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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/19/26, 12/09/25, and 09/17/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al. US 2014/0226717 in view of Aono et al. US 2020/0177911.
As to claim 1, Lim teaches an image decoding method performed by a decoding apparatus, the method comprising: determining a first intra prediction mode candidate of a current block based on a left neighboring block of the current block; [abstract; figs. 1-4; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining a second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block based on a top neighboring block of the current block; [abstract; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining an intra prediction mode of the current block based on the first intra prediction mode candidate and the second intra prediction mode candidate; [¶ 0062-0064; ¶ 0077-0078; ¶ 0112-0113] and deriving a prediction sample of the current block based on the intra prediction mode of the current block, [¶ 0063; ¶ 0078; ¶ 0089-0090] wherein the second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block is determined based on whether the top neighboring block of the current block is out of a row boundary of a current coding tree block, [¶ 0089-0093; ¶ 0135-0149] wherein the current block belongs to the current coding tree block, [¶ 0080-0082]
Lim does not explicitly teach wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block.
Aono teaches wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block. [¶ 0270; ¶ 0565]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the techniques of Aono with the teachings of Lim allowing for improved coding efficiency.
As to claim 2, Lim teaches an image encoding method performed by an encoding apparatus, the method comprising: determining a first intra prediction mode candidate of a current block based on a left neighboring block of the current block; [abstract; figs. 1-4; ¶ 0047-0064; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining a second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block based on a top neighboring block of the current block; [abstract; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining an intra prediction mode of the current block based on the first intra prediction mode candidate and the second intra prediction mode candidate; [¶ 0062-0064; ¶ 0077-0078; ¶ 0112-0113] deriving a prediction sample of the current block based on the intra prediction mode of the current block; [¶ 0063; ¶ 0078; ¶ 0089-0090] and encoding image information including intra prediction mode information of the current block, [figs. 1-2; ¶ 0047-0064] wherein the second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block is determined based on whether the top neighboring block of the current block is out of a row boundary of a current coding tree block, [¶ 0089-0093; ¶ 0135-0149] wherein the current block belongs to the current coding tree block, [¶ 0080-0082]
Lim does not explicitly teach wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block.
Aono teaches wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block. [¶ 0270; ¶ 0565]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the techniques of Aono with the teachings of Lim allowing for improved coding efficiency.
As to claim 3, Lim teaches a transmission method for image data, the method comprising: obtaining a bitstream of encoded image information, wherein the encoded image information is generated based on determining a first intra prediction mode candidate of a current block based on a left neighboring block of the current block, [abstract; figs. 1-4; ¶ 0047-0064; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining a second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block based on a top neighboring block of the current block, [abstract; ¶ 0089-0090; ¶ 0112-0113; ¶ 0121-0122] determining an intra prediction mode of the current block based on the first intra prediction mode candidate and the second intra prediction mode candidate, [¶ 0062-0064; ¶ 0077-0078; ¶ 0112-0113] deriving a prediction sample of the current block based on the intra prediction mode of the current block, [¶ 0063; ¶ 0078; ¶ 0089-0090] and encoding the image information including intra prediction mode information of the current block; [figs. 1-2; ¶ 0047-0064] and transmitting the image data comprising the bitstream, [¶ 0053; ¶ 0083] wherein the second intra prediction mode candidate of the current block is determined based on whether the top neighboring block of the current block is out of a row boundary of a current coding tree block, [¶ 0089-0093; ¶ 0135-0149] wherein the current block belongs to the current coding tree block, [¶ 0080-0082]
Lim does not explicitly teach wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block.
Aono teaches wherein based on the top neighboring block of the current block being out of a row boundary of a current slice or current tile, top reference samples of the current block are derived based on left neighboring samples of the current block. [¶ 0270; ¶ 0565]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the techniques of Aono with the teachings of Lim allowing for improved coding efficiency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNER HOLDER whose telephone number is (571)270-1549. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Ustaris can be reached at 571.272.7383. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANNER HOLDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483