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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/06/2025 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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 14-15 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karczewicz et al., (US 2022/0201292 A1) referred to as KARCZEWICZ hereinafter.
1. A method for video decoding (Paragraphs [0118]-[0125] broadly disclose obtaining, either explicitly or implicitly reconstructed neighboring samples and filtering.), comprising:
obtaining, by a decoder, one or more spatial neighboring samples associated with a current sample (Paragraphs [0121]-[0123] disclose the procedure for obtaining said samples.); and
obtaining, by the decoder, a filtered sample, based on the one or more spatial neighboring samples associated with the current sample (Paragraph [0121] describes applying filters.).
Regarding claim 2, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 1 as applied above, and further shows wherein the one or more spatial neighboring samples are a reconstructed sample (Paragraph [0121], reconstructed sample…), and wherein the reconstructed sample is sampled prior to sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering (FIG. 17 shows reconstructed non-filtered samples being fed into the filtering unit.).
Regarding claim 3, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 2 as applied above, and further shows
obtaining, by the decoder, clipped results based on one or more spatial neighboring samples from the residual sample associated with the current sample (Paragraph [0122] shows an implemented clipping function. Paragraphs [0127] describe the clipping process.); and
obtaining, by the decoder, the filtered sample using clipped results based on one or more spatial neighboring samples from the residual sample associated with the current sample and one or more filter coefficients, the one or more filter coefficients associated with different filter shapes (Paragraph [0121] describes different filter sets based on a classifier.).
Regarding claim 4, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 3 as applied above, and further shows wherein the clipped results comprise clipped results of one or more surrounding samples, wherein the one or more surrounding samples are from one or more spatial neighboring samples from the residual samples (Paragraph [0122] describes the above with respect to neighboring samples.).
Regarding claim 5, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 1 as applied above, and further shows wherein obtaining, by the decoder, the filtered sample comprises: deriving, by the decoder, an adaptive loop filter (ALF) classifier for an online ALF process, the ALF classifier utilizing one or more spatial neighboring samples before a deblocking filter (FIG. 17 shows both filters and paragraphs [0258]-[0259] disclose indifference to the ordering of the filter units, therefore the ALF may take place prior to deblocking. See also paragraphs [0040] and [0116] for support.).
Regarding claim 14, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 1 as applied above, and further shows wherein obtaining, by the decoder, the filtered sample comprises: deriving, by the decoder, an adaptive loop filter (ALF) classifier for an online ALF process, the ALF classifier utilizing one or more spatial neighboring samples before a sample adaptive offset (SAO) process (See FIG. 17 and paragraphs [0258]-[0259]).
Regarding claim 15, BASEREF shows the limitations of claim 1 as applied above, and further shows wherein the one or more spatial neighboring samples are from a chroma sample, and wherein obtaining, by the decoder, the filtered sample comprises: deriving, by the decoder, an adaptive loop filter (ALF) classifier for an online ALF process, the ALF classifier utilizing sample values from the chroma sample (Paragraphs [0103]-[0104] disclose wherein the general operations are taking place to chroma samples and filtered.).
19. An apparatus for video decoding (Paragraph [0011]), comprising: one or more processors (Paragraph [0011]); and a memory coupled to the one or more processors (Paragraph [0011])and configured to store instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors, upon execution of the instructions, are configured to, individually or collectively, perform operations comprising:
obtaining, by a decoder, one or more spatial neighboring samples associated with a current sample (Paragraphs [0121]-[0123] disclose the procedure for obtaining said samples.); and
obtaining, by the decoder, a filtered sample, based on the one or more spatial neighboring samples associated with the current sample (Paragraph [0121] describes applying filters.).
Regarding claim 20, a bit stream generated or decoded by operations comprising… is a product by process claim limitation where the product is the bit stream and the process is the method steps to generate the bitstream. MPEP §2113 recites “Product-by-Process claims are not limited to the manipulations of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps”. Thus, the scope of the claim is the storage medium storing the bitstream (with the structure implied by the method steps). The structure includes the information and samples manipulated by the steps.
“To be given patentable weight, the printed matter and associated product must be in a functional relationship. A functional relationship can be found where the printed matter performs some function with respect to the product to which it is associated”. MPEP §2111.05(I)(A). When a claimed “computer-readable medium merely serves as a support for information or data, no functional relationship exists. MPEP §2111.05(III). The storage medium storing the claimed bitstream in claim 20 merely services as a support for the storage of the bitstream and provides no fictional relationship between the stored bitstream and storage medium. Therefor the bitstream, which scope is implied by the method steps, is non-functional descriptive material and given no patentable weight. MPEP §2111.05(III). Thus, the claim scope is just a storage medium storing data and is anticipated by REFERENCE which recites a storage medium storing a bitstream (Paragraph [0012]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-13 and 16-18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the Notice of References Cited (PTO-892) for additional references noted but not used.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN W. RIDER whose telephone number is (571)270-1068. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7.00 am - 4.30 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, Jamie J Atala can be reached at (571) 272-7384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format.
For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
JUSTIN W. RIDER
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2486
/Justin W Rider/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2486
Prosecution Insights