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 .
Priority
This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior application and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application may constitute a continuation or divisional. Should applicant desire to claim the benefit of the filing date of the prior application, attention is directed to 35 U.S.C. 120, 37 CFR 1.78, and MPEP § 211 et seq. The presentation of a benefit claim may result in an additional fee under 37 CFR 1.17(w)(1) or (2) being required, if the earliest filing date for which benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) and 1.78(d) in the application is more than six years before the actual filing date of the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS)s submitted on 12/05/2024 and 08/01/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 (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 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 1-10 and 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zakharchenko et al. (US20260019639) (hereinafter Zakh) in view of Xu et al. (US20250343931) (hereinafter Xu).
Regarding claim 1, Zakh discloses a non-transitory, computer-readable, storage medium storing program instructions, that when executed using one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to (0039; CRM):
signal compressed data representing a dynamic mesh using [Figs. 7-10, 0037-0041, 0107-0120; transmitting coded dynamic and base mesh data].
a base mesh sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh [Figs. 7-10, 0037-0041, 0107-0120; transmitting coded dynamic and base mesh data].
a displacement sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh, wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0037-0042, 0107-0120; base mesh and 2C video data is coded, packed and processed with displacement components].
Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream.
Xu discloses wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0072-0090; plurality of data sets and coders used in processing coded video data].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu as stated above. By incorporating the teachings as such processing efficiency to meet growing bandwidth demand is achieved (see Xu 0003).
Regarding claim 2, Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block.
Xu discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block [Figs. 3-7, 0034-0037, 0066-0071; signaling non-zero displacement data points].
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu for the same reason as stated above.
Regarding claim 3, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises different quantities of sub-blocks for different levels of detail of the dynamic mesh [0107-0120; dynamic data division and levels].
Regarding claim 4, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit, or a header for the data unit, used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises information indicating: one or more sub-block sizes; a quantity of levels of detail being signaled for the dynamic mesh; and respective vertex counts for the respective levels of detail [Figs. 7-10, 0107-0120; transmitting video data including mesh and vertex data].
Regarding claim 5, Zakh discloses wherein different sub-block sizes are signaled for different ones of the levels of detail [0033-0044, 0058-0070; dynamic parameters related to video data transmitted].
Regarding claim 6, Zakh discloses wherein displacement coefficients of the displacement sub-bitstream are encoded using an arithmetic encoder [0033-0044, 0058-0070; dynamic parameters related to video data transmitted using different modes].
Regarding claim 7, Zakh discloses wherein displacement coefficients of the displacement sub-bitstream are encoded using an exponential Golomb encoder [0033-0044, 0058-0070; schemes related to video data processing including Golomb scheme].
Regarding claim 8, Zakh discloses wherein displacement coefficients of the displacement sub-bitstream are encoded using a run-length encoding [0033-0044, 0058-0070; schemes related to video data processing].
Regarding claim 9, Zakh discloses wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled as a separate stream from the base mesh sub-bitstream [0033-0044, 0058-0070; plurality of data points from different streams transmitted].
Regarding claim 10, Zakh discloses wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled in an atlas bitstream with the base mesh sub-bitstream [0033-0044, 0058-0070; processed data transmitted].
Regarding claim 12, Zakh discloses a non-transitory, computer-readable, storage medium storing program instructions, that when executed using one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to (0039; CRM):
receive compressed data representing a dynamic mesh, wherein the compressed data is signaled using [Figs. 7-10, 0037-0041, 0107-0120; transmitting coded dynamic and base mesh data].
a base mesh sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh [Figs. 7-10, 0037-0041, 0107-0120; transmitting coded dynamic and base mesh data].
a displacement sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh, wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0037-0042, 0107-0120; base mesh and 2C video data is coded, packed and processed with displacement components].
reconstruct the dynamic mesh using base mesh information signaled in the base mesh sub-bitstream and displacement information signaled in the displacement sub-bitstream [ABS, 0039-0042, 0107-0120; reconstructing video data and transmitting].
Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream.
Xu discloses wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0072-0090; plurality of data sets and coders used in processing coded video data].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu as stated above. By incorporating the teachings as such processing efficiency to meet growing bandwidth demand is achieved (see Xu 0003).
Regarding claim 13, Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block.
Xu discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block [Figs. 3-7, 0034-0037, 0066-0071; signaling non-zero displacement data points].
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu for the same reason as stated above.
Regarding claim 14, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises different quantities of sub-blocks for different levels of detail of the dynamic mesh [0107-0120; dynamic data division and levels].
Regarding claim 15, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit, or a header for the data unit, used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises information indicating: one or more sub-block sizes; a quantity of levels of detail being signaled for the dynamic mesh; and respective vertex counts for the respective levels of detail [Figs. 7-10, 0107-0120; transmitting video data including mesh and vertex data].
Regarding claim 16, Zakh discloses a method comprising: receiving compressed data representing a dynamic mesh, wherein the compressed data is signaled using: a base mesh sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh [Figs. 7-10, 0037-0041, 0107-0120; transmitting coded dynamic and base mesh data].
a displacement sub-bitstream for the dynamic mesh, and wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0037-0042, 0107-0120; base mesh and 2C video data is coded, packed and processed with displacement components].
reconstructing the dynamic mesh using base mesh information signaled in the base mesh sub-bitstream and displacement information signaled in the displacement sub-bitstream [ABS, 0039-0042, 0107-0120; reconstructing video data and transmitting].
Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream.
Xu discloses wherein the displacement sub-bitstream is signaled using a different data unit than is used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream [0072-0090; plurality of data sets and coders used in processing coded video data].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu as stated above. By incorporating the teachings as such processing efficiency to meet growing bandwidth demand is achieved (see Xu 0003).
Regarding claim 17, Zakh discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Zakh does not explicitly disclose wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block.
Xu discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises sub-blocks, and wherein respective ones of the sub-blocks that do not include non-zero displacement coefficients are signaled using a bit flag indicating an empty sub-block instead of signaling zero displacement values for each subdivision location represented by the respective sub-block [Figs. 3-7, 0034-0037, 0066-0071; signaling non-zero displacement data points].
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zakh with the teachings of Xu for the same reason as stated above.
Regarding claim 18, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises different quantities of sub-blocks for different levels of detail of the dynamic mesh [0107-0120; dynamic data division and levels].
Regarding claim 19, Zakh discloses wherein the data unit, or a header for the data unit, used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream comprises information indicating: one or more sub-block sizes; a quantity of levels of detail being signaled for the dynamic mesh; and respective vertex counts for the respective levels of detail [Figs. 7-10, 0107-0120; transmitting video data including mesh and vertex data].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 20 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 prior arts of record, individually nor in combination do not explicitly disclose wherein a different patch type is used to signal the displacement sub-bitstream in the atlas bitstream than a patch type used to signal the base mesh sub-bitstream, when taken in the environment of the independent claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TALHA M NAWAZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5439. The examiner can normally be reached Flex, M-R 6:30am-3:30pm; F 8:30am-12:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joe G Ustaris can be reached at 571-272-7383. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TALHA M NAWAZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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