DETAILED ACTION
1. This is a first office action in response to application no. 19/249,759 filed on June 25, 2025 in which claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
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 .
Claim interpretation
2. Patentable weight is given to data stored on a computer-readable medium when there exists a functional relationship between the data and its associated substrate. MPEP 2111.05 III. For example, if a claim is drawn to a computer-readable medium containing programming, a functional relationship exists if the programming “performs some function with respect to the computer with which it is associated.” Id. However, if the claim recites that the computer-readable medium merely serves as a support for information or data, no functional relationship exists and the information or data is not given patentable weight. Id.
Claim 20 is directed to a non-transitory medium storing a video media bitstream encoded by an encoder comprising determining a template for a first block, obtaining a transform kernel, and encoding the first block into a media bitstream. These elements are not performed by an intended computer, and the bitstream is not a form of programming that causes functions to be performed by an intended computer. This shows that the computer-readable medium merely serves as support for the bitstream and provides no functional relationship between the elements that describe the generation of the bitstream and intended computer system. Therefore, those claim elements are not given patentable weight. Thus, the claim scope is just a storage medium storing data and is anticipated by Deng et al. (US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0305824); (See Deng et al. [0009]-[0010]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 –
(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.
5. Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Deng et al. (US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0305824).
Regarding claim 20, Deng discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a video media bitstream encoded by an encoding method, the encoding method comprising: determining a template for a first subblock of a plurality of subblocks of a current block, the template of the first subblock including at least one of (i) a part of a template of the current block and (ii) reconstructed samples of a second subblock adjacent to the first subblock; obtaining a transform kernel for the first subblock based on the template of the first subblock; and encoding the first subblock into the video media bitstream based on the transform kernel (See Deng [0009]-[0010]).
NOTE: The Examiner only needs to show that the prior art provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a video media bitstream.
6. Claims 1-3, 6-8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Deng et al. (US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0305824).
Regarding claim 1, Deng discloses a method of video decoding, the method comprising: receiving a bitstream including coded information of a current block in a current picture (See Deng’s Abstract), the coded information indicating that intra template matching prediction (intraTMP) is applied to the current block (See Deng [0835-[0836]), the current block including a plurality of subblocks; determining a template for a first subblock of the plurality of subblocks of the current block, the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0819]-[0821]) including at least one of (i) a part of a template of the current block and (ii) reconstructed samples of a second subblock adjacent to the first subblock (See Deng [0142]); obtaining a transform kernel for the first subblock based on the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0744]-[0745]); and reconstructing the first subblock based on the transform kernel (See Deng [0549]-[0556]).
Regarding claim 15, Deng discloses a method of video encoding, comprising: determining a template for a first subblock of a plurality of subblocks of a current block, the template of the first subblock including at least one of (i) a part of a template of the current block (See (See Deng’s Abstract, and [0835-[0836]) and (ii) reconstructed samples of a second subblock adjacent to the first subblock (See Deng [0142]); obtaining a transform kernel for the first subblock based on the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0744]-[0745]); and encoding the first subblock into a bitstream based on the transform kernel (See Deng [0549]-[0556]).
Regarding claim 20, Deng discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a video media bitstream encoded by an encoding method (See Deng [0008]-[0010]), the encoding method comprising: determining a template for a first subblock of a plurality of subblocks of a current block, the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0818]-[0820]) including at least one of (i) a part of a template of the current block (See Deng [0587[-[0588]) and (ii) reconstructed samples of a second subblock adjacent to the first subblock (See Deng [0142]); obtaining a transform kernel for the first subblock based on the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0744]-[0745]); and encoding the first subblock into the video media bitstream based on the transform kernel (See Deng [0310] and [0657]).
As per claims 2 and 16, Deng further discloses wherein the obtaining the transform kernel further comprises: determining an intra prediction mode of the first subblock based on gradient information of the template of the first subblock (See Deng [0818]-[0819]; obtaining a transform set for the first subblock based on the intra prediction mode; and obtaining the transform kernel for the first subblock from the transform set (See Deng [0307]-[0309]).
As per claims 3 and 17, Deng further discloses obtaining the transform kernel from the transform set based on a first index, the first index being obtained from one of the bitstream (See Deng [0794]-[0798]) or a second index of the second subblock that is reconstructed before the first subblock according to a scanning order.
As per claim 13, Deng further discloses wherein the intra prediction mode is determined for one of a luma component, a Cb component, and a Cr component of the first subblock based on a gradient analysis (See Deng [0096] and [0124]).
As per claim 6, Deng further discloses wherein the determining the transform kernel further comprises: determining the transform kernel for the first subblock based on a relative position of the first subblock to the current block (See Deng [0053]).
As per claim 7, Deng further discloses wherein: the transform kernel incudes a first transform kernel associated with a horizontal primary transform and a second transform kernel associated with a vertical primary transform, and the first transform kernel and the second transform kernel are determined according to a relative position of the first subblock to the current block (See Deng [0053]).
As per claim 8, Deng further discloses partitioning the current block into the plurality of subblocks based on a template type of the template of the current block (See Deng [0376]-[0378]).
As per claim 11, Deng further wherein the partitioning the current block further comprises: partitioning the current block into the plurality of subblocks in a fixed size, the fixed size including one of 4 by 4 and 8 by 8 (See Deng [0141] and [0300]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
8. 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.
9. Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng et al. (US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0305824) in view of Jhu et al. (US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0163454).
Regarding claim 10, it is noted that although Deng discloses partitioning (See Deng [0141]), it is silent about partitioning the current block based on a binary-tree partition when a ratio of a width and a height of the current block is 2 to 1; and partitioning the current block based on a quad-tree partition when the width of the current block is equal to the height of the current block.
However, Jhu teaches partitioning the current block based on a binary-tree partition when a ratio of a width and a height of the current block is 2 to 1; and partitioning the current block based on a quad-tree partition when the width of the current block is equal to the height of the current block (See Jhu [0081]).
Therefore, it is considered obvious that one skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would recognize the advantage of modifying Deng to incorporate Jhu’s teachings to teach partitioning the current block based on a binary-tree partition when a ratio of a width and a height of the current block is 2 to 1; and partitioning the current block based on a quad-tree partition when the width of the current block is equal to the height of the current block. The motivation for performing such a modification in Deng is to achieve better performance.
10. Claims 4-5, 9, 12, 14, 18, 19 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.
The Claims are allowable over the prior art of record since the references taken individually or in combination fail to teach or suggest, in addition to the limitations of the independent claims, wherein the determining the intra prediction mode of the first subblock further comprises: determining an intensity and an orientation of a gradient for each of a plurality of pixels in the template of the first subblock; determining an intra prediction mode for each of the plurality of pixels in the template of the first subblock based on the orientation of the gradient of the respective pixel; generating a histogram of the intra prediction modes of the plurality of pixels in the template of the first subblock, an amplitude value of each of the intra prediction modes being based on the intensity of each of the plurality of pixels associated with the respective intra prediction mode; and determining the intra prediction mode from the intra prediction modes in the histogram that corresponds to a largest amplitude value of the amplitude values of the intra prediction modes.
The prior art further fails to teach or suggest determining a template for a combination of subblocks of the current block that includes the first subblock and a third subblock of the plurality of subblocks, the first subblock being adjacent to the third subblock, the template of the combination of subblocks of the current block including at least one of a part of the template of the current block and reconstructed samples of one or more subblocks of the current block that are adjacent to the first subblock and the third subblock; determining an intra prediction mode of the combination of subblocks of the current block based on gradient information of the template for the combination of subblocks of the current block; and obtaining a transform set for the combination of subblocks of the current block based on the intra prediction mode.
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See the Notice of References Cited (PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GIMS S PHILIPPE whose telephone number is (571)272-7336. The examiner can normally be reached Maxi Flex.
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/GIMS S PHILIPPE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2424
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