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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 § 2146 et seq. 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).
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Claim 1 of 19/038,713
A method for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the method comprising: receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; extracting a previous gain value from the encoded bitstream; perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receiving exponent side information; and determining a transition vector based on the exponent side information, the previous gain value, and a function ƒ(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determining an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal.
Claim 1 of 11863958
A method for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the method comprising: perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalized coefficient domain signals; for each normalized coefficient domain signals: receiving exponent side information; determining a transition vector based on the exponent side information, a gain value, and a function f(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determining an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal; and outputting the output de-normalised vector.
Claim 4 of 19/038,713
An apparatus for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the apparatus comprising: a first receiver for receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; a first extractor for extracting a previous gain value from the encoded bitstream; a first processing unit for perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; and a second processing unit configured to, for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receive exponent side information; and determine a transition vector based on the exponent side information, the previous gain value, and a function ƒ(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determine an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal.
Claim 7 of 11863958
An apparatus for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the apparatus comprising: a first processing unit for perceptually decoding a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalized coefficient domain signals; and a second processing unit configured to, for each normalized coefficient domain signal: receiving exponent side information; determining a transition vector based on the exponent side information, a gain value, and a function f(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determining an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal; and outputting the output de-normalised vector.
Claims 1 & 4 of application number 19/038,713 (hereinafter referred to as ‘713) are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 & 7 of U.S. Patent No. 11863958 (hereinafter referred to as ‘958).
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because ‘713 claims 1 & 4 are obvious various wordings of ‘958 claims 1 & 7.
Claim 1 of 19/038,713
A method for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the method comprising: receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; extracting a previous gain value from the encoded bitstream; perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receiving exponent side information; and determining a transition vector based on the exponent side information, the previous gain value, and a function ƒ(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determining an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal.
Claim 1 of 11540076
A method for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the method comprising: receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receiving exponent side information; determining a transition vector based on the exponent side information, a previous gain value, and a function f(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
where determining an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal; and outputting the output de-normalised vector.
Claim 4 of 19/038,713
An apparatus for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the apparatus comprising: a first receiver for receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; a first extractor for extracting a previous gain value from the encoded bitstream; a first processing unit for perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; and a second processing unit configured to, for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receive exponent side information; and determine a transition vector based on the exponent side information, the previous gain value, and a function ƒ(l) that is based on:
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
, where
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determine an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal.
Claim 5 of 11540076
An apparatus for decoding a Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation, the apparatus comprising: a first receiver for receiving, in an encoded bitstream, a plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals of the HOA representation; a first extractor for extracting a previous gain value from the encoded bitstream; a first processing unit for perceptually decoding the plurality of PCM encoded coefficient domain signals to determine normalised coefficient domain signals; and a second processing unit configured to, for each normalised coefficient domain signal: receive exponent side information; determine a transition vector based on the exponent side information, previous gain value, and a function ƒ(l) that is based on: where
f
l
=
0.25
cos
π
l
L
-
1
+
0.75
,
l
=
0,1
,
2
,
…
,
L
-
1
;
determine an output de-normalised vector by multiplying the transition vector with the normalised coefficient domain signal; and outputting the output de-normalised vector.
Claims 1 & 4 of application number 19/038,713 (hereinafter referred to as ‘713) are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 & 5 of U.S. Patent No. 11540076 (hereinafter referred to as ‘076).
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because ‘713 claims 1 & 4 are obvious various wordings of ‘076 claims 1 & 5.
Claims 1-4 would be allowable once double patenting rejection is overcome.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEORGE C MONIKANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1190. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri., 9AM-5PM, ALT. Fridays off.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn R Edwards can be reached at 571-270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GEORGE C MONIKANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692 09/02/2026
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