CTFR 18/884,960 CTFR 92509 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 Claims 1, 10, and 19 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are pending for examination. Response to Arguments 07-37 AIA Applicant's arguments filed 01/29/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Zhang nor LIU, alone or in combination, teaches or suggests Claim 1 as a whole, including the specific limitation of "without deriving new LIC parameters for the first block" when the merge candidate is a non-adjacent candidate or HMVP candidate. The combination of Zhang and LIU therefore fails to teach, suggest, or otherwise render obvious the claimed invention as recited in Claim 1 as amended. Examiner respectfully disagrees LIU explicitly recites [0558]: “26. The method of clause 24, wherein an LIC parameters are inherited from the HMVP merge candidate in a case that a LIC flag of the HMVP merge candidate is true.” [0352]: “i. In one example, when encoding/decoding the current CTU, it only uses parameters from lookup tables generated by some previously encoded/decoded CTUs”. LIU clearly teaches that LIC parameter are inherited based on a HMVP candidate and additionally new LIC parameters are not generated but are rather from lookup table Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-2, 4-11, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (Non-EE2: IBC-LIC Model Merge mode) in view of LIU (US 20210235109 A1) . Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches a method of coding video data (Abstract and section 2) , the method comprising: receiving a first block of video data to be coded using merge mode and local illumination compensation (LIC) (reference to "merge mode" and "LIC" for instance in section 2); inheriting first LIC parameters previously derived for a block associated with the first merge candidate based on the first merge candidate being a non-adjacent candidate or a history-based motion vector predictor candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and nonadjacent neighbors, history candidates, or default models" in the Abstract; item a) in section 2) ; and coding the first block of video data using the first merge candidate and the first LIC parameters (section 3) . Zhang does not explicitly recite the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, LIU teaches inheriting first LIC parameters without deriving new LIC parameters for the first block ([0352]: “i. In one example, when encoding/decoding the current CTU, it only uses parameters from lookup tables generated by some previously encoded/decoded CTUs”) ; determining a first merge candidate for the first block of video data ([0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of a derivation process for merge candidates list construction.) ; It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of LIU and apply them to Zhang . One would be motivated as such as it improves the performance of current video codec technologies to provide better compression ratios or provide video coding and decoding schemes that allow for lower complexity or parallelized implementations. Regarding claim 2, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. Zhang teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the non-adjacent candidate being a threshold number of samples away from a boundary for the first block of video data (Similar to the CCMerge method, LIC models are collected from the previously coded IBC-LIC and IBC-LIC model merge adjacent and non-adjacent positions. Section 2) . Regarding claim 4, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. LIU teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the history-based motion vector predictor candidate, the method further comprising: storing the first LIC parameters with the history-based motion vector prediction candidate (memory: [0514]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 5, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. LIU teaches wherein the first LIC parameters are a single set of LIC parameters stored for an NxN area of the video data ([0135]-[0136], where one set of parameters "a" and "b" is used for a coding unit, CU, i.e. a NxN area.) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 6, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. LIU teaches quantizing the first LIC parameters before storing in a buffer and before inheriting the first LIC parameters (memory 2702 in communication with the processor 2701 to store and/or buffer data [0516]. Examiner note: parameters are quantized to the bit-depth used in the storage medium to store the parameters) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 7, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. Zhang teaches receiving a second block of video data to be coded using merge mode and LIC; determining a second merge candidate for the second block of video data; deriving second LIC parameters for the second block of video data using a neighboring template of reconstructed samples and a reference template in a reference frame based on the second merge candidate being an adjacent candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors") ; and coding the second block of video data using the second merge candidate and the second LIC parameters ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors" in the abstract (emphasis added) Examiner note: candidates in HMVP also include candidates from directly adjacent blocks) . Regarding claim 8, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. LIU teaches wherein coding comprises decoding ([0004]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 9, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. LIU teaches wherein coding comprises encoding ([0004]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 10, Zhang teaches an apparatus configured to code video data (Abstract and section 2) , comprising: receive a first block of video data to be coded using merge mode and local illumination compensation (LIC) (reference to "merge mode" and "LIC" for instance in section 2); inherit previously derived for a block associated with the first merge candidate based on the first merge candidate being a non-adjacent candidate or a history-based motion vector predictor candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and nonadjacent neighbors, history candidates, or default models" in the Abstract; item a) in section 2) ; and code the first block of video data using the first merge candidate and the first LIC parameters (section 3) . Zhang does not explicitly recite the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, LIU teaches a memory ([0513]) ; and processing circuitry in communication with the memory ([0513]) , the processing circuitry configured to: inherit first LIC parameters without deriving new LIC parameters for the first block ([0352]: “i. In one example, when encoding/decoding the current CTU, it only uses parameters from lookup tables generated by some previously encoded/decoded CTUs”) ; determining a first merge candidate for the first block of video data ([0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of a derivation process for merge candidates list construction.) ; It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of LIU and apply them to Zhang . One would be motivated as such as it improves the performance of current video codec technologies to provide better compression ratios or provide video coding and decoding schemes that allow for lower complexity or parallelized implementations. Regarding claim 11, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. Zhang teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the non-adjacent candidate being a threshold number of samples away from a boundary for the first block of video data (Similar to the CCMerge method, LIC models are collected from the previously coded IBC-LIC and IBC-LIC model merge adjacent and non-adjacent positions. Section 2) . Regarding claim 13, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. LIU teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the history-based motion vector predictor candidate, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: store the first LIC parameters with the history-based motion vector prediction candidate. (memory: [0514]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 14, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. LIU teaches wherein the first LIC parameters are a single set of LIC parameters stored for an NxN area of the video data ([0135]-[0136], where one set of parameters "a" and "b" is used for a coding unit, CU, i.e. a NxN area.) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 15, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. LIU teaches wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: quantize the first LIC parameters before storing in a buffer and before inheriting the first LIC parameters (memory 2702 in communication with the processor 2701 to store and/or buffer data [0516]. Examiner note: parameters are quantized to the bit-depth used in the storage medium to store the parameters) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 16, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. Zhang teaches wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: receive a second block of video data to be coded using merge mode and LIC; determine a second merge candidate for the second block of video data; derive second LIC parameters for the second block of video data using a neighboring template of reconstructed samples and a reference template in a reference frame based on the second merge candidate being an adjacent candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors") ; and code the second block of video data using the second merge candidate and the second LIC parameters ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors" in the abstract (emphasis added) Examiner note: candidates in HMVP also include candidates from directly adjacent blocks) . Regarding claim 17, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. LIU teaches wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decode video data ([0004]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 18, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. LIU teaches wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode video data ([0004]) . The same motivation used to combine Zhang in view of LIU in claim 1 is applicable. Regarding claim 19, Zhang teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (Abstract and section 2) , comprising: receive a first block of video data to be coded using merge mode and local illumination compensation (LIC) (reference to "merge mode" and "LIC" for instance in section 2); inherit first LIC parameters previously derived for a block associated with the first merge candidate based on the first merge candidate being a non-adjacent candidate or a history-based motion vector predictor candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and nonadjacent neighbors, history candidates, or default models" in the Abstract; item a) in section 2) ; and code the first block of video data using the first merge candidate and the first LIC parameters (section 3) . Zhang does not explicitly recite the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, LIU teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a device configured to code video data ([0512] – [0514]) to: inherit first LIC parameters without deriving new LIC parameters for the first block ([0352]: “i. In one example, when encoding/decoding the current CTU, it only uses parameters from lookup tables generated by some previously encoded/decoded CTUs”) ; determining a first merge candidate for the first block of video data ([0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of a derivation process for merge candidates list construction.) ; It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of LIU and apply them to Zhang . One would be motivated as such as it improves the performance of current video codec technologies to provide better compression ratios or provide video coding and decoding schemes that allow for lower complexity or parallelized implementations. Regarding claim 20, Zhang in view LIU teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19. Zhang teaches wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: receive a second block of video data to be coded using merge mode and LIC; determine a second merge candidate for the second block of video data; derive second LIC parameters for the second block of video data using a neighboring template of reconstructed samples and a reference template in a reference frame based on the second merge candidate being an adjacent candidate ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors") ; and code the second block of video data using the second merge candidate and the second LIC parameters ("inherits IBC-LIC model parameters from spatial adjacent and non-adjacent neighbors" in the abstract (emphasis added) Examiner note: candidates in HMVP also include candidates from directly adjacent blocks) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of LIU further in view of XU (CE4-related: CTU-level Initialization of History-based Motion Vector Prediction) . Regarding claim 3, Zhang in view LIU teaches the method of claim 1. Zhang in view LIU does not explicitly recite the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, XU teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the non-adjacent candidate, the method further comprising: storing the first LIC parameters for the non-adjacent candidate based on the non-adjacent candidate being within a current coding tree unit of the first block of video data or at a boundary of the current coding tree unit of the first block of video data ((CTU-level initialization in the Abstract and section 2 in conjunction with "When a new CTU start, the HMVP list is emptied. And then the spatial neighboring block of current CTU are added into HMVP list from top to bottom, and from left to right interleaved as shown in figure 3" in conjunction with Figure 3). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of XU and apply them to Zhang in view LIU . One would be motivated as such as it maintains the BD rate Regarding claim 12, Zhang in view LIU teaches the apparatus of claim 10. Zhang in view LIU does not explicitly recite the following limitations, however, in an analogous art, XU teaches wherein the first merge candidate is the non-adjacent candidate, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: store the first LIC parameters for the non-adjacent candidate based on the non-adjacent candidate being within a current coding tree unit of the first block of video data or at a boundary of the current coding tree unit of the first block of video data. ((CTU-level initialization in the Abstract and section 2 in conjunction with "When a new CTU start, the HMVP list is emptied. And then the spatial neighboring block of current CTU are added into HMVP list from top to bottom, and from left to right interleaved as shown in figure 3" in conjunction with Figure 3). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to take the teachings of XU and apply them to Zhang in view LIU . One would be motivated as such as it maintains the BD rate Conclusion 07-40 AIA 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 HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (571)270-0425. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5. 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, Jamie Atala can be reached at 57127227384. 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. /HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 2 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 3 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 4 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 5 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 6 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 7 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 8 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 9 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 10 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 18/884,960 Page 11 Art Unit: 2486
Prosecution Insights