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 .
35 USC Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. —the specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1-20 the limitation "… ‘supm’ …" is unclear, what are the value and how these values are determine? Claims should be specified in terms of clear technical feature. Therefore, the scope of the claim is vague and indefinite. Please clarify or explain.
The term ‘supm’” in claims 1-2, 4, 10-12, 15-17 and 19-20 are a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term ‘supm’ is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the claim is vague and indefinite. Please clarify or explain.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hannuksela et.al. (US 2025/0254403) (Miska Matias Hannuksela).
Regarding Claim 1, Hannuksela discloses a method for processing media data, comprising: determining a referencing track that contains a ‘supm’ track reference, wherein the ‘supm’ track reference indicates that a video in the referencing track or in any track in an alternate group to which the referencing track belongs, if any, is usable as a supplementary video [See abstract Paragraphs 45-53 and 250-271 e.g. picture-in-picture(pip) include low resolution over a picture with high resolution. The picture with the higher resolution is referred to as the main picture or the background picture or the primary picture. The picture with the lower resolution, which is overlaid on the background picture, is referred to as the foreground or overlay picture or secondary picture]; and performing a conversion between a visual media data and a visual media data file based on the determining [See Paragraphs 258-272].
Regarding Claim 2, Hannuksela discloses wherein the ‘supm’ track reference indicates that a corresponding main video is contained at least in a referenced track or in any track in an alternate group to which the referenced track belongs, if any [See Paragraphs 36-56 and 251-257].
Regarding Claim 3, Hannuksela discloses wherein for each pair of supplementary video and main video, a track containing the supplementary video is referred to as a supplementary video track [See Paragraphs 36-56 and 251-264].
Regarding Claim 4, Hannuksela discloses wherein for each pair of supplementary video and main video, a main video track is a track that is a referenced track of the ‘supm’ track reference or any track in an alternate group to which the referenced track of the ‘supm’ track reference belongs, if any track [See Paragraphs 13, 36-56, 251-264 and 289-292].
Regarding Claim 5, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video is versatile video coding (VVC), the main video is contained in a single track, wherein a main video track is the single track [See Paragraphs 251-259].
Regarding Claim 7, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video is versatile video coding (VVC), the main video is contained in multiple tracks including a VVC merge base track and a number of VVC subpicture tracks referenced by the VVC merge base track through a ‘subp’ track reference, wherein a main video track is the VVC merge base track [See Paragraphs 250-265].
Regarding Claim 7, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video track is versatile video coding (VVC), a sample entry type is ‘vvc1’ or ‘vvi1’ [See Paragraphs 553-574].
Regarding Claim 8, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video is high efficiency video coding (HEVC) or layered HEVC (L-HEVC), the main video is contained in a single track, wherein a main video track is the single track [See Paragraphs 318-329].
Regarding Claim 9, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video is high efficiency video coding (HEVC) or layered HEVC (L-HEVC), the main video is contained in multiple tracks including an HEVC or L-HEVC tile base track and a number of HEVC or L-HEVC tile tracks containing ‘tbas’ track references that refer to the tile base track, wherein a main video track is the tile base track [See Paragraphs 318-329 e.g. PictureInPictureGroupBox extends TrackGroupTypeBox(‘pipt’)].
Regarding Claim 10, Hannuksela discloses wherein a TrackReferenceTypeBox with reference_type equal to ‘supm’, when present, contains only a track identifier and does not contain any track group identifier, or wherein a TrackReferenceTypeBox with reference_type equal to ‘supm’, when present, contains in a first entry a track identifier and other entries, if any, contain track group identifiers m [See Paragraphs 33-34 and 299-310].
Regarding Claim 11, Hannuksela discloses wherein a first entry in a TrackReferenceTypeBox with reference_type equal to ‘supm’ is a track identifier, and wherein a referenced track is a track for which a track identifier is the first entry in the TrackReferenceTypeBox with reference_type equal to ‘supm’ [See Paragraphs 434-39 and 533-74].
Regarding Claim 12, Hannuksela discloses wherein when PicInPicRegionReplacementEntry is present in a supplementary video track, it indicates that network abstraction layer (NAL) units representing a target supplementary region in a corresponding main video that has a same coded picture width and coded picture height, respectively, as a video contained in a referenced track of a ‘supm’ track reference is capable of being replaced with corresponding NAL units of supplementary video [See Paragraphs 24-41 and 258-264 e.g. replacement of coded region in the main track with the PiP video track.].
Regarding Claim 13, Hannuksela discloses wherein the conversion includes encoding the visual media data into the visual media data file [See Paragraphs 312-323 and 459-484 and Figs. 12-14].
Regarding Claim 14, Hannuksela discloses wherein the conversion includes decoding the visual media data from the visual media data file [See Paragraphs 312-323 and 459-484 and Figs. 12-14].
Regarding Claim 15, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1 above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim l also applies here.
Regarding Claim 16, Hannuksela discloses wherein the ‘supm’ track reference indicates that a corresponding main video is contained at least in a referenced track or in any track in an alternate group to which the referenced track belongs, if any [See Paragraphs 36-56 and 251-257].
Regarding Claim 17, Hannuksela discloses wherein for each pair of supplementary video and main video, a track containing the supplementary video is referred to as a supplementary video track, a main video track is a track that is a referenced track of the ‘supm’ track reference or any track in an alternate group to which the referenced track of the ‘supm’ track reference belongs, if any, and wherein when a video codec used for a main video track is versatile video coding (VVC), a sample entry type is ‘vvc1’ or ‘vvi1’ [See Paragraphs 13, 36-56, 250-265 and 289-292].
Regarding Claim 18, Hannuksela discloses wherein when a video codec used for a main video is versatile video coding (VVC), either: a) the main video is contained in a single track, wherein a main video track is the single track; or b) the main video is contained in multiple tracks including a VVC merge base track and a number of VVC subpicture tracks referenced by the VVC merge base track through a ‘subp’ track reference, wherein a main video track is the VVC merge base track, and wherein when a video codec used for a main video is high efficiency video coding (HEVC) or layered HEVC (L-HEVC), either: c) the main video is contained in a single track, wherein a main video track is the single track; or d) the main video is contained in multiple tracks including an HEVC or L-HEVC tile base track and a number of HEVC or L-HEVC tile tracks containing ‘tbas’ track references that refer to the tile base track, wherein a main video track is the tile base track [See Paragraphs 13, 36-56, 250-265, 318-329 and 553-574].
Regarding Claim 19, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1 above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim l also applies here.
Regarding Claim 20, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1 above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim l also applies here.
Conclusion
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.
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, David Czekaj can be reached at 571-272-7327. 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.
/TSION B OWENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487