DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 06/06/2025. Claims 1-18 have been examined.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for foreign application number KR: 10-2019-0014736 filed on 02/08/2019.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/12/2026 and 03/13/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-18 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-19 of U.S. patent Application No. 18/620,899. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the claims cover substantially the same subject matter. The table below shows only a sample of how each of these claims is anticipated by claims such as claim 1 of U.S. patent application No. 18/620,899.
Instant Application
U.S. patent application No. 18/620,899
Claim 1: A video signal decoding device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether a secondary transform was applied to a current block, when the secondary transform was applied to the current block, obtain a secondary transform matrix in a secondary transform matrix set based on an intra prediction mode of the current block, obtain a secondary inverse transformed block by performing a secondary inverse transform on coefficients of a specific region of the current block using the secondary transform matrix, wherein the secondary inverse transform is an inverse transform of the secondary transform, and the secondary transform is a low frequency non-separable transform, obtain a residual block of the current block by performing a primary inverse transform on the secondary inverse transformed block, wherein the coefficients of the specific region of the current block are derived from the specific region in a preset scan order, and wherein the preset scan order is fixed as a 4 x 4 up-right diagonal scan order for a plurality of sizes of the current block.
Claim 1: A video signal decoding device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a secondary transform matrix in a secondary transform matrix set based on an intra prediction mode of a current block, obtain a secondary inverse transformed block by performing a secondary inverse transform on a specific region of the current block using the secondary transform matrix, wherein the secondary inverse transform is an inverse transform of a secondary transform, and the secondary transform is a low frequency non-separable transform, obtain a residual block of the current block by performing a primary inverse transform on the secondary inverse transformed block, wherein one or more coefficients of the specific region of the current block are derived in a preset scan order, wherein the preset scan order is a 4×4 up-right diagonal scan order regardless of a size of the current block.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under nonstatutory double patenting, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY T JEAN BAPTISTE whose telephone number is (571)272-6189. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Vaughn can be reached on 571-272-3922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERRY T JEAN BAPTISTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481
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