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 .
Status of Claims
2. This is a final action on the merits in response to the reply received 7/27/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejections.
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(s) 1, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20180077426 A1-Zhang et al (hereinafter referred to as “Zhang”), in view of US 20160165258 A1-LEI.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a method comprising:
Determining, for a current block in a current picture of a video, a reference block indicated by a motion vector or block vector for predicting the current block ([0004]);
classifying, based on a first threshold, first samples neighboring a reference block into at least a first group and a second group ([0135], wherein threshold levels for each classification group; [0137], classifying samples into different groups; [0138-0140]);
classifying, based on a second threshold, second samples corresponding to the first samples and neighboring a current block into at least the first group and the second group ([0135], wherein threshold levels for each classification group; [0137], classifying samples into different groups; [0138-0140]));
determining a first filter based on first sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the first group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the first group ([0129], wherein each group of sampled pairs are used to derive filter alpha and Beta; [0174-0178] uses different filters for different samples));
determining a second filter based on second sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the second group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the second group (([0129], wherein each group of sampled pairs are used to derive filter alpha and Beta; [0174-0178] uses different filters for different samples);
applying at least the first and second filters to the reference block to determine a prediction block for the current block ([0162], final prediction block based on applying different filtering models); and
decoding, from the bitstream, a residual block for the current block ([0155])
reconstruct the current block based on combining the prediction block with the residual block ([0163]).
Zhang fails to disclose classifying neighboring samples of a reference block and separately classifying neighboring samples of a current block
However, in the same field of endeavor, LEI discloses classifying neighboring samples of a reference block and separately classifying neighboring samples of a current block ([0023-0024])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed by Zhang to disclose classifying, based on a first threshold, first samples neighboring [[a]]the reference block into at least a first group and a second group; classifying, based on a second threshold, second samples corresponding to the first samples and neighboring [[a]]the current block into at least the first group and the second group; as taught by LEI, to greatly reduce the complexity of the decoder of the light-weight video coding system, and improve the total performance of the light-weight video coding system ([0009], LEI)..
Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein:
the first threshold is determined based on: an average of intensity values of the first samples ([0133], wherein based on intensities of the values of the samples; ; or
an average of a minimum intensity value of the first samples and a maximum intensity value of the first
samples ([0269]); and
the second threshold is determined based on:
an average of intensity values of the second samples([0133], wherein based on intensities of the values of the samples; or
an average of a minimum intensity value of the second samples and a maximum intensity value of the
second samples([0269]).
Regarding claim 9, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 1 and are applicable for claim 9, Device with one or more processors and memory (Fig 1).
Regarding claim 11, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 4 and are applicable for claim 11.
Regarding claim 16, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 4 and are applicable for claim 16.
Regarding claim 18, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 5 and are applicable for claim 18.
Claim(s) 2, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20180077426 A1-Zhang et al (hereinafter referred to as “Zhang”), in view of US 20160165258 A1-LEI, in view of 20170049311 A1-Borovinskih et al (Hereinafter referred to as “Boro”).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses the method of claim 1 (See claim 1),
Zhang fails to disclose the first sample pairs exclude first non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the first group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the second group; and the second sample pairs exclude second non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the second group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the first group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Boro discloses the first sample pairs exclude first non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the first group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the second group ([0049-0050], wherein intensity probabilities computed for randomly selected pixels of the two images I.sub.1 and I.sub.2 and joint intensity probabilities for pairs of matching pixels selected. This is interpreted as excluding non-matching pairs of samples); and the second sample pairs exclude second non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the second group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the first group ([0049-0050], wherein intensity probabilities computed for randomly selected pixels of the two images I.sub.1 and I.sub.2 and joint intensity probabilities for pairs of matching pixels selected. This is interpreted as excluding non-matching pairs of samples)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed by Zhang to disclose the first sample pairs exclude first non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the first group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the second group; and the second sample pairs exclude second non-matching sample pairs of samples, of the first samples, classified in the second group and corresponding samples, of the second samples, classified in the first group as taught by Boro, to generate correlation coefficients and an aggregate correlation coefficient that will provide the best representative image for processing ([0037], Boro).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses the method of claim 1 (See claim 1),
Zhang fails to disclose wherein: the first threshold is determined to result in:a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples; or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples; and the second threshold is determined to result in: a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples; or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Boro discloses wherein: the first threshold is determined to result in: a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples ([0042], wherein the threshold value is determined using well-known Otsu's well-known thresholding method, in which image pixels are partitioned into two classes on the assumption that the intensity-value distribution of the pixels can be modeled as a bi-modal distribution. Otsu's method seeks a threshold that minimizes the intra-class variance, which is the weighted sum of the intensity-value variances of the two classes); or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples; and the second threshold is determined to result in: a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples; or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed by Zhang to disclose wherein: the first threshold is determined to result in:a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples; or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the first threshold is applied to the first samples; and the second threshold is determined to result in: a minimum intra-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples; or a maximum inter-class intensity variance when the second threshold is applied to the second samples as taught by Boro, to.generate correlation coefficients and an aggregate correlation coefficient that will provide the best representative image for processing ([0037], Boro).
Regarding claim 10, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 2 and are applicable for claim 10.
Regarding claim 12, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 5 and are applicable for claim 12.
Regarding claim 17, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 2 and are applicable for claim 17.
Regarding claim 19, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 5 and are applicable for claim 19.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 13-15, 20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LERON BECK whose telephone number is (571)270-1175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am-5pm.
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LERON . BECK
Examiner
Art Unit 2487
/LERON BECK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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