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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to communications filed 07/20/2026. Claims 1-13 are pending. Claims 1-5 are withdrawn. Claims 6-12 are rejected.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot due to new grounds of rejection.
The applicant argues that Chuang does not disclose adding one or more additional candidate modes to the initial MPM list, wherein said one or more additional candidate modes comprise ...one or more derived modes of said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes. The applicant argues that Chuang disclose replacing a mode from an initial list with another mode not adding to the initial MPM list and at best adds to less than the initial set since one is removed and replaced with another candidate.
In response to the arguments, the examiner respectfully disagrees. The plain language of the claim does not say the total number has increased in number of modes. The claim simply requires adding one or more candidate modes. Therefore, replacing necessarily includes adding as well as removing which meets the limitation of adding.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-5 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected election there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/21/2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-13 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 6 and 12 ( and corresponding dependent claims 7-11 and 13) recite “MPM (Most Probable Modes) list… DIMD (Decoder Side Intra Mode Derivation) candidate modes.” The Office suggests the applicant amend the limitation to -- (MPM) list…(DIMD) candidate modes--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 6-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) being anticipated by Chuang et al (US 2017/0374369 and hereafter referred to as “Chuang”).
Regarding Claim 6, Chuang discloses a method of video coding, the method comprising:
receiving pixel data associated with a current block at an encoder side or coded data associated with the current block to be decoded at a decoder side (Page 1, paragraph 0007, Page 2-3, paragraph 0010, 0013, Figure 4, pixels – receiving input data for current block);
determining an initial MPM (Most Probable Modes) list for the current block (Page 1, paragraph 0007, determining intra prediction modes in a set of three MPMs);
generating one or more DIMD (Decoder Side Intra Mode Derivation) candidate modes using a template of the current block (Page 2, paragraph 0010, Page 5, paragraph 0043- DIMD for template/candidate);
determining one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes associated with one or more neighbouring blocks of the current block (Page 5, paragraph 0043);
generating a final MPM list by adding one or more additional candidate modes to the initial MPM list, wherein said one or more additional candidate modes comprise said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes, one or more derived modes of said one or more DIMD candidate modes, one or more derived modes of said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes, or a combination thereof. (Page 7, paragraph 0063, Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 3, paragraph 0014, modes by DIMD is used to replace one of MPM set in existing set); and
encoding or decoding the current block by using information comprising the final MPM list (Figure 7).
Regarding Claim 7, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 6. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more additional candidate modes comprise said one or more DIMD candidate modes, (Page 2, paragraph 0010, Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 1, paragraph 0007, Page 3, paragraph 0014, See also Page 6, paragraph 0050).
Regarding Claim 8, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 7. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more derived modes of said one or more DIMD candidate modes comprise a mode number corresponding to (one DIMD candidate mode + k), wherein the k is a non-zero integer (Page 2, paragraph 0010, Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 1, paragraph 0007, 0008).
Regarding Claim 9, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 7. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more derived modes of said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes comprise a mode number corresponding to (one neighbouring intra prediction mode + k), wherein the k is a non-zero integer (Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 1, paragraph 0007, 0008, DIMD mode is mode to replace one the MPM modes which include non-zero integer).
Regarding Claim 10, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 7. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes comprise an above neighbouring intra prediction mode of an above neighbouring block, a top neighbouring intra prediction mode of a top neighbouring block, or both (Page 1, paragraph 0007).
Regarding Claim 11, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 7. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more derived modes of said one or more DIMD candidate modes are including in the final MPM list after said one or more derived modes of said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes or after said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes (Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 1, paragraph 0007, See also Page 6, paragraph 0050)).
Regarding Claim 12, Chuang discloses an apparatus for video coding, the apparatus comprising:
one or more electronic devices or processors arranged to:
receive pixel data associated with a current block at an encoder side or coded data associated with the current block to be decoded at a decoder side (Page 1, paragraph 0007, Page 2-3, paragraph 0010, 0013, Figure 4, pixels);
determine an initial MPM (Most Probable Modes) list for the current block (Page 1, paragraph 0007);
generate one or more DIMD (Decoder Side Intra Mode Derivation) candidate modes using a template of the current block (Page 2, paragraph 0010, Page 5, paragraph 0043);
determine one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes associated with one or more neighbouring blocks of the current block (Page 5, paragraph 0043);
generate a final MPM list by adding one or more additional candidate modes to the initial MPM list, wherein said one or more additional candidate modes comprise s said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes, one or more derived modes of said one or more DIMD candidate modes, one or more derived modes of said one or more neighbouring intra prediction modes, or a combination thereof (Page 7, paragraph 0063, Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 3, paragraph 0014 – candidate modes and replacing one of the MPM, DIMD can be added); and
encode or decode the current block by using information comprising the final MPM list (Figure 7).
Regarding Claim 13, Chuang discloses all the limitations of Claim 12. Chuang discloses wherein said one or more additional candidate modes comprise said one or more DIMD candidate modes, (Page 2, paragraph 0010, Page 5, paragraph 0043, Page 1, paragraph 0007, Page 3, paragraph 0014, See also Page 6, paragraph 0050).
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 FARZANA HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5943. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/FARZANA HOSSAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
September 24, 2026
