CTNF 19/204,683 CTNF 87558 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 2. This application claims priority to U.S provisional Patent Applications No. 63/645,374, filed on 05/10/2024, and is hereby incorporated by references. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 3. 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 4. 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA 5. Claim s 1-9, 16, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2025/0039400A1) (hereinafter Kim) . Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an apparatus (e.g., see abstract; Figs. 1-2) comprising: at least one processor (e.g., see paragraphs 0062, 0224, 0259) ; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (e.g., see paragraphs 0256, 0260, 0261) , cause the apparatus at least to: analyze a reference area of a prediction block to determine at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) ; and adjust a pixel value of a boundary pixel of the prediction block along the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0054, 0091: determining/adjusting pixels in edge and on reference lines; Figs. 5, 7, 9-10, paragraphs 0131, 0134, 0150) . Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference area of the prediction block comprises at least one or more of: at least one pixel in the prediction block, or at least one reference pixel in a template around the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0114, 0124, 0131: pixels in template; Fig. 16, paragraphs 0169-0173: reference pixels in template) . Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein analyzing the reference area of the prediction block to determine the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block is performed with a statistical method (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) . Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the statistical method comprises gradient analysis used with decoder side intra mode derivation (e.g., see paragraph 0196: gradient between pixels; paragraphs 0115, 0131, 0132: derivation) . Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein analyzing the reference area of the prediction block to determine the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) is performed with a searching method (e.g., see paragraphs 0114, 0129: searching method) . Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 5, wherein the searching method comprises template matching used with template based intra mode derivation (e.g., see paragraphs 0114, 0115, 0177: template matching) . Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel value of the boundary pixel of the prediction block is adjusted along the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) based on a gradient strength of the at least one dominant direction of the reference area (e.g., see paragraph 0196: gradient between pixels; paragraphs 0115, 0131, 0132) . Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine the gradient strength (e.g., see paragraph 0196: gradient between pixels) of the at least one dominant direction of the reference area (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) ; and reduce an impact of the adjusting of the pixel value of the boundary pixel of the prediction block along the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block, in response to the gradient strength of the at least one dominant direction of the reference area being less than a threshold (e.g., see paragraphs 0103, 0104, 0183) . Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the threshold comprises a fixed value (e.g., see paragraphs 0103, 0104, 0183) . Regarding claim 16, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine multiple dominant directions of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) ; wherein the boundary pixel of the prediction block is adjusted using the multiple dominant directions of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction) . Regarding claim 19, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: receive a coding of an image, video, or scene; and reconstruct the image, video, or scene, based on the smoothing of the boundary of the prediction block (e.g., se paragraphs 0068, 0128, 0137: boundary of prediction block) along the at least one dominant direction of the reference area of the prediction block (e.g., see paragraphs 0055, 0056: reference region/area and reference direction; paragraphs 0086-0087, 0103-0104: dominant direction of reference (reference direction); Fig. 9-10) . Regarding claim 20, this claim is a method claim of an apparatus version as applied to claim 1 above, wherein the method performs the same limitations cited in claim 1, the rejections of which are incorporated herein. Allowable Subject Matter 07-43 6. Claims 10-15, 17-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion 7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ON MUNG whose telephone number is (571) 270-7557 and whose direct fax number is (571) 270-8557. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm (ET). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAMIE ATALA can be reached on (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 an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov . Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ON S MUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 2 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 3 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 4 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 5 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 6 Art Unit: 2486 Application/Control Number: 19/204,683 Page 7 Art Unit: 2486
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