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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/14/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual 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/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-22 of U.S. Patent No. 11750816 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the methods and non-transitory computer readable medium of the instant claim recite the same decoding steps of claims 1-22 of U.S. Patent No. US 11750816 B2.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
The present invention is directed to a method for video data processing.
The combination of the prior art does not teach or suggest a specific implementation with
the following distinct properties that include:
determining a category index of a target chroma sample, wherein the category index is determined based on a first reconstructed value associated with a co-located luma sample and a second reconstructed value associated with the target chroma sample;
decoding a set of offsets from the bitstream; determining an offset based on the category index from the set of offsets; and
adding the offset to a third reconstructed value associated with the target chroma sample.
Closest prior art listed below either singularly or in combination, fail to anticipate or
render the above limitations obvious.
Li (US 20220101095 A1) teaches a method of digital media processing includes performing a conversion between visual media data and a bitstream of the visual media data, wherein the performing of the conversion includes selectively applying a convolutional neural network filter during the conversion based on a rule, and wherein the rule specifies whether and/or how the convolutional neural network filter is applied.
Hu (US 20210160513 A1) teaches a method of decoding video data may comprise reconstructing a block of video data comprising chroma samples, applying an adaptive loop filter to the chroma samples, and applying a cross-component adaptive loop filter to the chroma samples. Applying the cross-component adaptive loop filter may include determining an offset, and applying the offset to a particular chroma sample being filtered, wherein the offset is a function of a difference between a collocated luma sample that is collocated with the particular chroma sample being filtered and a plurality of neighboring luma samples that are spatial neighbors to the collocated luma sample.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA whose telephone number is (571)270-0425. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jamie Atala can be reached at 57127227384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HESHAM K ABOUZAHRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486
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