Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/891,598

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA ENCODING METHOD, THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA DECODING METHOD, THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA ENCODING DEVICE, AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA DECODING DEVICE

Non-Final OA §DP
Filed
Sep 20, 2024
Priority
Oct 02, 2018 — provisional 62/740,131 +4 more
Examiner
BHATNAGAR, ANAND P
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
91%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 91% — above average
91%
Career Allowance Rate
661 granted / 723 resolved
+31.4% vs TC avg
Minimal +2% lift
Without
With
+2.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
15 currently pending
Career history
739
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
16.2%
-23.8% vs TC avg
§103
43.2%
+3.2% vs TC avg
§102
28.3%
-11.7% vs TC avg
§112
4.0%
-36.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 723 resolved cases

Office Action

§DP
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Double Patenting 2. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b). The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13. The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer. Claims 1 and 6 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 3 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Claims 2 and 8 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 6 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Claim 3 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 7 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Claim 4 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 8 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Claim 5 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 2 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Claim 7 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 5 of U.S. Patent No. 12,125,252 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the scope of this application is encompassed with the patented claim. Application 18/891,598 U.S. patent 12,125,252 B2 Claim 1: A data encoding method, comprising: obtaining third point cloud frame data to be coded, the third point cloud frame data including data of each of third three-dimensional points, the third three-dimensional points comprising third point cloud frame, the data of each of the third three-dimensional points including identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three- dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame; and generating encoded data by encoding the third point cloud frame data; and generating a bitstream including the encoded data, the encoded data including geometry information and attribute information, wherein in the encoding, the identification information of each of the third three-dimensional points is encoded as the attribute information, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 6. The data encoding method according to claim 1, wherein the data of each of the third three-dimensional points includes the geometry information. 1. A data encoding method, comprising: obtaining third point cloud frame data to be coded, the third point cloud frame data including data of each of third three-dimensional points, the third three-dimensional points comprising a third point cloud frame, the data of each of the third three- dimensional points including identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three-dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame; generating encoded data by encoding the third point cloud frame data; and generating a bitstream including the encoded data, wherein in the encoding, the identification information of each of the third three-dimensional points is encoded as attribute information, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three- dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 3. The data encoding method according to claim 1, wherein the data of each of the third three-dimensional points includes geometry information. 2. A data decoding method, comprising: obtaining a bitstream including encoded data, the encoded data including geometry information and attribute information; and obtaining the attribute information of each of third three- dimensional points included in third point cloud frame data by decoding the encoded data included in the bitstream, wherein the attribute information includes identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three- dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 8. The data decoding method according to claim 2, wherein the data of each of the third three-dimensional points includes the geometry information. 4. A data decoding method, comprising: obtaining a bitstream including encoded data; and obtaining attribute information of each of third three-dimensional points included in third point cloud frame data by decoding the encoded data included in the bitstream, wherein the attribute information includes identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three-dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 6. The data decoding method according to claim 4, wherein the data of each of the third three-dimensional points includes geometry information. Claim 3: A data encoding device, comprising: a processor; and memory, wherein using the memory, the processor: generates third point cloud frame data to be coded, the third point cloud frame data comprising third three-dimensional points, and identification information that indicates how the third point cloud frame data is partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame; and encodes the third point cloud frame data and the identification information, the identification information being encoded as attribute information assigned to each of the third three-dimensional points; and generates a bitstream including the encoded third point cloud frame data, geometry information, and the attribute information, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 7. A data encoding device, comprising: a processor; and memory, wherein using the memory, the processor: obtains third point cloud frame data to be coded, the third point cloud frame data including data of each of third three-dimensional points, the third three-dimensional points comprising a third point cloud frame, the data of each of the third three- dimensional points including identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three-dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame; generates encoded data by encoding the third point cloud frame data; and generates a bitstream including the encoded data, wherein in the encoding, the identification information of each of the third three-dimensional points is encoded as attribute information, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three- dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. Regarding claim 4: A data decoding device, comprising: a processor; and memory, wherein using the memory, the processor: obtains a bitstream including encoded third point cloud frame data, geometry information, and attribute information; and obtains third point cloud frame data and identification information by decoding the bitstream, the third point cloud frame data comprising third three-dimensional points, and the identification information indicating how the third point cloud frame data is partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 8. A data decoding device, comprising: a processor; and memory, wherein using the memory, the processor: obtains a bitstream including encoded data; and obtains attribute information of each of third three-dimensional points included in third point cloud frame data by decoding the encoded data included in the bitstream, wherein the attribute information includes identification information, the identification information indicating how the third three-dimensional points are partitioned into a first point cloud frame or a second point cloud frame, wherein identification information indicating the first point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the first point cloud frame, and identification information indicating the second point cloud frame is assigned to a third three-dimensional point to be partitioned into the second point cloud frame. 5. The data encoding method according to claim 1, wherein the first point cloud frame and the second point cloud frame are temporally different from each other. 2. The data encoding method according to claim 1, wherein the first point cloud frame and the second point cloud frame are temporally different from each other. 7. The data decoding method according to claim 2, wherein the first point cloud frame and the second point cloud frame are temporally different from each other. 5. The data decoding method according to claim 4, wherein the first point cloud frame and the second point cloud frame are temporally different from each other. Regarding claims 1-8: There is no prior art rejection made since no prior art was found on the claimed subject matter but are still rejected under double patenting. Contact Information 3. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANAND BHATNAGAR whose telephone number is (571)272-7416. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:30am-4:00pm. 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, Vu Le can be reached on 571-272-4650. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ANAND P BHATNAGAR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2668 June 27, 2026
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 20, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §DP (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
91%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+2.3%)
2y 7m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 723 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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