DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/21/2025 and 12/30/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 12/30/2025 has been entered. Claims 1- 20 are pending in this application.
Claims 1, 5, 11, and 15 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 12/30/2025, with respect to the rejection of claims 1- 20 under Claim Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Fan Wang (US 20250039361 A1)
Double Patenting
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.
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Claim 1-2, and 11- 12 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1, and 13 of copending Application No. 18/911,370 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because See Table 1 for details.
Pending Application
Application No. 18/911,370.
Claim 1:
A video decoding method, comprising: obtaining a first index by decoding a bitstream, wherein the first index is used to indicate a first combination, the first combination includes a first weight derivation mode and K first prediction modes, and K is a positive integer greater than 1;
determining the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes included in the first combination according to the first index; and
obtaining a prediction value of a current block by predicting the current block according to the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes.
Claim 1:
A video decoding method, comprising:
decoding a bitstream to obtain a first index, wherein the first index indicates a first combination consisting of one weight derivation mode and K prediction modes, and K is a positive integer greater than 1;
determining a weight derivation mode and K prediction modes comprised in a candidate combination corresponding to the first index in the candidate combination list as a first weight derivation mode and K first prediction modes; and
predicting a current block according to the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes to obtain a prediction value of the current block,
Claim 2:
determining a first candidate combination list, wherein the first candidate combination list includes a plurality of first candidate combinations, and
each first candidate combination among the plurality of first candidate combinations includes a weight derivation mode and K prediction modes; and determining a weight derivation mode and K prediction modes included in a first candidate combination corresponding to the first index and in the first candidate combination list as the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes.
Claim 1:
determining a candidate combination list, wherein the candidate combination list comprises multiple candidate combinations, and any candidate combination in the multiple candidate combinations comprises one weight derivation mode and K prediction modes;
determining a weight derivation mode and K prediction modes comprised in a candidate combination corresponding to the first index in the candidate combination list as a first weight derivation mode and K first prediction modes;
Claim 11:
A video encoding method, comprising:
determining a first combination, wherein the first combination includes a first weight derivation mode and K first prediction modes;
obtaining a prediction value of a current block by predicting the current block according to the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes; and
obtaining a bitstream according to the prediction value of the current block, wherein the bitstream includes a first index, and the first index is used to indicate the first combination.
Claim 13:
A video encoding method, comprising:
determining a first combination from the candidate combination list, wherein the first combination comprises a first weight derivation mode and K first prediction modes;
predicting a current block according to the first weight derivation mode and the K first prediction modes to obtain a prediction value of the current block
obtaining a bitstream according to the prediction value of the current block, wherein the bitstream comprises a first index, and the first index indicates the first combination
Claim 12:
determining a first candidate combination list, wherein the first candidate combination list includes a plurality of first candidate combinations, and each first candidate combination among the plurality of first candidate combinations includes a weight derivation mode and K prediction modes; and
determining the first combination from the first candidate combination list.
Claim 13:
determining a candidate combination list, wherein the candidate combination list comprises multiple candidate combinations, and any candidate combination in the multiple candidate combinations comprises one weight derivation mode and K prediction modes;
and determining a first combination from the candidate combination list
Table 1
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3- 10, and 13- 20 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.
Closest prior art listed below either singularly or in combination, fail to anticipate or render the above limitations obvious.
Kazushi Sato (US 20140092979 A1) is directed to an image processing apparatus and a method for improving coding efficiency. The imaging processing devices includes a weight mode determination unit, a weight mode information generation unit, and an encoding unit. The weight mode determination unit determines, for each predetermined region, a weight mode for weight prediction in inter-motion prediction compensation processing for coding an image. The processing is performed while giving weight with a weight coefficient. The weight mode information generation unit generates, for each region, weight mode information indicating the determined weight mode. The generated information indicates a combination of the weight mode and an inter-prediction mode. The weight mode includes weight ON mode, weight OFF mode, explicit mode, implicit mode, or multiple weight ON modes using different weight coefficients. The region may correspond to a processing unit of the inter-motion prediction compensation processing, including a largest coding unit, coding unit, or prediction unit. A limiting unit may limit the size of the region for which the weight mode information is generated. The encoding unit encodes the weight mode information, including by CABAC.
Kiyofumi Abe (US 20190335181 A1) is directed to a video encoder and decoder. The encoder includes a circuitry and memory coupled to the circuitry. Using the memory, the circuitry obtains at least two items of prediction information for a first partition included in the video. The circuitry derivers at least one template from neighboring samples that neighbor the first partition. The circuitry also calculates at least two costs using the at least one template and the at least two items of prediction information. Using the at least two costs, the circuitry determines at least one splitting direction for the first partition, and assigns one of the two item of prediction information to a second partition split and the other to a third partition split. The encoder then encodes the first partition according to the splitting direction and the two items of prediction information.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (703)756-1694. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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/MAHMOUD KAMAL ABOUZAHRA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2486
/JAMIE J ATALA/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2486