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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. There are a total of 20 claims and claims 2-15 and 22-27 are pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 07/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed on 07/13/2026 with respect to claims 2, 9 and 22 in the remarks, have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the new limitations added to claims 2, 9 and 22. See the rejection below of claims 2, 9 and 22 for relevant citations found in Filippov disclosing the newly added limitations. However, on pages 9-10 applicant argues “Filippov fails to disclose "reconstruct a current sample in the current block using intra prediction fusion that is based on multiple reference lines of the current block in the MRL list, the multiple reference lines that are used to reconstruct the current sample including the first reference line and the second reference line that are not spatially adjacent and correspond to adjacent entries in the MRL list, the adjacent entries including the ith entry and the (i+ 1)th entry in the MRL list," as recited in Claim 2”. While the applicant's argument points are understood, the examiner respectfully disagrees it is because after carefully reviewing Filippov et al. (US 2024/0364870 A1) prior art, it has been determined that applicant’s amendment to the independents claims still can be read by Filippov. Filippov discloses reconstruct a current sample in the current block using intra prediction fusion that is based on multiple reference lines of the current block in the MRL list, the multiple reference lines that are used to reconstruct the current sample including the first reference line and the second reference line that are not spatially adjacent and correspond to adjacent entries in the MRL list, the adjacent entries including the ith entry and the (i+ 1)th entry in the MRL list([Fig. 9-12 and 17];[0130-0131]- FIGS. 9-12, intra prediction was used to determine a predicted value of a sample based on a reference line directly adjacent to the current block of the sample. In VVC, multiple reference line (MRL) coding was introduced to allow not only the reference line directly adjacent to a current block being encoded or decoded to be used for intra prediction but also non-directly adjacent reference lines. MRL coding was introduced in VVC because the reference line directly adjacent to the current block being encoded or decoded may not be strongly correlated with the samples of the current block due to, for example, a discontinuity in the content of the directly adjacent reference line).
Therefore, the rejection has been maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 22, 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Filippov et al. (US 2024/0364870 A1; prov. App# 63/296,916; filed on Jan. 06,2022) in view of HEO et al. (2021/0076028 A1 ).
Regarding claim 2, Filippov discloses an apparatus for video decoding([Fig. 1]- an exemplary video coding/decoding system), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry configured to: decode prediction information of a current block in a current picture from a coded bitstream, the prediction information indicating that an intra prediction mode is applied to the current block with a multiple reference line (MRL) prediction([see in Fig. 9-12 and para 0082-0084 and 0088]- FIGS. 9-12, intra prediction was used to determine a predicted value of a sample based on a reference line directly adjacent to the current block of the sample. In VVC, multiple reference line (MRL) coding was introduced to allow not only the reference line directly adjacent to a current block being encoded or decoded to be used for intra prediction but also non-directly adjacent reference line; [see also Fig. 17]-for multiple references); receive an MRL index i from the coded bitstream indicating that an ith entry in a MRL list corresponds to a first reference line([see in Fig. 17]- MRLP index and a distance from a predicted block to a reference line may be defined based on the position of a block inside a CTU); determine that an (i+ 1)th entry in the MRL list corresponds to a second reference line([see in Fig. 17 and para 0112]- encoder may determine and/or generate a first reference block for predicting current block 1400 from reference picture list 0 and determine and/or generate a second reference block for predicting current block 1400 from reference picture list 1; see also [abstract and para 0201;0203 ]), and reconstruct a current sample in the current block using intra prediction fusion that is based on multiple reference lines of the current block in the MRL list, the multiple reference lines that are used to reconstruct the current sample including the first reference line and the second reference line that are not spatially adjacent and correspond to adjacent entries in the MRL list, the adjacent entries including the ith entry and the (i+ 1)th entry in the MRL list([Fig. 9-12 and 17];[0130-0131]- FIGS. 9-12, intra prediction was used to determine a predicted value of a sample based on a reference line directly adjacent to the current block of the sample. In VVC, multiple reference line (MRL) coding was introduced to allow not only the reference line directly adjacent to a current block being encoded or decoded to be used for intra prediction but also non-directly adjacent reference lines. MRL coding was introduced in VVC because the reference line directly adjacent to the current block being encoded or decoded may not be strongly correlated with the samples of the current block due to, for example, a discontinuity in the content of the directly adjacent reference line), wherein the MRL list is { 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} corresponding to reference lines 1, 3, 5, 7, and 12, respectively, each of the reference lines 1, 3, 5, 7, and 12 being 1, 3, 5, 7, and 12 rows and/or columns away from the current block, respectively([0178-0185 and Table 1-4]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1}).
However, Filippov does not explicitly disclose decode prediction information of a current block in a current picture from a coded bitstream, the prediction information indicating that an intra prediction mode is applied to the current block with a multiple reference line (MRL).
In an analogous art, HEO discloses decode prediction information of a current block in a current picture from a coded bitstream, the prediction information indicating that an intra prediction mode is applied to the current block with a multiple reference line (MRL) ([see in Fig. 11]- an example of the MRL, and here, a multi-reference line index represents whether any line is used for the intra prediction with respect to the current block. The multi-reference line index may be called an MRL index, and configured in a form of an intra_luma_ref_idx syntax element. If a value of the multi-reference line index is 0, it may be indicated that only the neighboring reference samples of the conventional first line are used as the reference samples for the intra prediction, and the values of the multi-reference line index larger than 0 may indicate that the neighboring reference samples of the lines other than the conventional first line are used as the reference samples for the intra prediction). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of HEO to the modified system of Filippov an image/video coding method and apparatus based on intra prediction for enhancing image coding efficiency [ HEO; para 005].
Regarding claim 5, Filippov discloses wherein the MRL index i being 0, 2, 3, or 4 corresponds to the reference line 1, 5, 7, or 12, respectively([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1});
when the MRL index i is 0, the first reference line and the second reference line are the reference lines 1 and 3([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1});
when the MRL index i is 2, the first reference line and the second reference line are the reference lines 5 and 7([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1})([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1});
when the MRL index i is 3, the first reference line and the second reference line are the reference lines 7 and 12([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1}); and
when the MRL index i is 4, the first reference line and the second reference line are the reference lines 12 and 1([para 0180—185, table 1-5]- TABLE 1 Correspondence of block size and the set of MRLP line distances Block size A set of MRLP lines distances s.sub.i Less than 256 samples {0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12} Greater than or equal to 256 samples {0, 3, 5, 7, 12, 1}).
Regarding claim 9, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2. Hence; all limitations for apparatus claim 9 have been met in apparatus claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 5.
Regarding claim 22, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2. Hence; all limitations for claim 22 have been met in apparatus claim 2.
Regarding claim 24, HEO encoding the current sample based on the predicted current sample([para 0137]- if the MRL intra prediction is applied to the current block, the intra prediction may be performed (derivation of the predicted block) based on the intra prediction mode of the current block), a residual of the current sample being based on the current sample and the predicted current sample([para 0009]- a residual processor for generating a residual block based on the residual information, in which if the intra prediction type represents a specific intra prediction type).
Regarding claim 25, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 5.
Claims 3, 4, 6-8, 10, 11, 13-15, 23, 26 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Filippov in view of HEO as applied to claim 2 above and further in view of et al. (2021/0076028 A1 ) LEE et al. ( US 2020/0244956 A1).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Filippov and HEO do not exclusively disclose determine a first prediction value based on one or more first reference samples in the first reference line using the intra prediction mode; determine a second prediction value based on one or more second reference samples in the second reference line using the intra prediction mode; and predict the current sample based on a weighted average of the first prediction value and the second prediction value.
In an analogous art LEE discloses determine a first prediction value based on one or more first reference samples in the first reference line using the intra prediction mode([para 0437]- the prediction for the current may be performed by calculating the weighted sum of a prediction value obtained using a predetermined intra prediction mode and a prediction value obtained predicted using a predetermined inter prediction mod); determine a second prediction value based on one or more second reference samples in the second reference line using the intra prediction mode([see in Fig. 7 and para 0245]- two or more reconstructed sample lines may be selected to construct a reference sample to determine second prediction); and predict the sample based on a weighted average of the first prediction value and the second prediction value([para 0437]- the prediction for the current may be performed by calculating the weighted sum of a prediction value obtained using a predetermined intra prediction mode and a prediction value obtained predicted using a predetermined inter prediction mod).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of LEE to the modified system of Filippov HEO for performing representative sample-based intra prediction and deriving an intra prediction mode of a current block, configuring a reference sample of the current block, and performing intra prediction for the current block based on the intra prediction mode and reference sample, wherein the intra prediction is representative sample based prediction in order to enhance compression efficiency [ LEE; abstract].
Regarding claim 4, LEE discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: reconstruct the sample based on the predicted sample and a residual of the sample([para 0014]- reconstructing a residual value for the representative sample, and determining the value of the representative sample using the prediction value and the residual value).
Regarding claim 6, LEE discloses wherein a first weight associated with the first reference line and a second weight associated with the second reference line depend on the first reference line and the second reference line([para 0285; 0289]- a weighted average of each sample in the first reference sample line and each sample in the second reference sample line is calculated by applying the weights 3:1 to each sample in the first reference sample line and each sample in the second reference sample line (that is, (3× the first line reference sample+the second line reference sample+2)>>2), and the average of the weighted averages may be determined as the DC prediction value of the current block. Alternatively, the resultant value of ((3× the first line reference sample−the second line reference sample)>>1) may be obtained, and the average of these values may be determined as the DC prediction value of the current block. The weights are not limited to the above example, and any weights may be used. In this case, the closer to the current block the reference sample line is, the larger the weight that is applied to the reference sample line. The number of reference sample lines that can be used is not limited to two, and three or more reference sample lines may be used for prediction); and the processing circuitry is configured to reconstruct the sample in the current block based on the first reference line, the second reference line, the first weight, and the second weight([para 0285 and 0437]- a weighted average of each sample in the first reference sample line and each sample in the second reference sample line is calculated by applying the weights 3:1 to each sample in the first reference sample line and each sample in the second reference sample line (that is, (3× the first line reference sample+the second line reference sample+2)>>2), and the average of the weighted averages may be determined as the DC prediction value of the current block. Alternatively, the resultant value of ((3× the first line reference sample−the second line reference sample)>>1) may be obtained, and the average of these values may be determined as the DC prediction value of the current block. The weights are not limited to the above example, and any weights may be used. In this case, the closer to the current block the reference sample line is, the larger the weight that is applied to the reference sample line. The number of reference sample lines that can be used is not limited to two, and three or more reference sample lines may be used for prediction).
Regarding claim 7, LEE discloses a first weight associated with the first reference line and a second weight associated with the second reference line depend on a distance between the first reference line and the second reference line, the distance being a number of rows and/or columns between the first reference line and the second reference lin([para 0437 and 0440]- when the intra prediction mode is a non-directional mode such as DC or Planar, a weight corresponding to ½ may be applied to an intra prediction sample and an inter prediction sample, respectively. Alternatively, when the intra prediction mode is a vertical mode, the weight for the intra prediction sample decreases with distance from the reference sample line above the current block. Similarly, when the intra prediction mode is a horizontal mode, the weight for the intra prediction sample decreases with distance from the reference sample line on the left side of the current block. The sum of the weight applied to the intra prediction sample and the weight applied to the inter prediction sample may be any one of the powers of two. That is, it may be any of 4, 8, 16, 32, and so forth).
Regarding claim 8, LEE discloses a first weight associated with the first reference line depends on a distance between the first reference line and a reference line 0 that is adjacent to the current block, the distance being proportional to the MRL index i([see in Fig. 7]- in FIG. 7, two or more reconstructed sample lines may be selected to construct a reference sample. For example, two lines including a reconstructed sample line 1 and a reconstructed sample line 2 may be fixedly selected, or four lines ranging from a reconstructed sample line 1 to a reconstructed sample line 4 may be selected to construct a reference sample; a reference sample may be constructed using a weighted average of reconstructed samples, in which the weights of the reconstructed samples differ according to the distance between the reconstructed sample and the current block).
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 11, LEE discloses encode the sample based on the predicted sample, a residual of the sample being based on the sample and the predicted sample([para 0014]- reconstructing a residual value for the representative sample, and determining the value of the representative sample using the prediction value and the residual value).
Regarding claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 6.
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 7.
Regarding claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 8.
Regarding claim 23, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 26, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 6.
Regarding claim 27, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 7.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art are made of record and not relied upon but considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
1. HEO et al., 2021/0368162 A1; discloses obtaining intra prediction type related information for a current block from a bit stream.
2. Li et al., US 2019/0141318 A1, discloses Method for tracking, predicting.
3. LEE et. al., US 2022/0030226A1, discloses method and apparatus for encoding/decoding an image performing intra prediction having improved encoding/decoding efficiency.
4. HEO et al., US 2022/0124309 A1, discloses a method and an apparatus for adaptively deriving an intra prediction mode according to an intra prediction type.
5. Zhang et al., US. 2021/0029352 A1, discloses during video decoding or encoding using intra prediction coding of video and images in which multiple reference lines are used.
6. MOON et al., US 2019/0379891 A1, discloses to improve intra prediction efficiency in an image encoding or decoding process by performing intra prediction with the use of multiple reference pixel lines, in encoding or decoding an image.
7. Fang et al., US 2022/0021874 A1, discloses a system for intra prediction may include one or more storage devices and one or more processors configured to communicate with the one or more storage devices.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD NAZMUL HAQUE whose telephone number is (571)272-5328. The examiner can normally be reached IFW.
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/MD N HAQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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