CTNF 18/890,005 CTNF 91286 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. Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 07-42-04 AIA 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/20/2026 has been entered. 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. 07-15 AIA Claim( s) 1-2, 5, 9-12, 15, 19-21 are r ejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a )(1) as being a nticipated b y M a (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) in view of Silveira (NPL: “Memory Bandwidth Reduction in Video Coding Systems Through Context Adaptive Lossless Reference Frame Compression,” IEEE 2012) and Gadelrab (US PG Publication 2018/0302624). R egarding Claim 1, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses a device for decoding video data (HEVC HM software platform, Abstract) , the device comprising: an integrated circuit (CPU, Introduction) comprising a video decoder (HEVC HM software platform, Abstract; TMuC0.7, Section 3.1 Hybrid frame buffer compression), compression (inherent: Fig. 6 requires encoded data) circuitry (software, Section 3.1 Hybrid frame buffer compression) , and decompression (decoding, Fig. 6) circuitry (software, Section 3.1 Hybrid frame buffer compression) ; and a memory that is external to the IC (off-chip memory/buffer, Introduction, Section 3.1) and coupled to the IC (data is fetched/transferred, Section 3.3) , wherein the compression circuitry (hybrid frame buffer compression, Section 3.1) configured to: receive a decoded (output of the adaptive loop filter Fig. 6, in-loop deblocking, Sections 3.4-3.5; reconstructed signal, Fig. 4) frame (video sequence, Section 3 Low Resolution decoding for HEVC) ; perform [] compression (checkboard decomposition with high resolution residual, Section 3.1) on the decoded frame (output of the ALF, Fig. 6) to generate a [] compressed reference frame (stored in the decoder picture buffer, Fig. 6; decompose the video sequence in the low-resolution and high-resolution components and compress the low-resolution component and the high-resolution residual using absolute moment block truncation, Section 3, 3.1) ; write the [] compressed reference frame (checkboard decomposition with high resolution residual, Section 3.1) in the memory (write the reconstructed signal into the decoded picture buffer with frame buffer compression, Fig. 4; Fig. 6, LR DPB and HR residual) ; perform lossy compression (checkboard decomposition without high resolution residual, Section 3.1) on a first set of frames (frames in LR decoding LR output mode, Fig. 6) to generate a first set of lossy frames (low resolution decoding, low_res_flag = TRUE with LR output, Fig. 6 top row, Section 3.5) ; wherein the decompression circuitry (low resolution motion compensation with high resolution output, Fig. 4) is configured to: receive the [] compressed reference frame (the low resolution pixels and high resolution pixels output from the DPB, Fig. 4; LR component transferred to an on-chip buffer, Section 3.3) ; and decompress the [] compressed reference (LR component transferred to an on-chip buffer, HR pixels interpolated, after LR MCP, HR component is fetched and combined with HR component to form the full resolution signal, Section 3.3) frame to generate a first reference frame (full resolution predictive signal, Section 3.3) , wherein the video decoder is configured to: in a first mode (low resolution decoding, low_res_flag = TRUE with HR output, Fig. 2 middle row, Section 3.5) , decode a first frame (e.g., any frame among “frames,” Section 3.3 Cascaded motion-compensation) based on a first reference frame (LR DPB with HR residual, Section 3.3, Fig. 6 middle row, Section 3.5) stored in the memory (LR DPB with HR residual, Fig. 6 middle row, Section 3.5; Frame buffer compression DPB, Fig. 4) ; and in a second mode (low resolution decoding, low_res_flag = TRUE with LR output, Fig. 6 top row, Section 3.5) , decode a second frame (e.g., another frame among “frames,” Section 3.3 Cascaded motion-compensation) based on a second lossy reference frame (low resolution component transferred onto the on-chip buffer, HR pixels interpolated, Section 3.3 Cascaded motion-compensation) , wherein the second lossy reference frame is generated based on decompression of a lossy compressed reference frame (high resolution missing pixels from the low resolution component are interpolated using bilinear interpolation, Section 3.3 Cascaded motion-compensation; no HR residual added, Fig. 6); and decode a third set of frames (decoder Fig. 6, decoding in LR + HR residual) based on the set of [] frames (LR DPB and HR residual in the decoder picture buffer, Fig. 6) . Ma does not disclose, but Gadelrab (US PG Publication 2018/0302624) teaches determine a compression value (key performance indicator, e.g., compression ratio [0055]) for each lossy frame of the first set of lossy frames (KPI > threshold for X times?, Step 535, Fig. 5; whether enough frames have been compressed using lossy compression [0059]) , the compression value indicative of an amount by which each frame in the first set of lossy frames is compressed (compression ratio [0055]) ; and based on a determination that the compression value for each lossy frame of the first set of lossy frames satisfies a threshold (KPI > threshold for X times?, Step 535, Fig. 5; whether enough frames have been compressed using lossy compression [0059]) , toggle to perform lossless compression (returning to the lossless compression [0059], return to step 505, Fig. 5) for a second set of frames following the first set of frames (as long as KPI above/below threshold for X times [0056], step 515, Fig. 5) to generate a set of lossless frames (lossless compression while QoS remains acceptable—KPI meets threshold for X times [0056], step 515, Fig. 5) . Ma does not disclose, but Silveira (NPL: “Memory Bandwidth Reduction in Video Coding Systems Through Context Adaptive Lossless Reference Frame Compression,” IEEE 2012) teaches perform lossless compression… to generate a lossless compressed (lossless reference frame compression using Reference Frame Context Adaptive Variable-Length Compressor, Title, Abstract, Section 2 last paragraph, Section 4 first paragraph) reference frame (reference frame, Title, Abstract, Section 2 last paragraph, Section 4 first paragraph) ; write the lossless compressed reference frame in the memory (The RFCAVLC module is located between the reference frames off-chip memory and the encoding core ME/MC, so any communication between these components is intermediated by RFCAVLC. Every data that is written in the Reference Memory is encoded by the RFCAVLC Encoder component. When the ME component requests data from the Reference Memory, this information needs to be decoded by the RFCAVLC Decoder component before it is used, page 2 first full paragraph, Fig. 1) ; receive the lossless compressed reference frame (When the ME component requests data from the Reference Memory, page 2 first full paragraph, Fig. 1) ; and decompress the lossless compressed reference (this information needs to be decoded by the RFCAVLC Decoder component before it is used, page 2 first full paragraph, Fig. 1) ; decode (When the ME component requests data from the Reference Memory, page 2 first full paragraph, Fig. 1) … based on the set of lossless frames (decoded by the RFCAVLC Decoder component before it is used, page 2 first full paragraph, Fig. 1) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to replace the absolute moment block truncation of Ma with Reference Frame Context Adaptive Variable-Length Compressor of Silveira because Silveira teaches that it achieves a memory bandwidth reduction rate similar to lossy compressors but none of the visual quality loss, improving reference frame compression efficiency (Conclusion), and can be coupled to a video encoder system with negligible hardware overhead and negligible throughput loss (Abstract), improving implementation. One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to supplement the power-saving framework of Ma with the quality control check of Fig. 5 of Gadelrab because quality is a known concern in video service providing, and balancing quality with power savings would generate a moderate tradeoff, supplying an average level of service suitable for many situations. Regarding Claim 2, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the decoded frame is a first decoded frame (entropy decoding, Fig. 6, output of ALF, Fig. 6) , wherein the compression circuitry is further configured to: receive a second decoded (entropy decoding, Fig. 6, output of ALF in low resolution mode with low resolution output, top row of Fig. 6) frame (video sequence, Section 3 Low Resolution decoding for HEVC) ; perform lossy compression on the second decoded frame (decompose the block using checkboard pattern into low resolution pixels, Fig. 1, Section 3.1) to generate the lossy compressed reference frame (check-board decomposition on the video sequence to reduce the number of pixels, Sections 3-3.1, Fig. 1) ; and write the lossy compressed reference frame in the memory or memory local to the IC or the video decoder (output of low resolution decoding low resolution ALF is loaded into LR DPB, Fig. 6 top row) , wherein the decompression circuitry (bilinear interpolation, Section 3.3) configured to: receive the lossy compressed reference frame (the LR pixels are transferred to on-chip memory, Section 3.3) ; and decompress the lossy compressed reference frame (the LR pixels are transferred to on-chip memory, Section 3.3; vacant HR pixels are filled using bilinear interpolation, Section 3.3) to generate the second lossy reference frame (after bilinear interpolation, the original image is still not reproduced because the high-resolution residual has not been added, Fig. 4, Section 3.3, Fig. 6 top row: no HR residual is added in the LR output mode) . Regarding Claim 4, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder is configured to decode a first set of frames following the second frame in coding order (video sequence, Section 3; HEVC, Section 2) ; wherein the compression circuitry is configured to: perform lossy compression (Hybrid frame buffer compression, Section 3.1) on the first set of frames (i.e., frames in low-power low-resolution mode) to generate a first set of lossy frames (LR component of frames in low-power low-resolution mode, Section 3.1) . Ma does not disclose, but McInnis (US PG Publication 2014/009297) teaches determine a compression value for each lossy frame of the first set of lossy frames (choosing quantization levels [0105] based on the buffer fullness and buffer fullness thresholds [0112]) , the compression value indicative of an amount by which each frame in the first set of lossy frames is compressed (quantization controls how much data is lost, higher quantization resulting in more data loss, inherent, definition) ; and based on a determination that the compression value for each lossy frame of the first set of lossy frame satisfies a threshold (buffer fullness, which is bounded by two consecutive thresholds [0112]) , toggle to perform lossless compression (the quantization value Quant is initialized to 0, corresponding to lossless coding [0108]) for a second set of frames following the first set of frames ( choosing quantization levels [0105], i.e., for each frame) to generate a set of lossless frames (the quantization value Quant is initialized to 0, corresponding to lossless coding [0108]) , and wherein the video decoder is configured to decode a third set of frames based on the set of lossless frames (inherent; the way that the frames are compressed is how they are used) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to compress the LR component of the video images of Ma based on memory capacity/fullness, as suggested by McInnis, to ensure that there is no data overflow or loss due to overwriting data still being used, and to ensure that off-chip memory access is not needed and maintain low-latency processing. Regarding Claim 5, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder is configured to operate in the first mode or the second mode based on one or more of: a resolution of frames to be decoded (low resolution decoding, Section 3) ; a power level of the device (low power mode, Section 3) ; or a user selection. Regarding Claim 9, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1, wherein to decode the second frame, the video decoder is configured to: receive residual values indicative of a difference between samples of the second frame and samples of a reference frame (HEVC motion compensation, Section 3.3, which includes residual values equal to the difference between the frame to be coded and a reference frame) , wherein the lossy compressed frame is the reference frame after lossy compression (LR component of the reference frame from the decoded picture buffer, Fig. 4, Section 3.3) ; and reconstruct samples of the second frame based on adding the residual values to samples of the second lossy reference frame (HEVC motion compensation, Section 3.3, in which residual values are added to reference values to generate the reconstructed values) . Regarding Claim 10, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer (battery powered mobile handset) . Regarding Claim 11, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 1 . Regarding Claim 12, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 2 . Regarding Claim 15, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 5 . Regarding Claim 19, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 9 . Regarding Claim 20, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions thereon that when executed cause a video decoder in an integrated circuit (HEVC HM software platform, on a CPU, Abstract, Introduction) . The remainder of Claim 20 is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 1. Regarding Claim 21, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1. Ma does not disclose, but Gadelrab (US PG Publication 2018/0302624) teaches wherein the compression value comprises a compression ratio of an amount of data in an uncompressed frame to an amount of data in a corresponding lossy frame of the first set of lossy frames (compression ratio [0055]) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to supplement the power-saving framework of Ma with the quality control check of Fig. 5 of Gadelrab because quality is a known concern in video service providing, and balancing quality with power savings would generate a moderate tradeoff, supplying an average level of service suitable for many situations . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6-7, 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) in view of Silveira (NPL: “Memory Bandwidth Reduction in Video Coding Systems Through Context Adaptive Lossless Reference Frame Compression,” IEEE 2012) and Nalci (US Patent 11,368,715) . Regarding Claim 6, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1. Ma does not disclose, but Nalci (US Patent 11,368,715) teaches wherein the first frame is a luma component of a frame, the second frame is a chroma component of the same frame (4:2:0 or 4:2:2 color format, Column 8 lines 30-40) , and the second lossy reference frame is a chroma lossy and luma lossless reference frame (luma is coded lossless, Claim 8) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to code the luma component of the videos of Ma in lossless mode because the human visual system is most sensitive to the luma channel of color images, resulting in highest subjective visual quality when luma is coded lossless, while saving on bitrate where the human visual system is less prone to detect flaws. Regarding Claim 7, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 6. Ma does not disclose, but Nalci (US Patent 11,368,715) teaches wherein the first reference frame is also the chroma lossy and luma lossless reference frame (4:2:0 or 4:2:2 color format, Column 8 lines 30-40; luma is coded lossless, Claim 8) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to code the luma component of the videos of Ma in lossless mode because the human visual system is most sensitive to the luma channel of color images, resulting in highest subjective visual quality when luma is coded lossless, while saving on bitrate where the human visual system is less prone to detect flaws. Regarding Claim 16, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 6 . Regarding Claim 17, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 7 . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 8, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) in view of Silveira (NPL: “Memory Bandwidth Reduction in Video Coding Systems Through Context Adaptive Lossless Reference Frame Compression,” IEEE 2012) and Wegener (US PG Publication 2014/0355665) . Regarding Claim 8, Ma (NPL, “Low resolution decoding…” IASTED 2011) discloses the device of claim 1. Ma does not disclose, but Wegener (US PG Publication 2014/0355665 A1) teaches wherein the first reference frame is an intra refresh frame (I-frames coded in lossless, Fig. 14) . One of ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed would have been motivated to code the refresh frames of Ma in high-resolution/high-power mode because preserving fidelity in intra frames minimizes error propagation to the subsequent frames, improving image quality. Regarding Claim 18, the claim is rejected on the grounds provided in Claim 8 . Response to Arguments Applicant’s remarks filed 5/20/2026 regarding the amended limitations are persuasive against MacInnis. Gadelrab (US PG Publication 2018/0302624), which teaches toggling between lossless and lossy coding based on hysteresis in a key performance index such as compression ratio, is relied upon in this office action. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure : Heindel, “Low-Complexity Enhancement Layer Compression for Scalable Lossless Video Coding Based on HEVC,” IEEE 2017 – scalable coded with lossy base layer and enhancement layer predicted with sample-based weighted prediction and entropy coded. Fan, “In-Block Prediction-Based Mixed Lossy and Lossless Reference Frame Recompression for Next-Generation Video Encoding,” IEEE 2015 – truncated base layer and the truncated residual is used when lossless mode is requested. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHADAN E HAGHANI whose telephone number is (571)270-5631. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM - 5PM. 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, Jay Patel can be reached at 571-272-2988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SHADAN E HAGHANI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 2 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 3 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 4 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 5 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 6 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 7 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 8 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 9 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 10 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 11 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 12 Art Unit: 2485 Application/Control Number: 18/890,005 Page 13 Art Unit: 2485
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