DETAILED ACTION
1. This office action is in response to U.S. Patent Application No.: 18/977,533 filed on 12/11/2024 with effective filing date 10/27/2018. Claims 1-16 are pending.
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.
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3. Claims 1-16 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-16 of U.S. Patent No. US 12,206,906 and claims 1-16 of U.S. Patent No. US 11,800,152. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Current Application
US 12,206,906
1. A method, comprising: calculating a residual block of a coding block; applying a transform on sample values of the residual block to obtain transform coefficients of the coding block; obtaining, based on the transform coefficients, quantized coefficients of the coding block;
obtaining a value of a first control flag, wherein the value of the first control flag indicates whether a first technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; in response to determining the first technique is not used for the coding block, obtaining a value of a second control flag for the coding block, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for an intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted if and only if the first technique is not used for the coding block;
and entropy encoding, by applying an entropy encoding algorithm, the quantized coefficients, and the second control flag to obtain an encoded bitstream.
1. A method, comprising: obtaining quantized coefficients of a coding block;
obtaining a value of a first control flag, wherein the value of the first control flag equals to 1 indicates a first technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; in response to determining the first technique is not used for the coding block, obtaining a value of a second control flag for the coding block, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted when the first technique is not used for the coding block;
and encoding the quantized coefficients, the first control flag and the second control flag to obtain an encoded bitstream,
wherein the second control flag is encoded when the first technique is not used for the coding block.
6. A method comprising: receiving a bitstream; entropy decoding, by applying an entropy decoding algorithm, the bitstream to obtain quantized coefficients of a coding block; inferring a value of a first control flag of the coding block to be equal to 0, wherein the value of the first control flag indicates whether a first technique is to be used, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; obtaining a value of a second control flag of the coding block based on the value of the first control flag; wherein the value of the second control flag indicates whether a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted if and only if the first control flag is equal to 0;
obtaining transform coefficients based on the quantized coefficients; obtaining a residual block of the coding block based on the transform coefficients; and reconstructing the coding block at least based on the residual block, the value of the first control flag and the value of the second control flag of the coding block.
6. A method comprising: receiving a bitstream; parsing the bitstream to obtain quantized coefficients of a coding block, a value of a first control flag of the coding block and a value of a second control flag of the coding block; wherein the value of the first control flag equals to 1 indicates a first technique is to be used, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted when the first control flag is equal to 0;
and reconstructing the coding block at least based on the quantized coefficients, the value of the first control flag and/or the value of the second control flag of the coding block.
11. A decoder comprising: at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the decoder to: receive a bitstream;
entropy decode, by applying an entropy decoding algorithm, the bitstream to obtain quantized coefficients of a coding block; infer a value of a first control flag of the coding block to be equal to 0,
wherein the value of the first control flag indicates whether a first technique is to be used, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; obtain a value of a second control flag of the coding block based on the value of the first control flag; wherein the value of the second control flag indicates whether a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted if and only if the first control flag is equal to 0;
obtain transform coefficients based on the quantized coefficients; obtain a residual block of the coding block based on the transform coefficients;
and reconstruct the coding block at least based on the residual block, the value of the first control flag and the value of the second control flag of the coding block.
11. A decoder comprising: at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the decoder to: receive a bitstream;
parse the bitstream to obtain quantized coefficients of a coding block, a value of a first control flag of the coding block and a value of a second control flag of the coding block;
wherein the value of the first control flag equals to 1 indicates a first technique is to be used, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted when the first control flag is equal to 0;
and reconstruct the coding block at least based on the quantized coefficients, the value of the first control flag and/or the value of the second control flag of the coding block.
16. A non-transitory storage medium storing an encoded bitstream for video signals, the encoded bitstream comprises a plurality of syntax elements and quantized coefficients of a coding block, wherein the quantized coefficients are obtained based on transform coefficients of the coding block, wherein the transform coefficients are obtained by applying a transform on sample values of a residual block of the coding block;
and when a value of a first control flag is equal to 0, the plurality of syntax elements comprises a value of a second control flag, wherein the value of the first control flag indicates whether a first technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates, wherein the value of the second control flag indicates whether a second technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is comprised in the plurality of syntax elements if and only if the first control flag is equal to 0.
16. A non-transitory storage medium storing an encoded bitstream for video signals, the encoded bitstream comprises a plurality of syntax elements and quantized coefficients of a coding block, wherein the plurality of syntax elements comprises a value of a first control flag,
wherein the value of the first control flag equals to 1 indicates a first technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; and when the value of the first control flag is equal to 0, the plurality of syntax elements further comprises a value of a second control flag, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is comprised in the plurality of syntax elements when the first control flag is equal to 0.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. After analyzing the current application examiner concluded that the novelty of the current application involves using a first technique and/or a second technique. The first technique has used a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates. The second technique has multi-hypothesis prediction for intra and inter mode. A first control flag in the bitstream is transmitted for a coding block. The first control flag indicates whether to use the first technique. A second control flag in the bitstream is transmitted or not transmitted, depending on whether the first technique is used for the coding block. The second control flag indicates whether to use the second technique.
The prior art of record in particular, Li et al. US 2014/0044179 A1 in view of Sasai et al. US 2016/0127726 A1 does not disclose, with respect to claim 1, wherein the value of the first control flag indicates whether a first technique is to be used for the coding block, wherein the first technique comprises using a separate merge list for subblock merge candidates; in response to determining the first technique is not used for the coding block, obtaining a value of a second control flag for the coding block, wherein the value of the second control flag equals to 1 indicates a second technique is to be used, wherein the second technique comprises multi-hypothesis prediction for an intra and inter mode, wherein the value of the second control flag is transmitted if and only if the first technique is not used for the coding block; and entropy encoding, by applying an entropy encoding algorithm, the quantized coefficients, and the second control flag to obtain an encoded bitstream as claimed.
Rather, Li et al. discloses the method involves identifying two video units in respective layer. The candidate list comprising multiple candidates motion vectors for first video unit is determined. The candidate list includes derived candidate that is determined from a predefined motion vector associated with second video unit. Multiple candidates are selected among candidate motion vectors based on signaled indexes identifying positions of selected candidates in candidate list. A prediction that corresponds to a combination of prediction hypotheses is determined for first video unit.
Similarly, Sasai et al. discloses the method involves determining (S204) context used for a process target block of several contexts. A binary sequence is restored by carrying out arithmetic decoding corresponding to target block. The signal classification of control parameter of target block is determined. The context is determined using control parameters whose left block and upper block adjacent to target block is decoded when signal classification is skip flag. The context is determined which does not utilize control parameter, when signal classification is inter pred flag.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. US 2021/0377561 A1, e.g. the present disclosure relate to interaction between intra block copy mode and inter prediction tools A method for video processing is provided, including: determining that an Intra-Block-Copy (IBC) mode is applied to a current video block of a video, wherein in the IBC mode, at least one reference picture used by the current video block is a current picture where the current video block is located in; making a decision regarding a disabling of a specific coding mode for the current block; performing, based on the decision, a conversion between the current video block and the bitstream representation.
Chiang et al. US 11,178,414 B2, e.g. a video codec receives data to be encoded or decoded as a current block of a current picture of a video. first and/or second flags indicate whether to apply a first combined prediction mode or a second combined prediction mode. The video codec decodes or encodes the current block. When the combined inter and intra prediction mode is applied, the current block is coded by using a combined prediction that is generated based on an inter-prediction and an intra-prediction. When the triangle prediction mode is applied, the current block is coded by using a combined prediction that is generated based on at least two inter-predictions.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRFAN HABIB whose telephone number is (571)270-7325. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th 9AM-7PM.
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/Irfan Habib/Examiner, Art Unit 2485