Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/961,812

ENCODER, ENCODING METHOD, DECODER, AND DECODING METHOD

Non-Final OA §DP
Filed
Nov 27, 2024
Examiner
PEREZ FUENTES, LUIS M
Art Unit
2481
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 7m
To Grant
66%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
573 granted / 688 resolved
+25.3% vs TC avg
Minimal -18% lift
Without
With
+-17.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
31 currently pending
Career history
719
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.1%
-37.9% vs TC avg
§103
58.1%
+18.1% vs TC avg
§102
5.9%
-34.1% vs TC avg
§112
2.5%
-37.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 688 resolved cases

Office Action

§DP
DETAILED ACTION 1. This communication is being filed in response to the submission having a mailing date (11/27/2024) in which a (3) month Shortened Statutory Period for Response has been set. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 2. 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 3. The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) that was submitted on (11/27/2024) is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, being partially considered by the Examiner. Specification 4. The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. Drawings 5. The submitted Drawings on date (11/27/2024) have been accepted and considered under the 37 CFR 1.121 (d). Claim Rejection Double Patenting Rejection 6. 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 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); 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); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). 6.1. 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 a nonstatutory 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). 6.2. Individuals associated with the filing and prosecution of the instant patent application have a duty to disclose information within their knowledge as to other copending United States applications which are "material to patentability" of the application in question. See MPEP §2001.06(b) for more details. 6.3. Claims (1 -6) of the instant Application 18/961,812 is/are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obvious-type double patenting as being unpatentable over analogous claims of the parent Applications 18/213,367 (now US 12,192,482). Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other, because the claims uses similar scope of the invention, and/or a similar variations of the same claim language. Instant Application: 18/961,812 Reference: 18/213,367 (now US 12,192,482) Claim 1. A decoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determine whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determine whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions, (i) decode second inverse transform basis signal used for selecting a second inverse transform basis, perform a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with a second inverse transform basis selected based on the decoded second inverse transform basis signal, and further perform a first inverse-transform with a first inverse transform basis when an intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and (ii) skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with the first inverse transform basis when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode; and when inter prediction is to be used for the current block, skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with a first inverse 84 transform basis selected from among the plurality of the first inverse transform basis candidates. Claim 2. A decoding method comprising: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determining whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determining whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions,(i) decoding second inverse transform basis signal used for selecting a second inverse transform basis, performing a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with a second inverse transform basis selected based on the decoded second inverse transform basis signal, and further performing a first inverse-transform with a first inverse transform basis when an intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and (ii) skipping a second inverse-transform and performing a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with the first inverse transform basis when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode; and when inter prediction is to be used for the current block, skipping a second inverse-transform and performing a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with a first inverse transform basis selected from among the plurality of the first inverse transform basis candidates. Claim 3. A decoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:(i) decode second inverse transform basis signal used for selecting a second inverse transform basis, perform a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of a first current block included in a picture with a second inverse transform basis selected based on the decoded second inverse transform basis signal, and further perform a first inverse- transform with a first inverse transform basis, the first current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode not being a predetermined mode is used, for which a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and which has a size satisfying with a predetermined condition;(ii) skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse- transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of a second current block included in the picture with the first inverse transform basis, the second current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode being the predetermined mode is used, for which the basis selection mode is used, and which has a size satisfying with the predetermined condition; and(iii) skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse- transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of a third current block included in the picture with a first inverse transform basis selected from 86 among the plurality of the first inverse transform basis candidates, the third current block being a block for which an inter prediction is used. Claim 4. An encoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determine whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determine whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions, (i) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of the current block to generate first transform coefficients,(ii-1) perform a second transform on the first transform coefficients with a second transform basis to generate second transform coefficients, quantize the second transform coefficients and encode basis selection signal indicating the second transform basis used for the second transform when the intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and(ii-2) quantize the first transform coefficients when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode; when inter prediction is to be used for the current block, perform a first transform on residual signals of the current block with a first transform basis selected from among the plurality of the first inverse transform basis candidates to generate first transform coefficients and quantize the first transform coefficients; and encode the result of the quantization to generate a bitstream. Claim 5. An encoding method comprising: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determining whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determining whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions,(i) performing a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of the current block to generate first transform coefficients,(ii-1) performing a second transform on the first transform coefficients with a second transform basis to generate second transform coefficients, quantizing the second transform coefficients and encoding basis selection signal indicating the second transform basis used for the second transform when the intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and(ii-2) quantizing the first transform coefficients when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode; when inter prediction is to be used for the current block, performing a first transform on residual signals of the current block with a first transform basis selected from among the plurality of the first 88 inverse transform basis candidates to generate first transform coefficients and quantizing the first transform coefficients; and encoding the result of the quantization to generate a bitstream. Claim 6. An encoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:(i) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of a first current block in a picture to generate first transform coefficients, perform a second transform on the first transform coefficients with a second transform basis to generate second transform coefficients, quantize the second transform coefficients, and encode transform basis signal indicating the second transform basis used for the second transform, the first current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode not being a predetermined mode is used, for which a basis selection mode in which a first transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first transform basis candidates is used, and which has a size satisfying with a predetermined condition;(ii) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of a second current block in the picture to generate first transform coefficients and quantize the first transform coefficients, the second current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode being the predetermined mode is used, for which the basis selection mode is used, and which has a size satisfying with the predetermined condition;(iii) perform a first transform on residual signals of a third current 89 block in the picture with a first transform basis selected from among the plurality of the first inverse transform basis candidates to generate first transform coefficients and quantize the first transform coefficients, the third current block being a block for which an inter prediction mode is used; and encode the result of the quantization to generate a bitstream. Claim 19. A decoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determine whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determine whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; and when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions, (i) perform a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with a second inverse transform basis and further perform a first inverse-transform with a first inverse transform basis when an intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and (ii) skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with the first inverse transform basis when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode, wherein the first inverse-transform is a separable transform, and the second inverse- transform is a non-separable transform. Claim 20. A decoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: (i) perform a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of a first current block included in a picture and further perform a first inverse-transform with a first inverse transform basis, the first current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode not being a predetermined mode is used, for which a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and which has a size satisfying with a predetermined condition; and(ii) skip a second inverse-transform and perform a first inverse-transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of a second current block included in the picture with the first inverse transform basis, the second current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode being the predetermined mode is used, for which the basis selection mode is used, and which has a size satisfying with the predetermined condition, wherein the first inverse-transform is a separable transform, and the second inverse- transform is a non-separable transform. Claim 21. An encoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determine whether a basis selection mode in which a first inverse transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determine whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; and when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions, (i) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of the current block to generate first transform coefficients, (ii-1) perform a second transform on the first transform coefficients with a second transform basis to generate second transform coefficients and quantize the second transform coefficients when the intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and (ii-2) quantize the first transform coefficients when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode, wherein the first transform is a separable transform, and the second transform is a non-separable transform. Claim 22. An encoder comprising: memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: (i) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of a first current block in a picture to generate first transform coefficients, perform a second transform on the first transform coefficients with a second transform basis to generate second transform coefficients, and quantize the second transform coefficients, the first current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode not being a predetermined mode is used, for which a basis selection mode in which a first transform basis is selectable from among a plurality of first transform basis candidates is used, and which has a size satisfying with a predetermined condition; and (ii) perform a first transform with a first transform basis on residual signals of a second current block in the picture to generate first transform coefficients, and quantize the first transform coefficients, the second current block being a block for which an intra prediction mode being the predetermined mode is used, for which the basis selection mode is used, and which has a size satisfying with the predetermined condition, wherein the first transform is a separable transform, and the second transform is a non- separable transform. Claim 23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a bitstream, the bitstream including: a current block to be decoded by a decoder; and first information according to which the decoder selects a first inverse transform basis from among a plurality of first inverse transform basis candidate in a basis selection mode; and second information indicating a second inverse transform basis, wherein the decoder: when intra prediction is to be used for a current block included in a picture, determines whether the basis selection mode in which the first inverse transform basis is selectable from among the plurality of first inverse transform basis candidates is used, and determines whether a size of the current block satisfies with a predetermined condition; and when the basis selection mode is used for the current block and the size of the current block satisfies with the predetermined conditions,(i) performs a second inverse-transform on inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with the second inverse transform basis, and further performs a first inverse-transform with the first inverse transform basis when an intra prediction mode is not a predetermined mode, and (ii) skips a second inverse-transform and performs the first inverse- transform on the inverse quantized coefficients of the current block with the first inverse transform basis when the intra prediction mode is the predetermined mode, wherein the first inverse-transform is a separable transform, and the second inverse-transform is a non-separable transform. 6.4. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made/filed, to combine the instant 18/961812 with the cited above reference(s), because although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other, the claim language uses similar scope of the invention, and/or a similar variation of the same claim language. Claim objection section 7. Independent Claims (1 -6) of instant Application 18/961812, and the associated dependencies, is/are objected to, because of the judicially created Double patent rejection (see section 6 above), but it may be considered for allowance if properly rewritten, with a timely file Terminal Disclaimer (TD) submitted, linking the two applications, in compliance with the 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d). Prior Art Citations 8. The following List of prior art, made of record and not relied upon, is/are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: 8.1. Patent documentation: US 8,780,980 B2 Yamaguchi; et al. H03M7/42; H04N19/13; H04N19/159; US 9,554,154 B2 Oh; et al. H04N19/117; H04N19/124; H04N19/182; US 9,549,204 B2 Lee; et al. H04N19/44; H04N19/105; H04N19/117; US 10,250,881 B2 Song; et al. H04N19/615; H04N19/15; H04N19/61; US 11,729,398 B2 Ohkawa; et al. H04N19/176; H04N19/61; H04N19/12; US 12,192,482 B2 Ohkawa; et al. H04N19/61; H04N19/176; H04N19/12; 8.2. Non-Patent Literature; _ On secondary transform for intra-inter prediction residual; 2012; _ LUT based adaptive filtering on intra-prediction samples; 2011; _ Transform Skip mode; Mrak – 2011; Conclusions 9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from examiner should be directed to LUIS PEREZ-FUENTES whose telephone number is (571) 270 -1168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, WILLIAM VAUGHN can be reached on (571) 272-3922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 272 -3922. 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, 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 USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, please call (800) 786 -9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272 -1000. /LUIS PEREZ-FUENTES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481.
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 27, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §DP (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
66%
With Interview (-17.8%)
2y 7m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 688 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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