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 .
Detailed Action
This office Action is in response to an application filed on 06/12/2025 is a CON of 18/449,206 08/14/2023 PAT 12542910, which is a CON of 17/644,062 12/13/2021 PAT 11778202, which is a CON of PCT/CN2019/092723 06/25/2019, in which claims 1-19, and 21 are pending and are being examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
This information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/09/2025 and 12/19/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 conflicting claims 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); 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 nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined 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).
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Claims 1, 8, 15, 18, 21 and similar dependent claims are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of Copending Application APP 19/232,600. This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the conflicting claims have not in fact been patented. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the Copending Application and is covered by the Application since the Application and the application are claiming common subject matter, below is a list of limitations that perform the same function, however, different terminology may be used in both sets to describe the limitations, as follows, Claim 1 is used as an example to analyze the common subject matter:
Copending Application 19/232,600
Instant Application:-19/236,771
1. A method for processing information, applied to a decoder, comprising: decoding a bitstream, obtaining a prediction mode, and predicting a colour component of a coding block by using the prediction mode to obtain a fourth prediction block, wherein the prediction mode applies a Position-Dependent Prediction Combination (PDPC), and the colour component is a luma component or a chroma component; refining the fourth prediction block according to the prediction mode to obtain a fourth refinement block when the following cases 1 to 4 are all met: in case 1, when the coding block is a luma block and an Intra Sub-Partitions is not used; or, the coding block is a chroma block; in case 2, when the coding block is a luma block and a 0th reference line is used for prediction; or, the coding block is a chroma block; wherein the 0th reference line refers to a reference line closest to the coding block; in case 3, the coding block is not coded by using a Block-based Delta Pulse Code Modulation (BDPCM); in case 4, any one of following conditions is met: the prediction mode is a horizontal prediction mode; the prediction mode is a vertical prediction mode; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a first numerical value among N preset spatial prediction modes; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a fourth numerical value; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index smaller than or equal to a second numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; or, the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index greater than or equal to a third numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; decoding the bitstream and determining a sum of a residual block and the fourth refinement block to obtain a reconstructed block.
1. A method for processing information, applied to a decoder, comprising: decoding a bitstream, obtaining a prediction mode, and predicting a colour component of a coding block by using the prediction mode to obtain a fourth prediction block, wherein the prediction mode applies a Position-Dependent Prediction Combination (PDPC), and the colour component is a luma component or a chroma component; refining the fourth prediction block according to the prediction mode to obtain a fourth refinement block when the following cases 1 to 4 are all met:in case 1, when the coding block is a luma block and an Intra Sub-Partitions is not used; or, the coding block is a chroma block;in case 2, when the coding block is a luma block and a 0th reference line is used for prediction; or, the coding block is a chroma block; wherein the 0th reference line refers to a reference line closest to the coding block; in case 3, the coding block is not coded by using a Block-based Delta Pulse Code Modulation (BDPCM);in case 4, any one of following conditions is met: the predication mode is a planar prediction mode; the predication mode is a Direct Current (DC) predication mode; the prediction mode is a horizontal prediction mode; the prediction mode is a vertical prediction mode; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a first numerical value among N preset spatial prediction modes; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a fourth numerical value; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index smaller than or equal to a second numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; or, the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index greater than or equal to a third numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; decoding the bitstream and determining a sum of a residual block and the fourth refinement block to obtain a reconstructed block.
As demonstrated, the claim of Copending Application 19/232,600 anticipate the features of the claim of instant application 19/236,771.
A nonstatutory type (35 U.S.C. 101) double patenting rejection can be overcome by amending the conflicting claims so they are no longer coextensive in scope or filing of a terminal disclaimer.
Examiner’s Note
Claims 1-7 refer to "A method for processing information”, Claims 8-14 refer to "A method for processing information”, Claims 15-17 refer to "A video decoding apparatus”, Claims 18-19 refer to "A video encoding apparatus”, and Claim 21 refers to "A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium”. Claims 8-19, and 21 are similarly rejected in light of rejection of claims 1-7, any obvious combination of the rejection of claims 1-7, or the differences are obvious to the ordinary skill in the art. It is well known in the art that encoding and decoding are reverse processes of video coding method/system.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panusopone et al. (US 20240179305 A1), hereinafter Panusopone, in view of Chen et al. (“Algorithm description for Versatile Video Coding and Test Model 5, VTM 5, JVET, 14th Meeting, Geneva, CH, 19-27 Mar 2019), hereinafter Chen.
Regarding claim 1, Panusopone discloses a method for processing information, applied to a decoder, comprising: decoding a bitstream, obtaining a prediction mode, and predicting a colour component of a coding block by using the prediction mode to obtain a fourth prediction block, wherein the prediction mode applies a Position-Dependent Prediction Combination (PDPC), and the colour component is a luma component or a chroma component ([0079]-[0082]).
Panusopone discloses all the elements of claim 1 but Panusopone does not appear to explicitly disclose in the cited section refining the fourth prediction block according to the prediction mode to obtain a fourth refinement block when the following cases 1 to 4 are all met: in case 1, when the coding block is a luma block and an Intra Sub-Partitions is not used; or, the coding block is a chroma block; in case 2, when the coding block is a luma block and a 0th reference line is used for prediction; or, the coding block is a chroma block; wherein the 0th reference line refers to a reference line closest to the coding block; in case 3, the coding block is not coded by using a Block-based Delta Pulse Code Modulation (BDPCM);in case 4, any one of following conditions is met: the predication mode is a planar prediction mode; the predication mode is a Direct Current (DC) predication mode; the prediction mode is a horizontal prediction mode; the prediction mode is a vertical prediction mode; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a first numerical value among N preset spatial prediction modes; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a fourth numerical value; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index smaller than or equal to a second numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; or, the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index greater than or equal to a third numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; decoding the bitstream and determining a sum of a residual block and the fourth refinement block to obtain a reconstructed block.
However, Chen from the same or similar endeavor teaches refining the fourth prediction block according to the prediction mode to obtain a fourth refinement block when the following cases 1 to 4 are all met: in case 1, when the coding block is a luma block and an Intra Sub-Partitions is not used; or, the coding block is a chroma block; in case 2, when the coding block is a luma block and a 0th reference line is used for prediction; or, the coding block is a chroma block; wherein the 0th reference line refers to a reference line closest to the coding block; in case 3, the coding block is not coded by using a Block-based Delta Pulse Code Modulation (BDPCM);in case 4, any one of following conditions is met: the predication mode is a planar prediction mode; the predication mode is a Direct Current (DC) predication mode; the prediction mode is a horizontal prediction mode; the prediction mode is a vertical prediction mode; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a first numerical value among N preset spatial prediction modes; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index being a fourth numerical value; the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index smaller than or equal to a second numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; or, the prediction mode is a prediction mode with an index greater than or equal to a third numerical value, and the coding block is not a chroma block; decoding the bitstream and determining a sum of a residual block and the fourth refinement block to obtain a reconstructed block (Section 3.1, Section 3.3.3, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Panusopone to incorporate the teachings of Chen to improve coding efficiency (Chen, Section 1, Introduction). Similar reasoning/motivation of modification can be applied/extended to the other related/dependent claims.
Regarding claim 2, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the colour component is the luma component (Panusopone, [0019], [0084]-[0085]).
Regarding claim 3, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising: performing a luma prediction on a luma value of the coding block according to the prediction mode to obtain the fourth prediction block (Panusopone, [0019], [0084]-[0085]).
Regarding claim 4, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the colour component is the chroma component (Panusopone, [0019], [0023]-[0027], [0036]).
Regarding claim 5, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 4, further comprising: performing a chroma prediction on a chroma value of the coding block according to the prediction mode to obtain the fourth prediction block (Panusopone, [0019], [0023]-[0027], [0036]).
Regarding claim 6, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the second numerical value is 8 or 10 (It is obvious to the ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 7, Panusopone in view of Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the third numerical value is 58 or 60 (It is obvious to the ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 8-19, and 21, See Examiner’s Note. Zhao et al.(US 20200014920 A1), [0073], [0091]-[0096]
Conclusion
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/Mohammad J Rahman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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