Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/957,874

VIDEO ENCODER, VIDEO DECODER, AND CORRESPONDING ENCODING AND DECODING METHODS

Non-Final OA §DP
Filed
Nov 25, 2024
Examiner
OWENS, TSION B
Art Unit
2487
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allow Rate
580 granted / 660 resolved
+29.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+8.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
682
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
7.8%
-32.2% vs TC avg
§103
42.9%
+2.9% vs TC avg
§102
22.8%
-17.2% vs TC avg
§112
5.0%
-35.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 660 resolved cases

Office Action

§DP
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 . Double Patenting The non-statutory 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 non-statutory obviousness-type 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); InreGoodman, 11 F.3d 1046,29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225USPQ645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Omum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In reVogel, 422F.2d 438,164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) maybe used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a non-statutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b). Claims 1-23 rejected on the ground of non-statutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,192,488 although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they claim the same scope of the invention, but using different variations of the claim language. Instant Application-18/957,874 Conflicting U.S. Patent No. 12,192,488 1, 10, 19-23. A method of decoding video data implemented by a decoding apparatus, comprising: performing entropy decoding on a bitstream, to obtain information indicating a selected intra-prediction mode; determining a luma block that corresponds to a chroma block; determining a set of down-sampled samples of reconstructed neighboring luma samples, wherein the selected intra-prediction mode is cross-component intra prediction_L (CCIP_L) mode, and in case of the CCIP_L mode, the reconstructed neighboring luma samples comprise a plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are left to the luma block without including a plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are above the luma block; calculating a first pair of a luma value and a chroma value using N down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set and N reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, wherein N is a positive integer larger than 1, and a minimum value of the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples is not less than respective luma values of first remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set, and wherein the first remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples are different from the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples; calculating a second pair of a luma value and a chroma value using M down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set and M reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, wherein M is a positive integer larger than 1, and a maximum value of the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples is not larger than respective luma values of second remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set, and wherein the second remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples are different from the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples; determining one or more parameters of one linear model based on the first pair of luma value and chroma value and the second pair of luma value and chroma value; determining a predictive block of the chroma block based on the one or more parameters of the linear model; and reconstructing the chroma block based on the predictive block. 1, 3. A method of decoding video data implemented by a decoding device, comprising: performing entropy decoding on a bitstream, to obtain information indicating a selected intra-prediction mode; determining a luma block that corresponds to a chroma block; determining a set of down-sampled samples of reconstructed neighboring luma samples, wherein the selected intra-prediction mode is a cross-component intra prediction_A (CCIP_A) mode, the reconstructed neighboring luma samples comprise a plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are above the luma block without including a plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are left to the luma block; determining a first pair of luma value and chroma value according to N down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set of down-sampled samples and N reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1, and a minimum luma value of the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples is not less than respective luma values of first remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set, wherein the first remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples are different from the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples; determining a second pair of luma value and chroma value according to M down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set of down-sampled samples and M reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1, and a maximum luma value of the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples is not more than respective luma values of second remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples of the set, wherein the second remaining down-sampled neighboring luma samples are different from the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples; deriving one or more linear model parameters based on the first pair of luma value and chroma value and the second pair of luma value and chroma value; generating a predictive block based on the one or more linear model parameters; and reconstructing the chroma block based on the predictive block. 2, 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of down-sampled samples of reconstructed neighboring luma samples consists of: the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples and the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the sum of N and M is equal to the total number of down-sampled neighboring luma samples in the set. 2. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of down-sampled samples of reconstructed neighboring luma samples consists of the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples and the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the sum of N and M is equal to the number of down-sampled neighboring luma samples in the set. 3, 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the luma value of the first pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean luma value of the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the chroma value of the first pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean chroma value of the N reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and wherein the luma value of the second pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean luma value of the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the chroma value of the second pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean chroma value of the M reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples. 7, 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the luma value of the first pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean luma value of the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the chroma value of the first pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean chroma value of the N reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the N down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and wherein the luma value of the second pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean luma value of the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples, and the chroma value of the second pair of luma value and chroma value is the mean chroma value of the M reconstructed neighboring chroma samples that correspond to the M down-sampled neighboring luma samples. 4, 13. The method of claim 1, wherein M and N are equal. 8, 15. The method of claim 1, wherein M is equal to N. 5, 14. The method of claim 4, wherein M=N=2. 9, 16. The method of claim 8, wherein M=N=2. 6, 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructed neighboring luma samples comprise: a left-below neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block and luma samples that are below of the left-below neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block. 10, 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructed neighboring luma samples comprise: a top-right neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block and luma samples that are right to the top-right neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block. 7, 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are left to the luma block are reconstructed neighboring luma samples adjacent to the respective left boundary. 11, 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reconstructed luma samples that are above the luma block are reconstructed neighboring luma samples adjacent to the respective top boundary. 8, 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructed neighboring luma samples excludes luma samples that are left of a top-left neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block. 12, 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructed neighboring luma samples excludes luma samples that are above of a top-left neighbouring luma sample outside the luma block. 9, 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of down-sampled samples of the reconstructed neighboring luma samples are obtained by down-sampling on the reconstructed neighboring luma samples. 13, 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of down-sampled samples of the reconstructed neighboring luma samples are obtained by down-sampling on the reconstructed neighboring luma samples. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made, to combine the teachings of current Application 18/957,874 although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other, because they are obvious variations of each other. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-23 would be allowable pending the non-statutory double patenting rejection Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TSION B OWENS whose telephone number is (571)272-3934. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00. 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, David Czekaj can be reached at 571-272-7327. 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. /TSION B OWENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 25, 2024
Application Filed
Dec 23, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §DP (current)

Precedent Cases

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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
88%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+8.6%)
2y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 660 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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