Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to an election filed, without traverse, on 06/08/2026 of a continuation application in which claims 9-28 of the instant application are pending and ready for examination.
Double Patenting
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 obviousness-type 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); and 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 a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-4 of U.S. Patent No. 9,584,802. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-4 of U.S. Patent No. 9,584,802 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-16 of U.S. Patent No. 10,321,131. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-16 of U.S. Patent No. 10,321,131 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 11,375,197. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 11,375,197 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 11,825,093. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 11,825,093 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,956,435. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,956,435 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Claims 9-28 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over claims 9, 15, and 20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,574,517. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 9, 15, and 20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,574,517 contain or render obvious each and every element of claims 9-28 of the instant application. The claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the issued patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting.
Allowable Subject Matter
The closest prior art made of record in regards to applicant’s claimed invention is as follows:
Gao et al. (US 2013/0114693) discloses a video codec comprising a processor configured to compute a difference between an original pixel and a prediction pixel to generate a prediction residual, and binarize an absolute value of the prediction residual. A method for video coding comprising computing a difference between an original pixel and a prediction pixel to generate a prediction residual, and binarizing an absolute value of the prediction residual. A video encoder comprising a processor configured to set a number of syntax elements to indicate lossless encoding of some or all coding units (CU) in a video frame, a transmitter configured to transmit a bit stream comprising the syntax elements. A method for video encoding comprising setting a number of syntax elements to indicate lossless encoding of some or all coding units (CU) in a video frame, and transmitting a bit stream comprising the syntax elements (abstract).
Chuang et al. (US 2014/0192861) discloses a method and apparatus of context-based adaptive binary arithmetic encoding/decoding for syntax elements of one or more blocks. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binarization results of the x and y positions of the last significant coefficient of a transform unit are reordered by collecting the bypass bins together. According to another embodiment of the present invention, binarization results of syntax elements from two or more of four Intra N.times.N prediction units, including prev_intra_luma_pred_flag, rem_intra_luma_pred_mode, and mpm_idx are reordered by collecting the bypass bins together. In yet another embodiment according to the present invention, the binarization results of other syntax elements are also reordered by collecting bypass bins together. Furthermore, the above reordering of binarization results may be used for binarization results corresponding to a block and its neighboring blocks (abstract).
Oxman et al. (US 2010/0127904) discloses a system for the parallel processing of a number of binstream bins comprising: (a) inputs for receiving the codIOffset, the codIRange and the bitstream suffix bits; (b) a first circuit for the parallel processing of said number of said bitstream suffix bits, said codIOffset, and said codIRange for producing an indication of the binstream suffix length magnitude; (c) a second circuit for the parallel processing of said number of said bitstream suffix bits, said codIOffset, and said codIRange for producing said number of speculative codIOffsets; (d) a third circuit for combining the products of said first circuit and the products of said second circuit for producing a new codIOffset; and (e) a fourth circuit for combining the products of said first circuit with said number of constants for producing a number indicative of the binstream suffix length (abstract).
Bossen (US 2013/0028334) discloses adaptive binarization in which a binarizer outputs binary symbol in length, which is variable adaptively to the probability of the source. When the probability is low, it is desirable to decrease the length of the binary symbols to improve the efficiency of arithmetic coding and reduce the complexity of coding calculation. On the other hand, when the probability is high, it is desirable to increase the length of the binary symbols to improve the overall process speed of a decoder. Specifically, a binarizer, according to the present invention, binarizes mapping unit values from a non-binary symbol into binary symbols. The number of binary symbols is inversely proportional to the size of the mapping unit value. In the present invention, the mapping unit value is made variable adaptively to the probability. Thus, the number of binary symbols from the binarizer is also variable adaptively to the probability parameter (abstract).
Guo (WO 2013/106987 A1) discloses methods of reducing contexts and bypass coding applied to the syntax elements merge_flag, merge_idx, ref_idx_lc, pred_type and cu_qp_delta. In some embodiments, several bins of one syntax element are coded with one context, while in others one bin or several bins of one syntax element are coded with bypass coding method (abstract). Guo was cited in applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement filed on 06/02/2025.
The closest prior art of record, considered individually or in combination, fails to teach or reasonably suggest all the claimed features of claims 9 and 16, structurally and functionally interconnected with other limitations in the manner as cited in the claims and dependent claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIHAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-7284. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays-Fridays 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Kelley can be reached on 571-272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHIHAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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