DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 01/21/2025. Claims 1-16 are pending and are examined.
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 .
Priority
Applicant's claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The reference(s) listed on the Information Disclosure Statement(s) submitted on 01/22/2025 has/have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 and 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen et al., US Patent Application Publication No.: 2025/0386019 A1 (please note the foreign application priority data EP 22306007.0, filed 07/05/2025), hereby Chen.
Regarding Claims 1 and 16, Chen discloses a method of video coding, and an apparatus for video coding, the apparatus comprising one or more electronics or processors (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, 21; see also Figs. 23-29), comprising:
“receiving pixel data associated with a current block at an encoder side or coded data associated with the current block to be decoded at a decoder side (Figs. 2-3; see also Figs. 14, 16-18, 21), wherein the current block is coded using one of coding tools including a first coding tool and a second coding tool (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD; see also [0195] and [0230]; see also Figs. 23-29);
determining a shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29);
in response to the first coding tool being selected for the current block (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29):
partitioning the current block into two regions according to a first target partition (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), and the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29);
deriving one first hypothesis of intra prediction from the shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), and the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29); and
determining a blended predictor using first information comprising said one first hypothesis of intra prediction (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29);
in response to the second coding tool being selected for the current block (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29):
partitioning the current block into two regions according to a second target partition (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), and the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29);
deriving more than one second hypothesis of intra prediction from the shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates; see also Figs. 23-29); and
determining the blended predictor using second information comprising said more than one second hypothesis of intra prediction (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29); and
encoding or decoding the current block by using prediction data comprising the blended predictor (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, and the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 2, Chen discloses:
“wherein the shared intra candidate list comprises intra MPMs (Most Probable Modes) or a subset of the intra MPMs (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 3, Chen discloses:
“wherein the shared intra candidate list comprises any subset of 67 intra prediction modes (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 4, Chen discloses:
“wherein the shared intra candidate list comprises one or more DIMD (Decoder-side Intra Mode Derivation) modes derived according to any pre-defined template region (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 5, Chen discloses:
“wherein the shared intra candidate list comprises one or more TIMD (Template-based Intra Mode Derivation) modes derived according to any pre-defined template region (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 6, Chen discloses:
“wherein different shared intra candidate lists are determined for different block sizes (Fig. 29, and [0233]-[0236]; Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 7, Chen discloses:
“wherein a reordering process is applied to candidates of the shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; further disclosing ranking in ascending order to construct a candidate list; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 8, Chen discloses:
“wherein the candidates of the shared intra candidate list are reordered according to template matching costs associated with the candidates of the shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0171]-[0172], [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; further disclosing ranking in ascending order to construct a candidate list based on SATD; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 10, Chen discloses:
“wherein unified signalling between the first coding tool and the second coding tool is used (Figs. 21A-21C), wherein a joint index is signalled or parsed to indicate a selected candidate from reordered shared intra candidate list (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0171]-[0172], [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; further disclosing ranking in ascending order to construct a candidate list based on SATD; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claim 11, Chen discloses:
“wherein a unified blending process is applied to the first coding tool and the second coding tool (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0171]-[0172], [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C), and blended predictor/process; [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; further disclosing ranking in ascending order to construct a candidate list based on SATD; see also Figs. 23-29).”
Regarding Claims 12-15, Chen discloses:
“wherein each candidate of the shared intra candidate list includes a partition mode, a motion candidate/information, and an intra prediction mode (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0171]-[0172], [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, and the partition mode, motion candidate/information, and intra prediction mode for each candidate (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); see also [0195] and [0230]; see also Figs. 23-29).”
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, in view of Chiang et al., US Patent Application Publication No.: 2020/0120339 A1, hereby Chiang.
Chen discloses the invention substantially as claimed. Regarding Claim 9, Chen discloses:
“wherein a candidate with a smallest template matching cost is assigned a . . . (Figs. 2-3, 14, 16-18, and 21A-21C, and [0171]-[0172], [0176]-[0177], [0179]-[0181], [0186]-[0187], disclosing various coding modes, such as intra, GPM, SGPM, TIMD, DIMD, and MPM list (Fig. 14), disclosing more than 2 IPMs for a CU may be supported, and the claimed partitioning (Figs. 16, 18, and 21A-21C); [0195] and [0230], disclosing the IPM candidate list may be constructed by including various possible types of IPM candidates, and blended predictor/process; further disclosing ranking in ascending order to construct a candidate list based on SATD; see also Figs. 23-29).”
However, although Chen does not expressly disclose the claimed shortest codeword, Chiang does expressly disclose the following:
“wherein a candidate with a smallest template matching cost is assigned a shortest codeword (Fig. 12, [0101]; Fig. 15, [0128]).”
Accordingly, before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Chen and Chiang, to modify a method of video coding, and an apparatus for video coding of Chen to use the claimed shortest codeword as in Chiang. The motivation for doing so would have been to create the advantage of providing precise signaling, thereby improving coding efficiency (see Chiang, Fig. 12, [0101]; Fig. 15, [0128]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Examiner notes that multiple references cited disclose a variety of coding tools, including MPM, GPM, SGPM, intra, etc. For example, the following references show similar features in the claims, although not relied upon: Huang (US 2022/0311997 A1), Figs. 1-4, [0082].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATHLEEN M WALSH whose telephone number is (571)270-0423. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/KATHLEEN M WALSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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