DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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 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 §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) 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 USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
US Patent 12,244,806 B2
Claims 1-9 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 2 of US 12,244,806 B2 in view of Tourapis et al. (US 2015/0071345 A1) (hereinafter Tourapis), and further in view of Paluri et al. (US 2023/0016701 A1, with provisional benefit to 62/867,872) (hereinafter Paluri).
Instant 19/034,956
US 12,244,806 B2
1. A decoding method comprising:
2. A method for inverse quantization of a current chrominance block of a picture, wherein the method is performed by a decoder, and the method comprising:
receiving a bitstream
receiving a bitstream;
including a sequence parameter set (SPS) level syntax and a slice level syntax,
wherein the bitstream comprises a sequence parameter set (SPS) level syntax,
wherein the SPS level syntax includes a joint chrominance component residual (JCCR) control flag
obtaining a value of a joint chrominance component residual (JCCR) control flag from the bitstream, and the JCCR control flag is obtained from the SPS level syntax
and chrominance mapping information, wherein the slice level syntax includes a chrominance quantization parameter (QP) offset;
obtaining a chrominance mapping information from the bitstream; obtaining a QP value for the current chrominance block based on the obtained chrominance mapping information and the at least one obtained chrominance QP offset; and
obtaining the JCCR control flag from the SPS level syntax;
the JCCR control flag is obtained from the SPS level syntax
obtaining, based on the JCCR control flag, the chrominance mapping information from the SPS level syntax;
obtaining a chrominance mapping information from the bitstream directly dependent on the value of the JCCR control flag;
obtaining, based on the JCCR control flag, a chrominance QP offset from the slice level syntax;
obtaining at least one chrominance quantization parameter (QP) offset from the bitstream directly dependent on the value of the JCCR control flag;
obtaining a QP value for a current chrominance block based on the chrominance mapping information and the chrominance QP offset;
obtaining a QP value for the current chrominance block based on the obtained chrominance mapping information and the at least one obtained chrominance QP offset; and
performing, based on the QP value, inverse quantization on the current chrominance block to obtain a reconstructed residual block;
performing inverse quantization on the current chrominance block by using the obtained QP value.
obtaining a reconstructed block based on the reconstructed residual block; and
obtaining a decoded picture based on the reconstructed block.
Although the claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 1 of the instant application differs from claim 2 of US 12,244,806 B2 in that the instant application discloses the limitations of a slice level syntax, a chrominance QP offset from the slice level syntax.
However, these limitations are known in the art as evidenced by Tourapis, wherein Paragraph [0043]-[0044], supported in pg. 13 in provisional, in some embodiments such as those illustrated by FIG. 1, a first set of Chroma QP offset parameters is already signaled at the PPS 132 (and/or header for slice 112). It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the instant invention to add the teachings of Tourapis as above, to provide a video coding system in which chroma quantization parameters (QP) can be more flexibly specified, some embodiments of the invention provide a method of signaling additional chroma QP offset values that are specific to quantization groups (Tourapis, Paragraphs [0006]).
Furthermore, the limitations of obtaining a reconstructed block based on the reconstructed residual block; and obtaining a decoded picture based on the reconstructed block are known in the art as evidenced by Paluri, wherein Paragraph [0147]-[0148] discuss obtaining a reconstructed block from the prediction samples and residual samples, and then in-loop filtering the reconstructed picture to obtain the decoded picture . It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instant invention with the teachings of Paluri as above, for a highly efficient image compression technique for effectively transmitting, storing, and reproducing information of high-resolution and high-quality images (Paluri, Paragraph [0003]).
Regarding claim 2, claim 2 of US 12,244,806 B2, Tourapis, and Paluri disclose the method according to claim 1, and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to the claim.
Furthermore, Paluri teaches wherein the SPS level syntax is a SPS Raw Byte Sequence Payload (RBSP) syntax [Paragraph [0164], supported in pg. 58 in provisional, seq_parameter_set_rbsp()].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the instant invention with the teachings of Paluri as above, for a highly efficient image compression technique for effectively transmitting, storing, and reproducing information of high-resolution and high-quality images (Paluri, Paragraph [0003]).
Regarding claim 3, claim 2 of US 12,244,806 B2, Tourapis, and Paluri disclose the method according to claim 1, and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to the claim.
Furthermore, Tourapis teaches wherein the slice level syntax is a slice header syntax [Paragraph [0043]-[0044], in some embodiments such as those illustrated by FIG. 1, a first set of Chroma QP offset parameters is already signaled at the PPS 132 (and/or header for slice 112)].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the instant invention to add the teachings of Tourapis as above, to provide a video coding system in which chroma quantization parameters (QP) can be more flexibly specified, some embodiments of the invention provide a method of signaling additional chroma QP offset values that are specific to quantization groups (Tourapis, Paragraphs [0006]).
Regarding claims (4-6), encoding method claims (4-6) are drawn to the encoding method using/performing similar and reciprocal limitations of the decoding method as claimed in claims (1-3). Therefore encoding method claims (4-6) correspond to decoding method claims (1-3), and are rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Regarding claims (7-9), non-transitory computer readable medium claims (7-9) are drawn to the non-transitory computer readable medium using/performing limitations similar to the method as claimed in claims (1-3). Therefore non-transitory computer readable medium claims (7-9) correspond to method claims (1-3), and are rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claim(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Paluri et al. (US 2023/0016701 A1, with provisional benefit to 62/867,872) (hereinafter Paluri).
Regarding claims 7-9, “non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a bitstream,” that is utilized by the method of claim 1… is a product by process claim limitation where the product is the bitstream and the process is the method steps to generate the bitstream. MPEP §2113 recites “Product-by-Process claims are not limited to the manipulations of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps.” Thus, the scope of the claim is the storage medium storing the bitstream (with the structure implied by the method steps). The structure includes the information and samples manipulated by the steps. “To be given patentable weight, the printed matter and associated product must be in a functional relationship. A functional relationship can be found where the printed matter performs some function with respect to the product to which it is associated.” MPEP §2111.05(I)(A). When a claimed, “non-transitory computer-readable recording medium,” merely serves as a support for information or data, no functional relationship exists. MPEP §2111.05(III). The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a claimed bitstream in claim 7 merely services as a support for the storage of the bitstream and provides no functional relationship between the stored bitstream and storage medium. Therefore the bitstream, which scope is implied by the method steps, is non-functional descriptive material and given no patentable weight. MPEP §2111.05(III). Thus, the claim scope is just a storage medium storing data and is anticipated by Paluri which recites in Paragraph [0034] of transmitting the encoded image/image information or data output in the form of a bitstream to the receiver of the receiving device through a digital storage medium in the form of a file or streaming. The digital storage medium may include various storage mediums such as USB, SD, CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HDD, SSD, and the like.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 would be allowable if the nonstatutory double patenting rejection is overcome. Furthermore, claims 7-9 would be allowable if the nonstatutory double patenting rejection and the rejection under 102(a)(2) are overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The various claimed limitations mentioned in the claims are not taught or suggested by the prior art taken either singly or in combination, with emphasize that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-5707. The examiner can normally be reached M-Sa, 12PM - 10 PM.
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, David Czekaj can be reached at 571-272-7327. 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.
/DANIEL CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487