DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is a response to an application filed on 12/08/2025, in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 12/08/2025 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of Patent No. 11,044,483 and Patent No. 12,143,606 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are not persuasive.
In regards to the independent claims applicant argues that Wang does not disclose "multiple partition types are supported for intra chroma coding of the block, the multiple partition types including a set of chroma partition types comprising a set of multiple chroma partition types of sizes 16x16, 8x8, 4x4 and a set of multiple luma partition types and a set of luma partition types, the set of chroma partition types being different than the set of luma partition types, wherein said encoder selects the best luma mode(630), sets the best luma partition and luma mode (660), setting best chroma partition based on best luma partition (670), selects a best chroma mode (680) and encoding the set luma partition, the selected luma mode and the selected chroma mode".
However, examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang discloses that original block size compensation processing is performed for chroma blocks up to block sizes of 16x16 (see paragraph 77 and claim 6). Thus, when it is mentioned that the block sizes are up to 16x16, it implies that smaller size blocks are supported as well. Additionally, Wang discloses that partitions can have 7 different sizes (see paragraph 11), and size and number of chroma blocks varies in different formats (paragraph 13). For example, the chroma samples can have block sizes of 4x4 or 8x8 (paragraph 13). In addition, paragraph 211 of Wang mentions that the bit-stream of intra coded macroblock has chroma prediction mode information. Thus, it is clear that the chroma partitions are intra coded and block size compensation process is used to determine size and number of chroma blocks. Furthermore, in paragraph 17 Wang discloses that 8x8 or 4x4 luma partition types are supported. Thus, the argued limitation has been fully disclosed by the currently on file references.
Claims 1-20 remain rejected since the system disclosed by the applicant is taught by the prior arts.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2007/0121728 A1) in view of Guo (US 2008/0219350 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses: An apparatus, comprising:
an encoder (400) for encoding (see paragraph 87) picture data for at least a block in a picture (see paragraph 56 and 87), wherein multiple partition types (see paragraph 11, partitions can have 7 different sizes, and paragraph 77, chroma block sizes up to 16x16) are supported for intra prediction chroma coding of the block (see paragraph 211, bit-stream of intra coded macroblock has chroma prediction mode information), the multiple partition types including a set of chroma partition types (see paragraph 13, i.e. two chroma samples of size 8x8, also see paragraph 11, partitions can have 7 different sizes, paragraph 77, chroma block sizes up to 16x16, and paragraph 13, size and number of chroma blocks varies in different formats) comprising a set of multiple chroma partition types of sizes 16x16, 8x8, 4x4 (see paragraph 13, i.e. two chroma samples of size 8x8, also see paragraph 11, partitions can have 7 different sizes, paragraph 77, chroma block sizes up to 16x16, and paragraph 13, size and number of chroma blocks varies in different formats) and a set of multiple luma partition types and a set of luma partition types (see paragraph 13), the set of chroma partition type being different than the set of luma partition type (see paragraph 77 and claim 16, original block size compensation processing is performed for chroma blocks up to block sizes of 16x16, and paragraph 13, size and number of chroma blocks varies in different formats. As one can see, the size and number of the chroma blocks are determined using block size compensation processing, which is not dependent on the luma blocks) setting best chroma partition based on best luma partition (670) (see paragraph 211, real chroma blocks should be half of luma blocks).
Wang does not explicitly disclose: wherein said encoder selects the best luma mode (630), sets the best luma partition and a luma mode (660), selects a best chroma mode (680) and encoding the set luma partition, the selected luma mode and the selected chroma mode (690).
However, Guo from the same or similar endeavor discloses: wherein said encoder selects the best luma mode (630) (see Guo, paragraph 41), sets the best luma partition and a luma mode (660) (see Guo, paragraph 30, best mode for luma partitions 4x4 and 16x16 is determined), selects a best chroma mode (680) (see Guo, paragraph 34) and encoding the set luma partition, the selected luma mode and the selected chroma mode (see Guo, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have “said encoder selects the best luma mode (630), sets the best luma partition and a luma mode (660), selects a best chroma mode (680) and encoding the set luma partition, the selected luma mode and the selected chroma mode (690)” as taught by Guo in the encoder taught by Wang to reduce calculations on obtaining predicted modes and to improve coding efficiencies, where a low-cost hardware is practiced with a high efficiency, a high picture quality and a low power consumption (see Guo, paragraph 6).
Regarding claim 2, claim 2 is drawn to a method having limitations similar to the apparatus claimed in claim 1 treated in the above rejections. Therefore, method claim 2 correspond to apparatus claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 2, wherein a particular chroma partition type for coding the block is determined from the set of chroma partition types responsive to a luma partition type utilized to code the block or one or more neighboring blocks (670), the luma partition type being included in the set of luma partition types (see Guo, Fig. 1 and paragraph 40-41, referring to Fig. 1, chroma mode is selected based on the Luma mode and as mentioned in paragraph 40, luma mode is selected by searching the neighboring blocks).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 3, wherein for the particular chroma partition type, a largest-size available transform matching the particular chroma partition type is selected from a set of transforms (see Guo, paragraph 2, 41 and 43, a Hadamard transformation is performed [41] on the macroblocks and the macroblocks are divided into 4x4 blocks. The chroma blocks are selected 4x4 as well. According to the specification of this application, Hadamard transformation is used to determine the transform size).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 3, wherein from among a particular luma partition type and a particular chroma partition type selected to code the block only the particular luma partition type is signaled (690) (see Guo, paragraph 41, only luma blocks are used to obtain the best prediction mode), the particular luma partition type being selected from the set of luma partition types and the particular chroma partition type being selected from the set of chroma partition types (see Wang, paragraph 14 and 54, selecting color format. Also see paragraph 11, partitions can have 7 different sizes, and paragraph 77, chroma block sizes up to 16x16).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 5, wherein the particular luma partition type is absolutely coded or differentially coded from one or more neighboring blocks (690) (see Gou, paragraph 41).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 2, wherein a particular chroma partition type used to code the block is determined independently from a particular luma partition type used to code the block (860, 885) (see Wang, paragraph 77 and claim 6, original block size compensation processing for chroma up to block sizes of 16x16), the particular chroma partition type being determined from the set of chroma partition types and the particular luma partition type being determined from the set of luma partition types (see Guo, paragraph 43).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 7, wherein the particular chroma partition type and the particular luma partition types are both signaled (890) (see Wang, paragraph 211, bit-stream of intra coded macroblock has the following information: macroblock type, luma prediction mode, chroma prediction mode).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 8, wherein the particular luma partition type and the particular chroma partition type are absolutely coded or differentially coded from one or more neighboring blocks (890) (see Gou, paragraph 37).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 8, wherein the particular chroma partition type is differentially coded from the particular luma partition type (890) (see Guo, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Guo and Wang discloses: The method of claim 2, wherein a chroma entropy coding engine used to code the block is different from a luma entropy ceding engine used to code the block (see Guo, paragraph 2, coding system has a luma coding and a chroma coding).
Regarding claims 12-19, claims 12-19 drawn to an apparatus and a method of decoding having limitations similar to the apparatus and a method of encoding claimed in claims 1-8 treated in the above rejections. Therefore, apparatus and method of decoding claims 12-19 correspond to apparatus and a method of encoding claims 1-8 and are rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above. Furthermore, Wang discloses a decoder (see Wang, paragraph 87).
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 is drawn to a computer readable storage media having limitations similar to the apparatus claimed in claim 1 treated in the above rejections. Therefore, CRM claim 20 corresponds to encoder claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation 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 MARYAM A NASRI whose telephone number is (571)270-7158. The examiner can normally be reached on 10:00-8:00 M-T.
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/MARYAM A NASRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483