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 .
Claim Status
Currently, claims 1-12 and 14 are pending in the application.
Response to Arguments / Amendments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive, see discussion below.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103:
The applicant argued that Zhao, alone or in any combination of Li, fails to disclose or render obvious at least "determining an affine directional model of a current block," and "deriving an intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model," as recited in claim 1.
As to the above argument, Li discloses determining an affine directional model of a current block using an affine motion field of a block (810A) with motion information of two control points (CPs), CP0 and CP1, FIG. 8A when a 4-parameter affine model is used and FIG. 8B, when a 6-parameter affine model is used ([0106]).
In addition to Li, Zhao teaches deriving an intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model applying affine linear weighted intra prediction (ALWIP) or matrix based intra prediction (MIP) predicting samples of a prediction block (PB) with a width W and a height H, one left column of H reconstructed neighboring boundary samples of the PB and one above row of W reconstructed neighboring boundary samples of the PB are taken as input in ALWIP ([0115] FIG. 12).
It should be further noted that Applicant has not presented any specific arguments with regards to the rejections of the dependent claims.
Accordingly, Examiner maintains the rejection with regards to above arguments.
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 of this title, 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 1-12 & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (US 20200389663, hereinafter Li) in view of Zhao et al. (US 20210385477, hereinafter Zhao).
Regarding Claim 1, Li discloses an image decoding method comprising:
determining an affine directional model of a current block ([0106] FIG. 8A, an affine motion field of a block (810A) with motion information of two control points (CPs), CP0 and CP1, when a 4-parameter affine model is used; FIG. 8B, when a 6-parameter affine model is used); and
generating a prediction block of the current block by performing intra prediction based on the intra prediction mode ([0088], intra encoder (622) receives the samples of the current block (e.g., a processing block), in some cases compare the block to blocks already coded in the same picture and calculates intra prediction results (e.g., predicted block) based on the intra prediction information and reference blocks in the same picture).
Li does not explicitly disclose deriving an intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model;
Zhao teaches deriving an intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model ([0115] FIG. 12, affine linear weighted intra prediction (ALWIP) or matrix based intra prediction (MIP) predicting samples of a prediction block (PB) with a width W and a height H, one left column of H reconstructed neighboring boundary samples of the PB and one above row of W reconstructed neighboring boundary samples of the PB are taken as input in ALWIP).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of deriving an intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model as taught by Zhao ([0115]) into the encoding & decoding system of Li in order to provide systems for the video coding and decoding can be performed using inter-picture prediction with motion compensation and reduce the redundancy in the input video signal through compression (Zhao, [0005]).
Regarding Claim 2, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on a plurality of control point modes, and wherein the plurality of control point modes is intra prediction modes of neighboring blocks of the current block ([0010], subblock-based affine motion model can include affine parameters that are based on multiple control point (CP) motion vectors (MVs) (CPMVs) for the current block (CB) that includes an affine subblock having a subblock MV and determine whether to select a subblock characteristic for generating a prediction for a sample in the affine subblock based on the subblock MV).
Regarding Claim 3, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on two control point modes, and wherein the two control point modes are an intra prediction mode of an upper left neighboring block of the current block and an intra prediction mode of an upper right neighboring block of the current block ([0011], subblock-based affine motion model is based on a 4-parameter affine motion model, the CB includes a top left CP having a first CPMV and a top right CP having a second CPMV having a first affine parameter indicating a ratio of an x component of a first MV difference between the second CPMV and the first CPMV over a width of the CB; and a second affine parameter can indicate a ratio of a y component of the first MV difference over the width of the CB).
Regarding Claim 4, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on two control point modes, and wherein the two control point modes are an intra prediction mode of an upper left neighboring block of the current block and an intra prediction mode of a lower left neighboring block of the current block ([0011], subblock-based affine motion model is based on a 4-parameter affine motion model, the CB includes a top left CP having a first CPMV and a top right CP having a second CPMV having a first affine parameter indicating a ratio of an x component of a first MV difference between the second CPMV and the first CPMV over a width of the CB; and a second affine parameter can indicate a ratio of a y component of the first MV difference over the width of the CB).
Regarding Claim 5, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on two control point modes, and wherein the two control point modes are an intra prediction mode of a left reference block and an intra prediction mode of an upper right neighboring block of the current block.
Regarding Claim 6, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on two control point modes, and wherein the two control point modes are an intra prediction mode of an upper reference block and an intra prediction mode of a lower left neighboring block of the current block([0010], subblock-based affine motion model can include affine parameters that are based on multiple control point (CP) motion vectors (MVs) (CPMVs) for the current block (CB) that includes an affine subblock having a subblock MV and determine whether to select a subblock characteristic for generating a prediction for a sample in the affine subblock based on the subblock MV).
Regarding Claim 7, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on three control point modes, and wherein the three control point modes are an intra prediction mode of an upper left neighboring block of the current block, an intra prediction mode of an upper right neighboring block of the current block and an intra prediction mode of a lower left block of the current block ([0011], subblock-based affine motion model is based on a 4-parameter affine motion model, the CB includes a top left CP having a first CPMV and a top right CP having a second CPMV having a first affine parameter indicating a ratio of an x component of a first MV difference between the second CPMV and the first CPMV over a width of the CB; and a second affine parameter can indicate a ratio of a y component of the first MV difference over the width of the CB).
Regarding Claim 8, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the affine directional model is determined based on three control point modes, and wherein the three control point modes are an intra prediction mode of a left reference pixel, an intra prediction mode of an upper reference pixel and an intra prediction mode of an upper left neighboring block of the current block([0010], subblock-based affine motion model can include affine parameters that are based on multiple control point (CP) motion vectors (MVs) (CPMVs) for the current block (CB) that includes an affine subblock having a subblock MV and determine whether to select a subblock characteristic for generating a prediction for a sample in the affine subblock based on the subblock MV).
Regarding Claim 9, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the deriving the intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model comprises deriving the intra prediction mode in units of pixels ([0141], one or more of the affine parameters represent an average MV difference of two adjacent pixels (or samples) along a direction (e.g., a horizontal direction (width), a vertical direction (height)) in the CB).
Regarding Claim 10, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 1, Li discloses wherein the deriving the intra prediction mode of the current block using the affine directional model comprises deriving the intra prediction mode in units of sub-blocks of the current block ( Claim 1, generating a prediction for a sample in the affine subblock based on subblock MV and determining the subblock characteristic based on at least one of the affine parameters, the subblock characteristic indicating one of: (i) a subblock size used for generating the prediction for the sample and (ii) an interpolation filter type for the affine subblock; and reconstructing the sample in the affine subblock based on the determined subblock characteristic),
Zhao also teaches selecting the linear or affine linear transformation depending on a width W and height H of the predetermined block such that the linear or affine linear transformation selected for the predetermined block is selected out of a first set of linear or affine linear transformations as long as the width W and height H of the predetermined block are within a first set of width/height pairs ([0010]). The same reason or rational of obviousness motivation applied as used above in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 11, Li in view of Zhao discloses the image decoding method of claim 2, Li discloses wherein positions of neighboring blocks of the current block related to the plurality of control point modes are determined based on signaling information ([0119], an affine AMVP mode can be applied for CUs with both a width and a height larger than or equal to 16. An affine flag in a CU level can be signaled in a bitstream to indicate whether the affine AMVP mode is used and then another flag can be signaled to indicate whether a 4-parameter affine motion model or a 6-parameter affine motion model is used).
Regarding Claim 12, An image encoding claim 12 of using the corresponding decoding method claimed in claims 1, and the rejections of which are incorporated herein for the same reasons as used above.
Regarding Claim 14, An image transmitting claim 14 of using the corresponding decoding method claimed in claims 1, and the rejections of which are incorporated herein for the same reasons as used above.
Conclusion
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 Samuel D Fereja whose telephone number is (469)295-9243. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DAVID CZEKAJ can be reached at (571) 272-7327. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAMUEL D FEREJA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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