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 .
Response to Arguments
Response to applicant argues on pages 11-14 Auyeung fails to disclose “… wherein the encoding comprises: partitioning a picture to a partition pattern having a number of regions no less than 16, a picture width being not a multiple of a region column number and a picture height being not a multiple of a region row number…” [See applicant's argument: pages 11-14]; while the applicant points are understood the examiner respectfully disagrees. Auyeung discloses partitioning a picture to a partition pattern having a number of regions 16 and with width and height been 4x4with multiple of a region column, pictures reconstructed picture, into 16 rectangular regions. The 16 regions are ordered in the Hilbert scan order. Each region consists of a multiple of 4×4 blocks. When a 4×4 blocks in a region is filtered, it is filtered by the same FIR filter for the region [See Paragraph 19-36 and Fig. 4].
Regarding dependent claims, in response to applicant's arguments, the examiner recognizes that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See in re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071,5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR international Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007). In this case, Auyeung in combination with Chen meet all rejected limitations of the instant application.
Applicant is reminded that although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re
Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §102
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 applications the case maybe, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Auyeung et al. (US 2021/0385445) (Cheung Auyeung)
Regarding Claim 1, Auyeung a discloses method of encoding a video sequence into a bitstream, the method comprising: receiving a video sequence [See abstract and Paragraphs 4 and 36]; encoding one or more pictures of the video sequence [See Paragraphs 4 and 36], wherein the encoding comprises: partitioning a picture to a partition pattern having a number of regions no less than 16, a picture width being not a multiple of a region column number and a picture height being not a multiple of a region row number [See Paragraph 19-36 and Fig. 4], and encoding an index indicating the partition pattern; and generating a bitstream based on the encoding [See Paragraphs 31-36 and Fig. 4].
Regarding Claim 7, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1 above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim l also applies here.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1 above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim l also applies here.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2-6,8-12 and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Auyeung et al. (US 2021/0385445) (Cheung Auyeung) in view of Chen et al. (US 2012/0082244) (Ching-Yeh Chen).
Regarding Claims 2, 8 and 14, Auyeung doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein partitioning the picture to a partition pattern further comprises: determining a first column width based on the picture width and a Largest Coding Unit (LCU) width; and determining a first row height based on the picture height and a LCU height; wherein a column width of the first column in the number of regions has a second column width different from the first column width, or a row height of the first row in the number of regions has a second row height different from the first row height
However, Chen discloses wherein partitioning the picture to a partition pattern further comprises: determining a first column width based on the picture width and a Largest Coding Unit (LCU) width; and determining a first row height based on the picture height and a LCU height; wherein a column width of the first column in the number of regions has a second column width different from the first column width, or a row height of the first row in the number of regions has a second row height different from the first row height [See abstract and Paragraphs 23- 31 and Fig. 2-3].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at time of invention to modify the system disclosed by Auyeung to add the teachings in Chen as above, to provide a method that provide coding efficiency improved by region merging. The neighboring regions can have similar characteristics and can share a same filter to reduce information required for indicating the ALF filter [See Chen Abstract].
Regarding Claims 3, 9 and 15, Auyeung doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein determining the first column width based on the picture width and the LCU width further comprises: calculating a number of LCUs within the picture in width by up rounding with one LCU; obtaining a column width in the unit of LCU width by dividing the number of LCUs within the picture with the region column number; and obtaining the first column width in pixel by multiplying the column width in the unit of LCU width by the LCU width; and determining the first row height based on the picture height and the LCU height further comprises: calculating a number of LCUs within the picture in height by up rounding with one LCU; obtaining a row height in the unit of LCU height by dividing the number of LCUs within the picture with the region row number; and obtaining the first row height in pixel by multiplying the row height in the unit of LCU width by the LCU height
However, Chen discloses wherein determining the first column width based on the picture width and the LCU width further comprises: calculating a number of LCUs within the picture in width by up rounding with one LCU; obtaining a column width in the unit of LCU width by dividing the number of LCUs within the picture with the region column number; and obtaining the first column width in pixel by multiplying the column width in the unit of LCU width by the LCU width; and determining the first row height based on the picture height and the LCU height further comprises: calculating a number of LCUs within the picture in height by up rounding with one LCU; obtaining a row height in the unit of LCU height by dividing the number of LCUs within the picture with the region row number; and obtaining the first row height in pixel by multiplying the row height in the unit of LCU width by the LCU height [See abstract and Paragraphs 23- 31 and Fig. 2-3].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at time of invention to modify the system disclosed by Auyeung to add the teachings in Chen as above, to provide a method that provide coding efficiency improved by region merging. The neighboring regions can have similar characteristics and can share a same filter to reduce information required for indicating the ALF filter [See Chen Abstract].
Regarding Claims 4, 10 and 16, Auyeung discloses determining the second column width based on the first column width, the picture width and the LCU width; and determining the second-row height based on the first-row height, the picture height and the LCU height [See Paragraphs 29-33 and Fig. 2].
Regarding Claims 5,11 and 17, Auyeung doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein determining the second column width based on the first column width, the picture width and the LCU width further comprises: calculating a first column number based on the picture width and the first column width; clipping the first column number to the region column number; calculating the second column width based on the picture width, the first column width and the first column number; and aligning the second column width with the LCU width; and determining the second row height based on the first row height, the picture height and the LCU height further comprises: calculating a first row number based on the picture height and the first row height; clipping the first row number to the region row number; calculating the second row height based on the picture height, the first row height and the first row number; and aligning the second row height with the LCU height
However, Chen discloses wherein determining the second column width based on the first column width, the picture width and the LCU width further comprises: calculating a first column number based on the picture width and the first column width; clipping the first column number to the region column number; calculating the second column width based on the picture width, the first column width and the first column number; and aligning the second column width with the LCU width; and determining the second row height based on the first row height, the picture height and the LCU height further comprises: calculating a first row number based on the picture height and the first row height; clipping the first row number to the region row number; calculating the second row height based on the picture height, the first row height and the first row number; and aligning the second row height with the LCU height [See abstract and Paragraphs 23- 31 and Fig. 2-3].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at time of invention to modify the system disclosed by Auyeung to add the teachings in Chen as above, to provide a method that provide coding efficiency improved by region merging. The neighboring regions can have similar characteristics and can share a same filter to reduce information required for indicating the ALF filter [See Chen Abstract].
Regarding Claims 6, 12 and 18, Auyeung discloses wherein the first column has the second column width and the first row has the second row height; the first column has the second column width and the last row has the second row height; or the last column has the second column width and the first row has the second row height [See Paragraphs 29-33 and Fig. 2].
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a}.
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a} will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TSION B OWENS whose telephone number is (571)272-3934. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00.
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/TSION B OWENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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