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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUO et al (US 20130195199 A1) in view of Li et al (US 20210195225 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Figures 1-11 of GUO disclose a method of video coding for colour pictures [e.g. FIG. 5; encoding color video data], the method comprising: receiving input data [e.g. a frame or a picture] associated with a picture area [e.g. a block] comprising a first-colour picture area [e.g. FIG. 5-6; luma component Y block] and a second-colour picture area [e.g. FIG. 5-6; chroma component U or V block], wherein the input data comprise pixel data [e.g. pixel values of block] for the picture area to be encoded at an encoder side or coded data associated with the picture area to be decoded at a decoder side [e.g. FIG. 4-5 and 9; encoder, decoder, bitstream], and wherein the first-colour picture area is partitioned into one or more first-colour blocks according to a first-colour splitting tree [e.g. FIG. 6; [0075-0078 and 0081]; Luna component is defined independently as RQT1] and the second-colour picture area is partitioned into one or more second-colour blocks according to a second-colour splitting tree [e.g. Chroma component is defined independently as RQT2 or RQT3]; wherein the one or more first colour blocks and one or more second-colour blocks comprise coding units [e.g. [0074-0078 and 0081]; LCU to produce CUs and sub-CUs]; applying entropy encoding or decoding to the second-colour splitting tree using context formation [e.g. FIG. 11; determining a context for split flag], wherein the context formation comprises information related to the first-colour splitting tree [e.g. FIG. 6 and 9-11; split flag associated with an array of transform coefficients for a luma component of video data]; and encoding or decoding said one or more first-colour blocks and said one or more second-colour blocks [e.g. FIG. 9 and 11].
GUO discloses the use of HEVC [See para. 28-29], however doesn’t explicitly disclose the picture area comprising one or more coding tree units (CTUs).
LI discloses a video coding system. LI discloses the picture area comprising one or more coding tree units (CTUs) [see Fig. 11; para. 110, 140, 141, 146]. Furthermore, LI also discloses wherein the one or more first colour blocks and one or more second-colour blocks comprise coding units [e.g. leaf CU; see Fig. 11; para. 110, 140, 141, 146].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the coding method disclosed by GUO to exploit the well-known coding technique taught by Li as above, in order to improve coding efficiency [See Li; [0109]].
Regarding claim 2, GUO further discloses the context formation [e.g. FIG. 9 and 11], but GUO fails to explicitly disclose the detail of the context information.
However, Li teaches the well-known concept of a context information [e.g. FIG. 16; split flag] is dependent on quadtree depth or MTT (Multi-Type Tree) depth related to the first-colour splitting tree [MTT coding tree structure; MTT depth], or block dimension related to said one or more first-colour blocks.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the coding method disclosed by GUO to exploit the well-known decoding partitioning technique taught by Li as above, in order to provide a flexible block partitioning structure [See Li; [0169]].
Regarding claim 3, GUO and Li further disclose the context formation for entropy coding a split decision for a current second-colour block is dependent on splitting situation in a corresponding first-colour block [e.g. GUO: FIG. 5-6 and 11; the value of a split flag associated with another component of video data; Li: FIG. 16-19 and 26-28].
Regarding claim 4, GUO and Li further disclose the context formation for entropy coding a split flag associated with a current second-colour block is dependent on a block size of a corresponding first-colour block [GUO: FIG. 2-3, 5-6 and 11; the value of a split flag associated with another component of video data; Li: FIG. 16-18; [0149-0154]].
Regarding claim 5, GUO and Li further disclose the context formation for entropy coding an MTT (Multi-Type Tree) vertical flag for a current second-colour block is dependent on dimension of a corresponding first-colour block [e.g. Li: FIG. 16-18; [0132-0134 and 0149-0154]; mtt_split_cu_vertical_flag].
Regarding claim 6, GUO and Li further disclose the dimension of the corresponding first-colour block corresponds to width, height or both the width and the height of the corresponding first-colour block [e.g. Li: FIG. 16-18; [0132-0134, 155 and 0149-0154]; width or height of a luma coding block].
Regarding claim 7, GUO further discloses the first-colour picture area corresponds to a luma picture area [e.g. Luma Y component] and the second-colour picture area corresponds to a chroma picture area [e.g. FIG. 6; chroma U component].
Regarding claim 8, GUO further discloses the picture area comprises a third-colour picture area [e.g. FIG. 6; chroma V component], and wherein the first-colour picture area corresponds to a luma picture area, the second-colour picture area corresponds to a first chroma picture area and the third-colour picture area corresponds to a second chroma picture area [e.g. FIG. 6].
Regarding claim 9, GUO further discloses the third-colour picture area is partitioned into one or more third-colour blocks according to a third-colour splitting tree separately from the second-colour splitting tree [e.g. Chroma component is defined independently as RQT2 or RQT3].
Regarding claim 10, GUO and Li further disclose a syntax is signaled or parsed in picture level [e.g. GUO: a header of a picture; Li: picture headers(PHs);], a slice level, a tile level, a CTU-row level, a CTU level, a VPDU level [e.g. Li: Virtual pipeline data units (VPDUs)] or a combination thereof, and wherein the syntax is related to indicating whether the third-colour splitting tree is used to partition the third-colour picture area separately from the second-colour splitting tree at a corresponding picture, slice, tile, CTU-row, CTU or VPDU[e.g. GUO: Chroma component is defined independently as RQT2 or RQT3; Li: FIG. 16; The partition information can indicate that separate coding tree structures can be used to partition chroma component(s) (e.g., chroma CTB (s)) and a corresponding luma component (e.g., a luma CTB)].
Regarding claim 11, this is an apparatus that includes same limitation as in claim 1 above, the rejection of which are incorporated herein. Furthermore, GUO discloses one or more electronics or processors [e.g. FIG. 4; [0068]; DSPs and FPGAs].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that GUO does not disclose wherein the one or more first colour blocks and one or more second-colour blocks comprise coding units. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Reading the claims in the broadest sense, GUO does discloses wherein the one or more first colour blocks and one or more second-colour blocks comprise coding units [e.g. [0074-0078 and 0081]; LCU to produce CUs and sub-CUs]. Furthermore, LI also discloses this subject matter discussed in the prior art rejection.
Based on at least the foregoing remarks, the 103 rejection of claims 1-11 are maintained.
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 Joseph G Ustaris whose telephone number is (571)272-7383. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5pm M-Th.
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/JOSEPH G USTARIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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