DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on 3/6/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 6/24/2025, 7/28/2025 has/have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449).
Claim Mapping Notation
In this office action, following notations are being used to refer to the paragraph numbers or column number and lines of portions of the cited reference.
In this office action, following notations are being used to refer to the paragraph numbers or column number and lines of portions of the cited reference.
[0005] (Paragraph number [0005])
C5 (Column 5)
Pa5 (Page 5)
S5 (Section 5)
Furthermore, unless necessary to distinguish from other references in this action, “et al.” will be omitted when referring to the reference.
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 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.
(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 application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 11,18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) and (a2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 20220141454 A1).
1. A method of video decoding, comprising:
receiving a coded video bitstream comprising coded information of a plurality of pictures;
“[0043]… For example, the terminal device (110) may code video data (e.g., a stream of video pictures that are captured by the terminal device (110)) for transmission to the other terminal device (120) via the network (150). The encoded video data can be transmitted in the form of one or more coded video bitstreams…”
determining, based on the coded information, that a current block in a current picture is coded using an inter prediction mode, prediction samples of the current block in the inter prediction mode being generated at least partially based on a reference block in a reference picture that is different from the current picture;
“[0079] A bi-directionally predictive picture (B Picture) may be one that may be coded and decoded using intra prediction or inter prediction using at most two motion vectors and reference indices to predict the sample values of each block. Similarly, multiple-predictive pictures can use more than two reference pictures and associated metadata for the reconstruction of a single block.”
obtaining an intra prediction mode associated with the current block in the current picture;
“[0149] According to some aspects of the disclosure, intra and inter predictions can be suitably combined by coding techniques. One of the coding techniques to combine intra and inter prediction is referred to as combined inter/intra prediction (CIIP) that is also called a multi-hypothesis intra-inter prediction…”
determining one or more transform kernels based on the intra prediction mode associated with the current block;
“[0221] In another embodiment, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform or LFNST can be used for the coding of the current block. In an example, the transform set used for CIIP mode is the same as the transform set for Planar or DC intra prediction mode. In another example, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform may be used and only the transform kernel associated with Planar and/or DC mode are applied. The limitations in the transform can reduce total complexity.”
and reconstructing the current block based on the one or more transform kernels.
“[0101] The reconstruction module (674) is configured to combine, in the spatial domain, the residual as output by the residue decoder (673) and the prediction results (as output by the inter or intra prediction modules as the case may be) to form a reconstructed block, that may be part of the reconstructed picture, which in turn may be part of the reconstructed video…”
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconstructing comprises:
decoding transform coefficients of the current block from the coded information;
“[0052] The parser (320) may perform an entropy decoding/parsing operation on the video sequence received from the buffer memory (315), so as to create symbols (321).
“[0055] A first unit is the scaler/inverse transform unit (351). The scaler/inverse transform unit (351) receives a quantized transform coefficient as well as control information, including which transform to use, block size, quantization factor, quantization scaling matrices, etc. as symbol(s) (321) from the parser (320).”
applying one or more inverse transforms on the transform coefficients based on the one or more transform kernels to calculate residual values for samples in the current block; and
“[0055] A first unit is the scaler/inverse transform unit (351). The scaler/inverse transform unit (351) receives a quantized transform coefficient as well as control information, including which transform to use, block size, quantization factor, quantization scaling matrices, etc. as symbol(s) (321) from the parser (320).”
reconstructing the samples of the current block based on the residual values and
“[0056] In some cases, the output samples of the scaler/inverse transform (351) can pertain to an intra coded block; that is: a block that is not using predictive information from previously reconstructed pictures, but can use predictive information from previously reconstructed parts of the current picture. Such predictive information can be provided by an intra picture prediction unit (352). In some cases, the intra picture prediction unit (352) generates a block of the same size and shape of the block under reconstruction, using surrounding already reconstructed information fetched from the current picture buffer (358). The current picture buffer (358) buffers, for example, partly reconstructed current picture and/or fully reconstructed current picture.
a prediction of the current block, the prediction of the current block being at least partially based on the reference block in the reference picture.
“[0057] In other cases, the output samples of the scaler/inverse transform unit (351) can pertain to an inter coded, and potentially motion compensated block. In such a case, a motion compensation prediction unit (353) can access reference picture memory (357) to fetch samples used for prediction.”
3. The method of claim 1, wherein:
when the current block is coded in a combined inter and intra prediction (CIIP) mode, the CIIP mode includes the intra prediction mode for generating an intra prediction part of the prediction samples; and
“[0108] In some embodiments, one or more of the following inter prediction coding tools are used: (1) extended merge prediction…(11) triangle partition prediction, and (12) combined inter and intra prediction (CIIP).”
when the current block is coded in a geometric partition mode (GPM), a partition of the current block is coded in the intra prediction mode.
“[0108] In some embodiments, one or more of the following inter prediction coding tools are used: (1) extended merge prediction…(11) triangle partition prediction, and (12) combined inter and intra prediction (CIIP).”
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the one or more transform kernels comprises:
determining the one or more transform kernels according to a predefined mapping table that maps the intra prediction mode to the one or more transform kernels.
“[0221] In another embodiment, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform or LFNST can be used for the coding of the current block. In an example, the transform set used for CIIP mode is the same as the transform set for Planar or DC intra prediction mode. In another example, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform may be used and only the transform kernel associated with Planar and/or DC mode are applied. The limitations in the transform can reduce total complexity.”
See also Fig. 13
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises at least one of:
obtaining the intra prediction mode that is a predefined intra prediction mode;
“[0086] According to some embodiments of the disclosure, predictions, such as inter-picture predictions and intra-picture predictions are performed in the unit of blocks…”
obtaining the intra prediction mode based on a signal in the coded video bitstream that indicates the intra prediction mode; and/or
Alternative language
obtaining the intra prediction mode according to a decoder-side derived intra prediction mode.
Alternative language
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more transform kernels comprise at least one of:
a primary transform kernel;
Alternative language
a secondary transform kernel;
“[0221] In another embodiment, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform or LFNST can be used for the coding of the current block. In an example, the transform set used for CIIP mode is the same as the transform set for Planar or DC intra prediction mode. In another example, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform may be used and only the transform kernel associated with Planar and/or DC mode are applied. The limitations in the transform can reduce total complexity.”
a low-frequency non-separable transform (LFNST) kernel; and/or
“[0221] In another embodiment, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform or LFNST can be used for the coding of the current block. In an example, the transform set used for CIIP mode is the same as the transform set for Planar or DC intra prediction mode. In another example, when CIIP mode is used for current block, secondary transform may be used and only the transform kernel associated with Planar and/or DC mode are applied. The limitations in the transform can reduce total complexity.”
a non-separable primary transform kernel.
Alternative language
Regarding the claims 18-20, they recite elements that are at least included in the claims 1, 2 and 1 above but in a different claim form and/or encoding/decoding counterpart that are reciprocal. Therefore, the same rationale for the rejection of the claims 1, 2 and 1 applies.
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 of this title, 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 pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 6-10 and 16 and 17are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Wang US 20250039453 A1).
Regarding the claim 6, Li discloses the invention substantially as claimed as mentioned above for the claim 1.
Li does disclose,
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises:
calculating template cost values respectively for a plurality of candidate intra prediction modes; and
determining, from the plurality of candidate intra prediction modes, the intra prediction mode with a least template cost value.
Wang discloses,
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises:
calculating template cost values respectively for a plurality of candidate intra prediction modes; and
“[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
determining, from the plurality of candidate intra prediction modes, the intra prediction mode with a least template cost value.
“[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings of Wang and apply them on the teachings of Li to incorporate the TIMD and DIMD as well as deriving angle of the intra prediction and signaling flag to indicate the selected intra prediction mode when encoding/decoding video in Li as taught by Wang.
One would have been motivated as implementing such intra coding schemes are well known in the art and would have been utilized for the benefit of increasing coding efficiency. Furthermore utilizing flags to indicate the selection of the plurality of the lowest costs intra prediction modes would have been expected in order to communicate such selection to the decoder.
Unless stated otherwise, the same explanation for the rationale for the following dependent claims applies as given for the independent claim.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises:
calculating template cost values respectively for a plurality of candidate intra prediction modes;
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
forming a list including two or more candidate intra prediction modes of the plurality of candidate intra prediction modes according to the template cost values, the two or more candidate intra prediction modes being ordered in the list according to the template cost values; and
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
selecting the intra prediction mode from the list.
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting comprises:
decoding a syntax from the coded video bitstream, the syntax indicating an index in the list; and
Wang “[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 2, index 0 indicates the planar mode, index 1 indicates the DC mode, and indexes −14 to 80 can indicate different angular prediction modes, respectively. Specifically, indexes 2 to 66 indicate traditional angular prediction modes, and indexes −1 to −14 and indexes 67 to 80 indicate wide angular prediction modes.”
selecting the intra prediction mode from the list according to the syntax.
Wang “[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 2, index 0 indicates the planar mode, index 1 indicates the DC mode, and indexes −14 to 80 can indicate different angular prediction modes, respectively. Specifically, indexes 2 to 66 indicate traditional angular prediction modes, and indexes −1 to −14 and indexes 67 to 80 indicate wide angular prediction modes.”
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting comprises:
calculating second cost values respectively for the two or more candidate intra prediction modes in the list; and selecting the intra prediction mode from the list based on the second cost values.
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises:
ordering a first candidate intra prediction mode and a second candidate intra prediction mode in a list;
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
decoding a flag from the coded video bitstream; and
selecting one of the first candidate intra prediction mode and the second candidate intra prediction mode as the intra prediction mode based on the flag.
Wang “[0087]…In the TIMD, the template is predicted in some candidate intra prediction modes to obtain costs of the candidate intra prediction modes in the template, and prediction values in one or two intra prediction modes with the lowest costs are taken as intra prediction values of the current block…”
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises:
deriving the intra prediction mode according to a decoder side intra prediction mode derivation when the current block is coded using at least one of a planar mode, a planar horizontal mode, a planar vertical mode, a DC mode, and/or a pre-defined intra mode.
Wang “[0067] A core of the DIMD prediction mode is deriving the intra prediction mode at the decoder in the same way as the encoder, to avoid the transmission of an index of the intra prediction mode for the current CU in the bitstream, thereby saving bit overhead.”
Wang “[0075] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the encoder can weight prediction values corresponding to three intra prediction modes (the planar mode as well as two intra prediction modes derived via the DIMD).”
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the current block is coded in a geometric partition mode (GPM), and the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises: determining the intra prediction mode with an angle that is parallel or perpendicular to a partition boundary of the current block.
“[0202] In this embodiment, since the partition line or the angle index can reflect the characteristics of the GPM and the texture characteristics of the residual block of the current block to a certain extent, by associating the angle index with the intra prediction mode, the current block can be decoded based on the GPM and the first transform, and the texture characteristics of the transform kernel type set used for the first transform can be ensured to be as close as possible to the texture characteristics of the residual block of the current block, thereby improving the decompression efficiency.
“
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding the claim 12, applicants uniquely claimed distinct features, which are not found in the prior art, either singularly or in an obvious combination of all the limitation of the claim, the distinct features being… the obtaining the intra prediction mode comprises: counting occurrence numbers of used intra prediction modes by neighboring blocks in a predefined area of the current block; and determining, from the used intra prediction modes, the intra prediction mode of a most frequency occurrence number.
Regarding the claims 13-15, applicants uniquely claimed distinct features, which are not found in the prior art, either singularly or in an obvious combination of all the limitation of the claim, the distinct features being… counting occurrence numbers of used intra prediction modes by neighboring blocks in a predefined area of the current block; forming a list including two or more used intra prediction modes of the used intra prediction modes according to the occurrence numbers, the two or more used intra prediction modes being ordered in the list according to the occurrence numbers; and selecting the intra prediction mode from the list.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nam et al. (US 20220046281) and Wang et al. (US 20250358427 A1) discloses relevant art related to the subject matter of the present invention.
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/JAE N NOH/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2481
Prosecution Insights