax element as a one or multiple block level syntax (Francois; [0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see [0153]-[0155], [0187]-[0193], and [0196]).
As to claim 7, the combination of Zhai, Mertens, and Francois teaches wherein the LDR index is signaled in one or more supplemental enhancement information (SEI) messages, each containing additional data inserted into the bitstream to convey extra information (Francois; [0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see [0153]-[0155], [0187]-[0193], and [0196]).
As to claim 13, the combination of Zhai and Mertens does not teach wherein LDRs for different color components of the block are separately signaled in the bitstream.
However, Francois teaches wherein LDRs for different color components of a block are separately signaled in a bitstream ([0055]-[0061], [0070]-[0071], [0078], [0083]-[0090], [0183]-[0185], and [0273]-[0286]; further see [0120]-[0127], [0140]-[0143], [0204]-[0207], [0227]-[0229], and [0272]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhai’s system and Mertens’s system with Francois’s system to show wherein LDRs for different color components of the block are separately signaled in the bitstream in order to provide a coding scheme adapted for signaling two picture/video output formats, such as LDR and HDR picture formats, in a same bitstream (Francois; [0011] and [0014]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 14, and 18-19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIHAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-7284. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays-Fridays 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Kelley can be reached at 571-272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHIHAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482