DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/22/2026 has been entered.
This office action is a response to an application filed on 06/22/2026, in which claims 1, 4-11, and 13 are pending and ready for examination.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1,11, and 13 are currently amended. Claims 2-3 are cancelled.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims rejected under 35 USC 102, 103 in Remarks filed on 06/22/2026 have been considered but are moot upon further consideration and a new ground of rejection made under 35 USC 103 based on Wang (US Pub. 20240187575 A1) in view of Li (US Pub. 20230217030 A1).
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 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.
Claims 1, 4-8, 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US Pub. 20240187575 A1) in view of Li (US Pub. 20230217030 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses an image decoding method comprising (Wang; Fig. 2-3, Para. [0365]. A video coding system/method is used to decode and encode video data.):
generating a chroma mode list of a current chroma block (Wang; Para. [0365-366]. A chroma prediction mode is determined/derived based on a chroma mode list of CCLM/default mode, MMLM/derived mode, or chroma DM/direct mode, wherein a prediction block is generated based on the chroma intra prediction mode. A chroma mode list is generated for a current chroma block.);
deriving a chroma intra prediction mode of the current chroma block based on the chroma mode list (Wang; Para. [0366, 371]. A chroma prediction mode is determined/derived based on a chroma mode list of CCLM/default mode, MMLM/derived mode, or chroma DM/direct mode, wherein a prediction block is generated based on the chroma intra prediction mode. A chroma intra prediction mode is determined in accordance with a chroma mode list for a current chroma block.); and
generating a prediction block of the current chroma block based on the chroma intra prediction mode, wherein the chroma mode list comprises at least one of a default mode, a derivation based chroma mode or a direct mode (Wang; Para. [0366, 371]. A chroma prediction mode is determined/derived based on a chroma mode list of CCLM/default mode, MMLM/derived mode, or chroma DM/direct mode, wherein a prediction block is generated based on the chroma intra prediction mode. A prediction block of a current chroma block is generated in accordance with a chroma intra mode, wherein a chroma mode list includes at least a default mode, a derivation based chroma mode, or a direct mode.), but wherein the derivation based chroma mode is derived using a sample value of a reconstructed pixel selected by sampling from a collocated luma block at a collocated position of the current chroma block.
However, Li teaches wherein the derivation based chroma mode is derived using a sample value of a reconstructed pixel selected by sampling from a collocated luma block at a collocated position of the current chroma block (Li; Para. [0107]. The derivation of the chroma prediction mode is performed by using collocated luma reconstructed samples.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Wang to adapt an image processing approach, by incorporating Li’s teaching wherein a DM, derivation based chroma mode, and a default mode are used in order, for the motivation to determine an intra prediction mode for a current block based on a corresponding block (Li; Abstract.).
Regarding claim 4, modified Wang further teaches the derivation based chroma mode is derived using a reconstructed neighboring reference pixel of the current chroma block (Wang; Para. [0255-256]. A derivation based chroma mode is determined using a reconstructed neighboring pixel of a current chroma block, also see Para. [0294].).
Regarding claim 5, modified Wang further teaches the neighboring reference pixel is a pixel directly adjacent to the current chroma block (Wang; Para. [0255-256]. A neighboring reference pixel is a pixel neighboring/adjacent to a current chroma block, also see Para. [0294].).
Regarding claim 6, modified Wang further teaches the neighboring reference pixel comprises at least one of a neighboring reference pixel adjacent to the current chroma block or a neighboring reference block adjacent to the collocated block of the current chroma block (Wang; Para. [0255-256]. A neighboring reference pixel includes at least one of a neighboring reference pixel adjacent to a current chroma block.).
Regarding claim 7, modified Wang further the chroma mode list is configured in the order of the direct mode, the derivation based chroma mode and the default mode Li; Table 3, Para. [0155]. A chroma mode list is configured in the order of direct mode, a derivation based chroma mode, and a default mode.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Wang to adapt an image processing approach, by incorporating Li’s teaching wherein a DM, derivation based chroma mode, and a default mode are used in order, for the motivation to determine an intra prediction mode for a current block based on a corresponding block (Li; Abstract.).
Regarding claim 8, modified Wang further teaches the chroma mode list is configured in an order determined based on a histogram of gradient for deriving the derivation based chroma mode (Li; Table 3, Para. [0155]. A chroma mode list is configured in an order involving a gradient based chroma mode based on a histogram of gradient.).
Claim 11 is directed to an image encoding method comprising a sequence of processing steps corresponding to the same as claimed in claims 1, and is rejected for the same reason of anticipation as outlined above.
Regarding claim 13, Wang discloses a method of transmitting a bitstream generated by an image encoding method, the method comprising: transmitting the bitstream, wherein the image encoding method comprises (Wang; Para. [0047]. A video transmitting system/method is used to transmit a bitstream generated by an image encoding method, the method includes transmitting a bitstream.):
generating a chroma mode list of a current chroma block (Wang; Para. [0365-366]. A chroma mode list is generated for a current chroma block.);
deriving a chroma intra prediction mode of the current chroma block based on the chroma mode list (Wang; Para. [0366, 371]. A chroma prediction mode is determined/derived based on a chroma mode list of CCLM/default mode, MMLM/derived mode, or chroma DM/direct mode, wherein a prediction block is generated based on the chroma intra prediction mode. A chroma intra prediction mode is determined in accordance with a chroma mode list for a current chroma block.); and
generating a prediction block of the current chroma block based on the chroma intra prediction mode, wherein the chroma mode list comprises at least one of a default mode, a derivation based chroma mode or a direct mode (Wang; Para. [0366, 371]. A chroma prediction mode is determined/derived based on a chroma mode list of CCLM/default mode, MMLM/derived mode, or chroma DM/direct mode, wherein a prediction block is generated based on the chroma intra prediction mode. A prediction block of a current chroma block is generated in accordance with a chroma intra mode, wherein a chroma mode list includes at least a default mode, a derivation based chroma mode, or a direct mode.), but wherein the derivation based chroma mode is derived using a sample value of a reconstructed pixel selected by sampling from a collocated luma block at a collocated position of the current chroma block.
However, Li teaches wherein the derivation based chroma mode is derived using a sample value of a reconstructed pixel selected by sampling from a collocated luma block at a collocated position of the current chroma block (Li; Para. [0107]. The derivation of the chroma prediction mode is performed by using collocated luma reconstructed samples.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the pertinent before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the video coding system of Wang to adapt an image processing approach, by incorporating Li’s teaching wherein a DM, derivation based chroma mode, and a default mode are used in order, for the motivation to determine an intra prediction mode for a current block based on a corresponding block (Li; Abstract.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chang (US Pub. 20240015280 A1) teaches a video coding system that performs template selection for intra prediction in video coding.
Li (US Pub. 20250227292 A1) teaches a video coding system that performs chroma intra prediction modes.
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/ALBERT KIR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2485
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