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
Summary
This action is in reply to Applicant’s Amendments and Remarks filed on 12/29/2025.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 6-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claim limitation “the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0 or 6” recited in claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants contend the combination of He and GAN does not teach the claimed feature above (Applicants’ Remarks dated 12/29/2025, p. 10-11). However, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. provisional version 63266615 (publish date 1/10/2022); page 9; [0030] of Gan states that the value of gci_num_additional_bits shall be equal to 0 or 6 in bitstreams. Please see detail mappings in section 9 below.
Regarding applicant’s argument on page 11 of the remarks that GAN does not disclose if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, provisional version 63266615 (publish date 1/10/2022); page 9; [0030] of Gan states that decoders shall ignore the values of all the gci_reserved_zero_bit[i] syntax elements when gci_num_additional_bits when gci_num_additional_bits is other than 0 or 6 which including the condition value of gci_num_additional_bits being greater than 6.
During patent examination, the pending claims must be "given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification." Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, at 1316 (Fed. Cir. 2005). See also In re Hyatt, 211 F.3d 1367, 1372, 54 USPQ2d 1664, 1667 (Fed. Cir. 2000).
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4 and 6-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He et al (US 20210385497 A1) in view of GAN et al (US 20240364910 A1 with priority date of 1/13/2022).
Regarding claim 1, He discloses a method for video processing [e.g. FIG. 3-4], comprising: performing a conversion [e.g. encoding/decoding] between a current video block of a video [e.g. video block] and a bitstream [e.g. bitstream] of the video based on a first syntax element [e.g. FIG. 3 and 7; coding syntax elements], wherein the first syntax element specifies the number of additional general constraints information (GCI) bits [e.g. FIG. 3 and 7; [0023-0025]; gci_num_reserved_bytes] in a syntax structure for general constraints information [e.g. general_constrain _info] other than at least one second syntax element [e.g. gci_alignment_zero_bit], the at least one second syntax element is used for byte-alignment of the syntax structure [e.g. [0023]],
Although He discloses a value of the first syntax element is allowed to be equal to 0 or other value for future use [e.g. [0090-0091]], it is noted that He differs to the present invention in that He fails to explicitly disclose a value of the first syntax element is 6.
However, GAN teaches the well-known concept of a first syntax element is 6 [e.g. 1-2 and 6; [0056 -0057 and 0060-0065]; the value of gci_num_additional_bits can be equal to 0 or 6], wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0 or 6 [e.g. He: 0090-0091]; GAN: [0056 -0057 and 0060-0065]; provisional version 63266615 publish date 1/10/2022; page 9; [0030]; gci_num_additional_bits shall be 0 or 6 in bitstream, the decoder conforming to this version of this document shall allow values of gci_num_additional_bits other than 0 or 6 to appear in the syntax and shall ignore the values of all the gci_reserved_zero_bit[i] syntax elements when gci_num_additional_bits is other than 0 or 6], and a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element greater than 6 to appear in a syntax [e.g. [0060-0065]], and if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder [ignore the values of all the gci_reserved_zero_bit[i] syntax elements when gci_num_additional_bits is greater than 6].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the video coding system disclosed by He to exploit the well-known concept of signaling general constrain information for video coding technique taught by GAN as above, in order to provide improved stability of the video coding [See GAN; [0017]].
Regarding claim 2, He and GAN further disclose the first syntax element is syntax element gci_num_additional_bits [e.g. He: gci_num_reserved_bytes; GAN: gci_num_additional_bits], or the second syntax element is syntax element gci_alignment_zero_bit [e.g. gci_alignment_zero_bit], or the syntax structure is syntax structure general_constraints_info [e.g. general_constraints_info].
Regarding claim 4, He and GAN further disclose a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved [e.g. GAN: [0060-0065]].
Regarding claim 6, He and GAN further disclose the third syntax element is syntax element gci_reserved_zero_bit [e.g. GAN: gci_reserved_zero_bit].
Regarding claim 7, He and GAN further disclose if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 5, the syntax structure comprises one or more syntax elements from the following syntax elements: a third syntax element indicating whether all pictures in one or more output layer sets (OLSs) are recovery point pictures or intra random access point (IRAP) pictures [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag], a fourth syntax element indicating whether, for all pictures in one or more OLSs, an extended dynamic range is used in scaling and transformation processes and for a binarization of syntax elements abs_remaining and dec_abs_level [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag], a fifth syntax element indicating whether, for all pictures in one or more OLSs, a Rice parameter used for a syntax structure residual_ts_coding in a current slice is indicated in syntax structures slice_header referring to a sequence parameter set (SPS) [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag], a sixth syntax element indicating whether, for all pictures in one or more OLSs, an alternative Rice parameter derivation is used for the binarization of syntax elements abs_remaining and dec_abs_level [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag], a seventh syntax element indicating whether, for all pictures in one or more OLSs, a Rice parameter derivation for the binarization of syntax elements abs_remaining and dec_abs_level is initialized at the start of each transform unit (TU) using statistics accumulated from previous TUs, or an eighth syntax element indicating whether, for all pictures in one or more OLSs, a syntax element sh_reverse_last_sig_coeff_flag is present in syntax structures slice_header referring to the SPS.
Regarding claim 8, He and GAN further disclose the third syntax element is syntax element gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag], the fourth syntax element is syntax element gci_no_extended_precision_processing_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_no_extended_precision_processing_constraint_flag], the fifth syntax element is syntax element gci_no_ts_residual_coding_rice_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_no_ts_residual_coding_rice_constraint_flag], the sixth syntax element is syntax element gci_no_rrc_rice_extension_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_no_rrc_rice_extension_constraint_flag], the seventh syntax element is syntax element gci_no_persistent_rice_adaptation_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_no_persistent_rice_adaptation_constraint_flag], or the eighth syntax element is syntax element gci_no_reverse_last_sig_coeff_constraint_flag [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_no_reverse_last_sig_coeff_constraint_flag].
Regarding claim 9, He and GAN further disclose the third syntax element is allowed to be comprised in the bitstream when all of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth syntax elements are absent from the bitstream, and/or wherein if the additional GCI bits other than the at least one second syntax element are present in the syntax structure and the bitstream is indicated to conform a profile specified in a first version of Versatile Video Coding (VVC) [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: [0041-0045]; VVC version 1], the third syntax element is comprised in the bitstream, and/or wherein if the additional GCI bits other than the at least one second syntax element are present in the syntax structure and the bitstream is indicated to conform a profile specified in a second version of Versatile Video Coding (VVC) [e.g., He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: [0046-0048]; VVC version 2] all of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth syntax elements are comprised in the bitstream, and/or wherein if the additional GCI bits other than the at least one second syntax element are present in the syntax structure and the bitstream is indicated to conform a profile specified in a first version of Versatile Video Coding (VVC), all of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth syntax elements are absent from the bitstream [e.g. GAN: VVC version 1].
Regarding claim 10, He and GAN further disclose the value of the first syntax element is greater than 5 [e.g. Gan: gci_num_additional_bits can be equal to 6], and/or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 6 [e.g.; GAN: gci_num_additional_bits can be equal to 6], and/or wherein the syntax elements gci_all_rap_pictures_constraint_flag, gci_no_extended_precision_processing_constraint_flag, gci_no_ts_residual_coding_rice_constraint_flag, gci_no_rrc_rice_extension_constraint_flag, gci_no_persistent_rice_adaptation_constraint_flag, and gci_no_reverse_last_sig_coeff_constraint_flag are comprised in the syntax structure independently of the value of the first syntax element [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: [0041-0018]], and/or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0 or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved [e.g. GAN: Values greater than 6 for gci_num_additional_bits are reserved for future use], a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element other than 0 or 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is other than 0 or 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_num_additional_bits greater than 6 to appear in the syntax and shall ignore the values of all the gci_reserved_zero_bit[i]syntax elements].
Regarding claim 11, He and GAN further disclose the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 6 [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: GAN: gci_num_additional_bits can be equal to 6], a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element greater than 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder [e.g. He: FIG. 3-4; GAN: gci_num_additional_bits greater than 6 to appear in the syntax and shall ignore the values of all the gci_reserved_zero_bit[i]syntax elements], or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element not equal to 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is not equal to 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element not equal to 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is other than 0 or 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0, 1, or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element greater than 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is not in a range of 1 to 5, inclusive, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 1 or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element greater than 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is greater than 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0, 1, or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element other than 0, 1, or 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is other than 0, 1, or 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 0 or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element other than 0 or 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is other than 0 or 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder, or wherein the value of the first syntax element is only allowed to be equal to 1 or 6, a value greater than 6 for the first syntax element is reserved, a decoder for performing the conversion allows a value of the first syntax element other than 1 or 6 to appear in a syntax, and if the value of the first syntax element is other than 1 or 6, values of all of third syntax elements for reserved bits are ignored at the decoder.
Regarding claim 12, He and GAN further disclose the conversion includes encoding the current video block into the bitstream [e.g. He: FIG. 3; encoder; GAN: encoding method].
Regarding claim 13, He and GAN further disclose the conversion includes decoding the current video block from the bitstream [e.g. He: FIG. 4; decoder; GAN: decoding method].
Regarding claim 14, this is an apparatus that includes same limitation as in claim 1 above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 15, this is an apparatus that includes same limitation as in claim 2 and 10 together above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 16, this is an apparatus that includes same limitation as in claim 2, 6 and 10 together above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 17-18, this is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes same limitation as in claim 14-15 above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 19-20, this is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes same limitation as in claim 14-15 above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein. Furthermore, claim 19 claims a product by process claim limitation where the product is the bitstream and the process is the method steps to generate the bitstream. MPEP §2113 recites “Product-by-Process claims are not limited to the manipulations of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps”. Thus, the scope of the claim is the storage medium storing the bitstream (with the structure implied by the method steps). The structure includes the information and samples manipulated by the steps.
“To be given patentable weight, the printed matter and associated product must be in a functional relationship. A functional relationship can be found where the printed matter performs some function with respect to the product to which it is associated”. MPEP §2111.05(I)(A). When a claimed “computer-readable medium merely serves as a support for information or data, no functional relationship exists. MPEP §2111.05(III).
The memory storing the claimed bitstream in claim 19 merely services as a support for the storage of the bitstream and provides no fictional relationship between the stored bitstream and storage medium. Therefor the bitstream, which scope is implied by the method steps, is non-functional descriptive material and given no patentable weight. MPEP §2111.05(III). Thus, the claim scope is just a storage medium storing data and is anticipated by He which recites a storage medium storing a bitstream [See He: [0121]].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
IKAI et al (US 20230026492 A1).
HENDRY et al (US 20230103067 A1).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ZHUBING REN whose telephone number is (571)272-2788. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/ZHUBING REN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483