DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 12/02/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application does not currently name joint inventors.
3. Claims 1-20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Da-hee Jeong et al., (hereinafter Jeong) (US 10,945,020) and Takanori Okada et al., (hereinafter Okada) (US 2006/0216002). in view of Yong-gwang Won (hereinafter Won) (WO2016/036009A1).
Re Claim 1. Jeong discloses, an electronic device (per Fig.2) comprising:
a display configured to display video content (display 140, Fig.2, Col.8 Lin.15-22);
memory storing instructions (memory 190 with instruction Fig.2, Col.11 Lin.10, and 23-36) and comprising buffers (comprising also buffers, 153 Fig.4, Col.12 Lin.16-23); and
at least one processor operatively connected with the display and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, (video processor 150 of Fig.1 or Fig.4, Col.10 Lin.20 and Col.11 Lin.28-29) cause the electronic device to:
identify, based on a first seek request related to the video content, a first frame associated with the first seek request (identify at controller 154 the one of the first frames and distinguish from the second frames stored in the buffer 153, Col.13 Lin.29-41), among a plurality of frames in a group of pictures (GOP) of the video content (identify a first frame upon a request from the playback switch 400, in Fig.4, Col.12 Lin.12),
perform a decoding of frames from a reference frame in the plurality of frames to the first frame (perform decoding of the first frame at first decoder 151, Fig.4, Col.12 Lin.16-21),
store, in the buffers of the memory, at least one decoded frame (store in the buffer 153, the first decoded frame Fig.4 Col.12 Lin.21), and
based on a second seek request distinct from the first seek request and based on a determination that a decoded frame corresponding to a second frame (identify at controller 154 the one of the first frames and distinguish from the second frames stored in the buffer 153, Col.13 Lin.29-41) associated with the second seek request is included in at least one decoded frame stored in the buffers (based on a second switch event from element 400, requesting the decoding of a second frame at decoder 152, to be stored in the buffer 153, Fig.4, Col.12 Lin.55 and Lin.52-60),
display, through the display, the decoded frame (display the selected decoded frame on element 140 in Fig.2).
In an analogous art, Okada teaches the limitations of the electronic device comprising,
a display configured to display video content (the monitor F70 in Fig.15A-C);
memory storing instructions and comprising buffers (memory F12, in Fig.15A-C); and
at least one processor operatively connected with the display and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively (the CPU F11 Fig.15A-C), cause the electronic device to:
identify, based on a first seek request related to the video content, a first frame associated with the first seek request, among a plurality of frames in a group of pictures (GOP) of the video content (identifying data based on a first seek operation, determined by an “in” point and an “out” point of the first video data, from 615 to 617 in Fig.7 Par.[0108-0109] from among the GOP frames, Fig.10, or Fig.11 Par.[0090-0091, 0109]),
perform a decoding of frames from a reference frame in the plurality of frames to the first frame (decoding the first buffer section, frames of the GOP, at 612, Fig.7 output 617, Fig.7, Par.[0087, 0108-0112] etc.),
store, in the buffers of the memory, at least one decoded frame (storing the length of each unit, and the number of frames, Fig.11 Par.[0207]) and
based on a second seek request distinct from the first seek request and based on a determination that a decoded frame corresponding to a second frame associated with the second seek request is included in at least one decoded frame stored in the buffers (a first and a second seek request distinct from the first seek request is received, according to Abstract, where a second seek operation is performed as cited below for brevity,
“A recording and reproduction apparatus includes a first decoding section for outputting first decoded data generated by decoding the first data; a second decoding section for outputting second decoded data generated by decoding the second data; and a control section for calculating a first time period, from a start point of a seek operation of the reading section from the read finish point of first data to the read start point of second data until the first decoding section completes output of the first decoded data, and a second time period, from the start point of the seek operation until the second decoded data is allowed to be output by the second decoding section; and comparing a length of the calculated first time period and a length of the calculated second time period.”, and considering the second seek of video data from 616 to 618 in Fig.7 Par.[0108-0109] from among the plurality of GOP frame groups depicted in Figs.4 and 5 and Par.[0186-0188, 0190-0194]),
display, through the display, the decoded frame (displaying the decoded frames, to monitor F70, Par.[0174]).
Furthermore, in a sinoptic analysis of the analogous art to Won, it is determined that the video playback method disclosed, represents a method and apparatus storing an encoded bitstream including a plurality of frames, e.g., units of GOP, (at claim 4) including the I-frame and a sequential number of P-frames and B-frames, being stored in the buffer section, to be further decoded to be presented to the output for display, where at the playback request, providing a subsequent GOP of frames, where the control unit (according to claim 7) stores the fist and second GOPs units, to be decoded by rearranging the order of frames within the decoded first and second GOPs (per claims 3, and 7) to be displayed (at claims 8-10). In the playback mode, the playback device includes an input unit receiving the user request, and changes to reverse playback mode and plays the I-frame of the second GOP preceding the first GOP currently played.
In consideration to the disclosure in Jeong addressing, a first and second request for a first data stream and a the second according to a playback switch event, i.e., seeking for output data to include replacement content in a replacement slot between the current output content of the first stream and subsequent content of the first stream, the ordinary skilled in the art would have found the incentive to search other art relevant to detailing the said decoding process, as identified in Okada, by which obtaining the advantage of a seamless reproduction of video data during play interruptions, (at Par.[0079]). Furthermore, the changing of the play at a specific time according to the playback mode disclosed in Won, under “Favorable effect” section in which the picture marker is preceded by another GOP unit than the first GOP, as applied to GOPs of various length, by which finding the combination predictable in respect to the claimed subject matter.
Re Claim 2. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to,
Jeong teaches that, based on the second seek request being distinct from the first seek request and based on a determination that the decoded frame corresponding to the second frame associated with the second seek request is not included in the at least one decoded frame, perform the decoding of the second frame (the controller identifies the second frame(s) distinguished from the first frame, i.e., “not included in the at least one decoded frame” by considering the first frame, in response to a playback switch event, i.e., a second seek request or event, Abstract, Col.3 Lin.3-25, Lin.33-49, Fig.3 Col.11 Lin.64-67 and Col.12 Lin.1-12).
Re Claim 3. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:
Jeong teaches to, determine, based on configuration information for the video content, allocating, among first buffers allocated for the decoding, a designated number of buffers for a seek request (based on the video content determined at first and second stream inputs, per Fig.3 and allocating a designated number of buffers according to the number of frames 151 and 152, stored at buffer 153, per Fig.4 Col.12 Lin.16-32 etc.), and
store the at least one decoded frame in the designated number of buffers among the first buffers allocated for the decoding (stored at buffers 153 Fig.4 Col.12 Lin.16-32).
Re Claim 4. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:
Jeong teaches to, determine, based on the configuration information for the video content, a number of second buffers to be allocated for the seek request, the second buffers being distinct from the first buffers, and store the at least one decoded frame in the determined number of the second buffers (based on the source information 430 in Fig.4, storing the video content of a first frame and a second frame distinct from first at a number of buffers at 153 and switch event 400 under control of 154, per Fig.4, Col.12 Lin.16-32, being under the control of controller 154 for the buffers 153 indexed in Fig.6, Col.12 Lin.33-34, and according to the seek/switch event 650, Lin.52-67 and Col.13 Lin.1-14 ).
Re Claim 5. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 4, wherein the configuration information for the video content comprises at least one of:
Okada teaches about at least one of,
information on a mode for seeking the video content,
information on memory resource for the video content (information of each frame as address , Par.[0207]) ,
a number of playbacks of the video content,
an average playback time of the video content,
the number of seek requests of the video content, or
the number of frames in the GOP of the video content (number of frames in the GOP, per Fig.11, Par.[0207]).
Re Claim 6. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 1,
Okada teaches that, wherein the plurality of frames are sequentially arranged based on time, and wherein the decoding is sequentially performed from the reference frame to the first frame (the GOP frames Par.[0006] Fig.17 are inter-predicted i.e., based on time Fig.4-5 or Fig.10 or 11 Par.[0091, 0206], where the frames 1-15 are sequentially referenced with corresponding memory address from 1-15 respectively and where the data is decoded sequentially from the predicted frame e.g., P-frame to the reference key I-frame i.e., the first frame Fig.1 Par.[0127] and positional information for I-frame and P-frames, at Par.[0209]).
Re Claim 7. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 6, wherein the instructions,
Okada teaches that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to store, in the memory (frames listed as address information per Fig.11, Par.[0207] stored in the information recording medium 600, Par.[0174]), the at least one decoded frame among decoded frames obtained by the decoding of the frames from the reference frame to the first frame (decoding from the decoded frame P of its frame position to the key frame e.g., the reference first, I-frame, Par.[0157] by considering the GOP order Par.[0186]).
Re Claim 8. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 7,
Okada teaches that, wherein a number of the at least one decoded frame corresponds to a number of buffers of the memory, in which the at least one decoded frame are stored (the decoded frames are stored in respective buffers corresponding to an address number per Fig.11, Par.[0091, 0197-0198, 0199, 0203, 0207-0208] etc).
Re Claim 9. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 2,
Okada teaches that, wherein the video content comprises a plurality of GOPs (data as a plurality of GOPs, Par.[0149, 0199, 0207] Fig.11 for the GOPs being grouped), and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively (instructions code executed at decoding processing Par.[0052]), further cause the electronic device to:
identify the GOP based on the first seek request, among the plurality of GOPs (based on a first request /seeking a first GOPs firstly sought by reading the first data Par.[0035] and mapped per claim 1), and
identify the first frame associated (first frame decoded from first buffer section, 610 in Fig.7) with the first seek request, among the plurality of frames in the GOP (identifying the first frame in the GOP, Par.[0118, 0211, 0213] Fig.12 or Fig.13 etc.).
Re Claim 10. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to
identify another GOP according to the second seek request, among the plurality of GOPs (based on a second request obtaining a second data comprising another GOP group, Par.[0035, 0270] in a second buffer, 720 in Fig.7), and
perform the decoding of frames from a reference frame in a plurality of other frames in the another GOP to the second frame (decoding the frames stored in the buffer of the second GOP to the second frame Par.[0035] and as mapped at claim 1).
Re Claim 11. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to
Jeong teaches about to, remove, based on identifying the another GOP based on the second seek request, among the plurality of GOPs, the at least one decoded frame stored in the memory (replacing content to be output in a replacement slot, Col.2 Lin.51-61, Col.4 Lin.5-13, or Lin.39-44, etc.), and
store, in the memory, one or more decoded other frames based on the decoding of the frames from the reference frame in the plurality of other frames to the second frame (store in the memory 190 in Fig.2, replaced data of the second frame, e.g., in the RAM atCol.11 Lin.11-17).
In Okada, at (Par.[0174, 0207]).
Re Claim 12. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first seek request indicates a first timing in a playback section of the video content, and
Jeong teaches about that, wherein the second seek request indicates a second timing being distinct from the first timing in the playback section of the video content (the first seek or request based on frame time-stamp, Abstract, Figs.3, 5-6, Col.2 Lin.30-44, Col.3 Lin.4-13, or Col.12 Lin.3-12, etc.).
Re Claim 13. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first frame is outputted at the first timing in the playback section of the video content, and
Jeong teaches about that, wherein the second frame is outputted at the second timing in the playback section of the video content (the second frame is output at the second timing at a playback request based on source information and length of the replacement slot to be outputted, at the control of the switch of second frames, Col.3 Lin.4-13 and with details at Col.3 Lin.14-67 or per Col.4 Lin.5-13 or per the playback switch event including at least the start point of the replacement slot i.e., of the second frame, Lin.35-56 or Col.10 Lin.17-44 and Figs.3 to 8).
Re Claim 14. Jeong, Okada and Won, disclose, the electronic device of claim 1, Okada teaches about, wherein the reference frame corresponds to an intra-coded frame, (I frame), and wherein each of at least one remaining frame except the reference frame among the at least one decoded frame corresponds to at least one of a predicted frame (P frame) or a bi-directionally predicted frame (B frame) (the reference frame is the key frame or I-frame predicted in intra-mode i.e., unchanged, where the P-frames and B-frames are inter-predicted uni-directional or bi-directional respectively and presented to decoder in predicted order different from the decoding order per Figs.4, 5, according to the “out” and “in” switching points, in Figs.14 and 15A-C).
Re Claim 15. This claim represents the method performing each and every limitation in the same order at the electronic device of claim 1, hence it is rejected on the same evidence mapped mutatis mutandis.
Re Claim 16. This claim represents the method performing each and every limitation in the same order at the electronic device of claim 2, hence it is rejected on the same evidence mapped mutatis mutandis.
Re Claim 17. This claim represents the method performing each and every limitation in the same order at the electronic device of claim 3, hence it is rejected on the same evidence mapped mutatis mutandis.
Re Claim 18. This claim represents the method performing each and every limitation in the same order at the electronic device of claim 4, hence it is rejected on the same evidence mapped mutatis mutandis.
Re Claim 19. This claim represents the method performing each and every limitation in the same order at the electronic device of claim 6, hence it is rejected on the same evidence mapped mutatis mutandis.
Re Claim 20. This claim represents the Non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, comprising instructions for the processing unit to implement each and every limitation and in the same order according to the electronic device of claim 1, hence it is rejected over the same evidentiary premises mapped mutatis mutandis.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon, is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2006/0184684; US 2013/0227062; US 2008/0317138; KR20180086112; or KR20240007702A.
See PTO-892 form. Applicant is required under 37 C.F.R. 1.111(c) to consider these references when responding to this action.
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/DRAMOS KALAPODAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487