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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TOMA et al (US 20210377537 A1) in view of Xu et al (US 20230254489 A1).
Regarding claim 1, TOMA discloses a method for decoding a video from a video bitstream representing the video [e.g. FIG. 1, 41-42 and 48; video decoding method], the method comprising: accessing a binary string from the video bitstream [e.g. binary data string], the binary string representing a slice of a frame of the video [e.g. FIG. 4; slices of a frame] determining a context value of an entropy coding model [e.g. a bitstream including the binary data string to which arithmetic encoding has been applied or no arithmetic encoding has been applied] for the slice to be one of a first context value stored for a first CTU in a previous slice of the slice [e.g. FIG. 4 and 41-42; a feature of slice including a CTU address of a top CTU in the slice] and a second context value stored for a second CTU in the previous slice [e.g. FIG. 4; [0160]; CTUs in a slice]; decoding the slice by decoding at least a portion of the binary string according to the entropy coding model with the context value [e.g. FIG. 41-42 and 48; decoding bitstream data]; reconstructing the frame of the video based on, at least in part, upon the decoded slice [e.g. decoding slice headers; reconstructed image of the current block]; and causing the reconstructed frame to be displayed along with other frames of the video [e.g. FIG. 41-42 and 61-63; display the decoded video content].
It is noted that TOMA differs to the present invention in that TOMA fails to explicitly disclose an initial context value for a slice.
However, Xu teaches the well-known concept of decoding a binary stream representing a slice of a frame of the video [e.g. FIGS. 6-8; decoding encoded bitstream]; determining an initial context value [e.g. FIG. 14 para. 171-174] of an entropy coding model for the slice to be one of a first context value stored for a block in a previous slice of the slice [e.g. CTU 1402] and a second context value stored for a second CTU in the previous slice [e.g. CTU 1401].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the video decoding system disclosed by TOMA to exploit the teaching of the well-known initializing context value for decoding slices of a frame technique taught by Xu as above, in order to provide improved the throughput of the entropy decoder [See Xu; para. 03-06].
Regarding claim 2, TOMA and XU further disclose CTUs in the previous slice are encoded according to an encoding order and the first CTU is encoded before the second CTU in the previous slice [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4; encoding/decoding order of the CTUs in a slice].
Regarding claim 4, TOMA and XU further disclose extracting, from the video bitstream, a syntax element indicating a CTU location for obtaining the initial context value from the previous slice [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4; [0160-0163]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174]; in response to determining that the syntax element has a first value, determining the initial context value to be the first context value stored for the first CTU; and in response to determining that the syntax element has a second value, determining the initial context value to be the second context value stored for the second CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0160-0163 and 579-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174].
Regarding claim 5, TOMA and XU further disclose extracting, from the video bitstream, a second syntax element indicating whether to use the initial context value from the previous slice CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0090-0092, 0160-0163 and 579-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174], wherein extracting the syntax element indicating the CTU location for obtaining the initial context value from the previous slice is performed in response to determining that the second syntax element has a first value CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0160-0163 and 579-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174], and in response to determining that the second syntax element has a second value, determining the initial context value to be a default initial context value independent of the previous slice [e.g. the context models for an entropy slice in the first entropy slices are initialized using default initialization values]; wherein the syntax element and the second syntax element are extracted from a picture header of the frame or a slice header of the slice CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 1, 4 and 48-49; [0090-0092, 0160-0163 and 579-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174].
Regarding claim 6, TOMA and XU further disclose extracting, from the video bitstream, a syntax element indicating a threshold value for determining a CTU location for obtaining the initial context value from the previous slice CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0090-0092, 0160-0163 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174]; comparing a quantization parameter (QP) value of the previous slice with the threshold value; in response to determining that the QP value is no higher than the threshold value, determining the initial context value to be the first context value stored for the first CTU; and in response to determining that the QP value is higher than the threshold value [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0160-0163, 0220-0222, 0430 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174], determining the initial context value to be the second context value stored for the second CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0090-0092, 0160-0163 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174].
Regarding claim 7, TOMA and XU further disclose extracting, from the video bitstream, a first syntax element indicating a first threshold value for determining whether to use the initial context value from the previous slice and a second syntax element indicating a second threshold value for determining a CTU location for obtaining the initial context value from the previous slice, the second threshold value is no higher than the first threshold value [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0090-0092, 0160-0163, 0222, 0430 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; [0171-0174]]; comparing a temporal layer index of the slice with the first threshold value [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4, 23 and 48-49; [0284-0287, 0292, 0300-0305, 0466-0467 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174]; in response to determining that the temporal layer index is higher than the first threshold value, determining the initial context value to be a default initial context value independent of the previous slice [e.g. the context models for an entropy slice in the first entropy slices are initialized using default initialization values] [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4, 45 and 48-49; [084-0287, 0292, 0300-0305, 0466-0467 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174]; in response to determining that the temporal layer index is no higher than the first threshold value, comparing the temporal layer index of the slice with the second threshold value; in response to determining that the temporal layer index is no higher than the second threshold value [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4, 23, 45 and 48-49; [084-0287, 0292, 0300-0305, 0466-0467 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174], determining the initial context value to be the first context value stored for the first CTU; and in response to determining that the temporal layer index is higher than the second threshold value [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4, 23, 45 and 48-49; [084-0287, 0292, 0300-0305, 0466-0467 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174], determining the initial context value to be the second context value stored for the second CTU [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4 and 48-49; [0160-0163, 0222, 0430 and 576-581]; XU: FIG. 14, 17-18; PARA. 171-174].
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TOMA et al (US 20210377537 A1) in view of Xu et al (US 20230254489 A1) and Seregin et al (“AHG12: CABAC initialization from previous inter slice”; JVET 25th meeting; 1/21/2022).
Regarding claim 3, TOMA and XU further disclose a location of the first CTU in a slice and the second CTU is a last CTU in the previous slice [e.g. TOMA: FIG. 4A; the CTUs of slice 1], but TOMA and XU fail to disclose the detail of CTU location.
However, Seregin teaches the well-known concept of a location of the first CTU is determined by: CTU location = min ((W+ C)/2 + 1, C) where W is a number of CTUs in a CTU row of the previous slice, and C is a total number of CTUs in the previous slice [e.g. the formular in Introduction section].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the video decoding system disclosed by TOMA to exploit the teaching of the well-known initializing context value for decoding slices of a frame technique taught by XU and CABAC initialization technique taught by Seregin as above, in order to provide improved the throughput of the entropy decoder [See XU; [03-06] and CABAC initialization for inter slices [See Seregin; Introduction].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 Joseph G Ustaris whose telephone number is (571)272-7383. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5pm M-Th.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Colleen A Fauz can be reached at 571-272-1667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH G USTARIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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