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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 15-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Munkberg et al (US 20200051206 A1).
Regarding Claim 15, Munkberg et al teaches a computer-implemented method for performing shader operations for a current frame (Fig. 8; Paragraph 0139-0142), the method comprising:
receiving data representative of a sampling frequency (Abstract; Paragraph 0027) of a plurality of regions of a texture during fragment shader operations for at least one preceding frame (Fig. 6; Paragraph 0116-0123);
preloading, based on the received data, one or more regions of the plurality of regions of
the texture into a texture cache prior to performing initial fragment shader operations for the
current frame (Figs. 6, 8; Paragraph 0087-0090, 0116-0123, 0139-0142); and
applying at least one of the one or more preloaded regions of the texture to perform the
initial fragment shader operations for the current frame (Figs. 6, 8; Paragraph 0087-0090, 0116-0123, 0139-0142).
Regarding Claim 16, Munkberg et al teaches the method wherein the initial fragment shader operations for the current frame comprise a first fragment shader operation performed for the current frame by at least one texture unit (Paragraph 0116-0123, 0139-0142).
Regarding Claims 17-19, 29-31, Munkberg et al teaches the method wherein the one or more preloaded regions of the texture comprise regions whose sampling frequency is above a threshold sampling frequency; wherein the threshold sampling frequency is set at a predetermined level; setting a level of the threshold sampling frequency such that a number of regions of the texture having a sampling frequency above the threshold sampling frequency is at or below a predetermined number. (Abstract; Paragraph 0027, 0086-0090).
Regarding Claims 20-21, 32-33, Munkberg et al teaches the method further comprising: ranking the plurality of regions of the texture based on the sampling frequency; and selecting, as the one or more regions of the texture for preloading, a predetermined number of the plurality of regions based on the ranking; wherein the predetermined number of regions is based on a size of the texture cache. (Abstract; Paragraph 0027, 0086-0090).
Regarding Claims 22, 34, Munkberg et al teaches the method further comprising receiving a signal indicative of completion of fragment shader operations for an immediately preceding frame, wherein preloading is performed in response to receiving the signal. (Paragraph 0119-0123, 0139, 0148, 0149).
Regarding Claim 23, Munkberg et al teaches the method further comprising providing a signal for performing shader operations for an immediately subsequent frame, wherein the signal is indicative of completion of fragment shading operations for the current frame. (Paragraph 0116-0123, 0139-0142).
Regarding Claims 24-25, 28, Munkberg et al teaches the method further comprising: recording data representative of a sampling frequency of the plurality of regions of the texture during fragment shader operations for the current frame; and providing the recorded data for performing shader operations for at least one subsequent frame; wherein providing the recorded data for performing shader operations for at least one subsequent frame comprises storing the recorded data into a specialized buffer. (Paragraph 0027, 0086-0090; 0116-0123, 0139, 0141).
Regarding Claim 26, the apparatus Claim 26 is rejected for same reason as the method Claim 1, since claim limitations are same in both claims.
Regarding Claim 27, the CRM Claim 27 is rejected for same reason as the method Claim 1, since claim limitations are same in both claims (the CRM non-transitory computer readable storage medium is shown in Paragraph 0013).
Conclusion
6. Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
7. It is noted that any citation to specific pages, columns, figures, or lines in the prior art references any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331-33, 216 USPQ 1038-39 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)).
Examiner’s Note
8. Examiner has cited particular paragraphs/columns and line numbers or figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicant’s definition which is not specifically set forth in the claims.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIJAY SHANKAR whose telephone number is (571)272-7682. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am- 6 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, Matthew Eason can be reached at 571-270-7230. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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VIJAY SHANKAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2624
/VIJAY SHANKAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624
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