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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 7/9/2025, is being considered by the examiner.
Objections
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “a low-resolution version of a predicted sub block” must be shown or the feature(s) must be canceled from the claims 1-18. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 of this title, 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.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Claims 1, 5-6, 10, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (US Patent Application Publication US 2018/0176596 A1), (“Jeong”), in view of Zhao et al. (US Patent Application Publication US 2015/0103906 A1), (“Zhao”).
Regarding claim 1, Jeong meets the claim limitations as follows.
A method (encoding and decoding method) [Jeong: para. 0001] comprising: partitioning (The partition unit 190 may divide an input image into a block) [Jeong: para. 0135] a block of a video into sub partitions (size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128,
64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form) [Jeong: para. 0136]; selecting (select from a candidate group of a prediction mode) [Jeong: para. 0201] an encoding mode (i.e. The division flag may be used for quad-tree division, and also may be used for binary-tree division. In binary-tree division, a division direction may be determined according to at least one of a division depth, a coding mode, a prediction mode, a size, a form, a type may be one of the coding type, a prediction type, a transform type, a quantization type, an entropy type, or an inloop filter, or may be one of a luma type or a chroma type), a slice type, a division available depth limit, and a minimum/maximum division available size of a block, or according to a combination thereof) [Jeong: para. 0153] using matrix-based intra prediction for the partitioned block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301];
for each of the sub block (for each block) [Jeong: para. 0157], predicting samples of the sub block by (for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block) [Jeong: para. 0299]:
averaging samples (using a reference pixel average value) [Jeong: para. 0243] of a line of reconstructed reference samples (using a reference pixel positioned on a prediction directional line) [Jeong: para. 0245] adjacent on top of the block (i.e. selecting) [Jeong: para. 0153] and a column of reconstructed reference samples adjacent on the left of the block (In one embodiment, in order to reduce a bit amount
of a prediction mode, the prediction mode encoding unit may use a mode of at least one neighbor block to prediction a mode of the current block. A mode having a higher probability of being identical to a mode of the current block (most_probable_mode, MPM) may be included in a candidate group. Modes of the neighbor block may be included in the above candidate group. For example, prediction modes of left upper, left lower, upper, and right upper blocks of the
current block may be included in the above candidate group) [Jeong: para. 0253] to determine a one-dimensional vector (A size and form of each transform block may be determined according to an encoding cost for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block, and division information such as image data of the each determined transform block and a size and form of each determined
transform block, etc. may be encoded. Transform may be performed by a one-dimensional transform matrix) [Jeong: para. 0299-0300];
determining a low-resolution version of a predicted sub block (In detail, the partition unit 190 may be configured with a picture partition unit and a block partition unit. A size of form of the block may be determined according to a characteristic and a resolution of an image. A size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form. For example, in case of an 8k UHD image
with a high resolution, the input image may be divided into a 256x256 block size, in case of a HD image, the input image may be divided into a 128x128 block size, and in case of a WVGA image, the input image may be divided into a 16x16 block size) [Jeong: para. 0136] – Note: 16x16, 8x8, and 4x5 are considered low resolution version of a predicted sub block) by multiplying the vector with a matrix (A filter that is fundamentally applied is a low pass filter, and a number of taps, a filter coefficient, whether or not to encode a filter flag, a number of filter applying times, etc. may be determined by the above factors) [Jeong: para. 0242] – Note: It is known in the arts that image filtering performs multiplying a vector of filter coefficients with a matrix, which is a block of pixels. In addition, wavelet filter decomposition can generate a low resolution);
determining a full size resolution of the predicted sub block by performing a linear interpolation ((performing interpolation) [Jeong: para. 0037]; (In order to perform more precise prediction by performing block matching, interpolation is performed in a resolution of a real number unit) [Jeong: para. 0321]) to expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block; and
encoding the block and signaling information (performing the reference pixel filtering, generating a prediction block by performing intra-prediction; and encoding a prediction mode of the generated prediction block) [Jeong: para. 0034], wherein the block is coded in intra-sub partition mode (FIG. 9 is an example view for illustrating intra prediction in the image encoding method according to an
embodiment of the present invention) [Jeong: para. 0079; Fig. 9] and the signaling information comprises at least an information (Information of the block size or form may be set in a sequence unit, a picture unit, a slice unit, etc. In addition, information for the same may be transmitted to the decoder. In other words, the information may be set in a sequence parameter set, a picture parameter set, a slice header, or a combination unit thereof) [Jeong: para. 0137] representative of the use of matrix-based intra prediction for the block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix
based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301].
Jeong does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block.
However, in the same field of endeavor Zhao further discloses the deficient claim limitations as follows:
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block (As one example, assume that the depth block being intra-prediction encoded or decoded is a 32x32 sized depth block. In this example, video encoder 20 may signal an index into a partition pattern list for blocks of size 16x16. Video
decoder 30 may receive the index into the partition pattern list for blocks of size 16xl6 and determine the partition pattern from partition patterns for blocks of size 16x16. In this example, both video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may be
configured to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block from the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16xl 6. As one example, video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may upsample the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16x16 to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block) [Zhao: para. 0134].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong with Zhao to program the system to implement of Zhao’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong with Zhao will enable the system to increase the efficiency of implementing intra-prediction encoding and decoding for line-based partitioning [Zhao: para. 158].
Regarding claim 5, FEBC meets the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1. FEBC further meets the claim limitations as follow.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions (a memory storing a program or a program code) [Jeong: para. 0051] which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out method according to claim 1 (a processor connected to the memory and executing the program) [Jeong: para. 0051].
Regarding claim 6, Jeong meets the claim limitations as follows.
An apparatus (the method and the device select a prediction candidate from reference blocks of a reference picture including a current picture, and use the selected prediction candidate to derive motion information for a current block when encoding and decoding an image) [Jeong: para. 0001] comprising:
a memory (a memory storing a program or a program code) [Jeong: para. 0051]; anda processor configured to (a processor connected to the memory and executing the program) [Jeong: para. 0051]: partition (The partition unit 190 may divide an input image into a block) [Jeong: para. 0135] a block of a video into sub partitions (size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128,
64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form) [Jeong: para. 0136]; select (select from a candidate group of a prediction mode) [Jeong: para. 0201] an encoding mode (i.e. The division flag may be used for quad-tree division, and also may be used for binary-tree division. In binary-tree division, a division direction may be determined according to at least one of a division depth, a coding mode, a prediction mode, a size, a form, a type may be one of the coding type, a prediction type, a transform type, a quantization type, an entropy type, or an inloop filter, or may be one of a luma type or a chroma type), a slice type, a division available depth limit, and a minimum/maximum division available size of a block, or according to a combination thereof) [Jeong: para. 0153] using matrix-based intra prediction for the partitioned block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301];
for each of the sub block (for each block) [Jeong: para. 0157], predicting samples of the sub block by (for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block) [Jeong: para. 0299]:
averaging samples (using a reference pixel average value) [Jeong: para. 0243] of a line of reconstructed reference samples (using a reference pixel positioned on a prediction directional line) [Jeong: para. 0245] adjacent on top of the block (i.e. selecting) [Jeong: para. 0153] and a column of reconstructed reference samples adjacent on the left of the block (In one embodiment, in order to reduce a bit amount
of a prediction mode, the prediction mode encoding unit may use a mode of at least one neighbor block to prediction a mode of the current block. A mode having a higher probability of being identical to a mode of the current block (most_probable_mode, MPM) may be included in a candidate group. Modes of the neighbor block may be included in the above candidate group. For example, prediction modes of left upper, left lower, upper, and right upper blocks of the
current block may be included in the above candidate group) [Jeong: para. 0253] to determine a one-dimensional vector (A size and form of each transform block may be determined according to an encoding cost for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block, and division information such as image data of the each determined transform block and a size and form of each determined
transform block, etc. may be encoded. Transform may be performed by a one-dimensional transform matrix) [Jeong: para. 0299-0300];
determine a low-resolution version of a predicted sub block (In detail, the partition unit 190 may be configured with a picture partition unit and a block partition unit. A size of form of the block may be determined according to a characteristic and a resolution of an image. A size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form. For example, in case of an 8k UHD image
with a high resolution, the input image may be divided into a 256x256 block size, in case of a HD image, the input image may be divided into a 128x128 block size, and in case of a WVGA image, the input image may be divided into a 16x16 block size) [Jeong: para. 0136] – Note: 16x16, 8x8, and 4x5 are considered low resolution version of a predicted sub block) by multiplying the vector with a matrix (A filter that is fundamentally applied is a low pass filter, and a number of taps, a filter coefficient, whether or not to encode a filter flag, a number of filter applying times, etc. may be determined by the above factors) [Jeong: para. 0242] – Note: It is known in the arts that image filtering performs multiplying a vector of filter coefficients with a matrix, which is a block of pixels. In addition, wavelet filter decomposition can generate a low resolution);
determine a full size resolution of the predicted sub block by performing a linear interpolation ((performing interpolation) [Jeong: para. 0037]; (In order to perform more precise prediction by performing block matching, interpolation is performed in a resolution of a real number unit) [Jeong: para. 0321]) to expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block; and
encode the block and signaling information (performing the reference pixel filtering, generating a prediction block by performing intra-prediction; and encoding a prediction mode of the generated prediction block) [Jeong: para. 0034], wherein the block is coded in intra-sub partition mode (FIG. 9 is an example view for illustrating intra prediction in the image encoding method according to an
embodiment of the present invention) [Jeong: para. 0079; Fig. 9] and the signaling information comprises at least an information (Information of the block size or form may be set in a sequence unit, a picture unit, a slice unit, etc. In addition, information for the same may be transmitted to the decoder. In other words, the information may be set in a sequence parameter set, a picture parameter set, a slice header, or a combination unit thereof) [Jeong: para. 0137] representative of the use of matrix-based intra prediction for the block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix
based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301].
Jeong does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block.
However, in the same field of endeavor Zhao further discloses the deficient claim limitations as follows:
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block (As one example, assume that the depth block being intra-prediction encoded or decoded is a 32x32 sized depth block. In this example, video encoder 20 may signal an index into a partition pattern list for blocks of size 16x16. Video
decoder 30 may receive the index into the partition pattern list for blocks of size 16xl6 and determine the partition pattern from partition patterns for blocks of size 16x16. In this example, both video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may be
configured to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block from the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16xl 6. As one example, video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may upsample the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16x16 to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block) [Zhao: para. 0134].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong with Zhao to program the system to implement of Zhao’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong with Zhao will enable the system to increase the efficiency of implementing intra-prediction encoding and decoding for line-based partitioning [Zhao: para. 158].
Regarding claim 10, Jeong meets the claim limitations as follows.
A method (encoding and decoding method) [Jeong: para. 0001] comprising: obtaining information (select from a candidate group of a prediction mode) [Jeong: para. 0201] representative of a block of video coded (i.e. The division flag may be used for quad-tree division, and also may be used for binary-tree division. In binary-tree division, a division direction may be determined according to at least one of a division depth, a coding mode, a prediction mode, a size, a form, a type may be one of the coding type, a prediction type, a transform type, a quantization type, an entropy type, or an inloop filter, or may be one of a luma type or a chroma type), a slice type, a division available depth limit, and a minimum/maximum division available size of a block, or according to a combination thereof) [Jeong: para. 0153] using an intra-sub partition mode and information representative of the use of matrix-based intra prediction for the block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301];
partitioning (The partition unit 190 may divide an input image into a block) [Jeong: para. 0135] a block of a video into sub partitions (size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128,
64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form) [Jeong: para. 0136]; for each of the sub block (for each block) [Jeong: para. 0157], predicting samples of the sub block by (for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block) [Jeong: para. 0299]:
averaging samples (using a reference pixel average value) [Jeong: para. 0243] of a line of reconstructed reference samples (using a reference pixel positioned on a prediction directional line) [Jeong: para. 0245] adjacent on top of the block (i.e. selecting) [Jeong: para. 0153] and a column of reconstructed reference samples adjacent on the left of the block (In one embodiment, in order to reduce a bit amount
of a prediction mode, the prediction mode encoding unit may use a mode of at least one neighbor block to prediction a mode of the current block. A mode having a higher probability of being identical to a mode of the current block (most_probable_mode, MPM) may be included in a candidate group. Modes of the neighbor block may be included in the above candidate group. For example, prediction modes of left upper, left lower, upper, and right upper blocks of the
current block may be included in the above candidate group) [Jeong: para. 0253] to determine a one-dimensional vector (A size and form of each transform block may be determined according to an encoding cost for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block, and division information such as image data of the each determined transform block and a size and form of each determined
transform block, etc. may be encoded. Transform may be performed by a one-dimensional transform matrix) [Jeong: para. 0299-0300];
determining a low-resolution version of a predicted sub block (In detail, the partition unit 190 may be configured with a picture partition unit and a block partition unit. A size of form of the block may be determined according to a characteristic and a resolution of an image. A size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form. For example, in case of an 8k UHD image
with a high resolution, the input image may be divided into a 256x256 block size, in case of a HD image, the input image may be divided into a 128x128 block size, and in case of a WVGA image, the input image may be divided into a 16x16 block size) [Jeong: para. 0136] – Note: 16x16, 8x8, and 4x5 are considered low resolution version of a predicted sub block) by multiplying the vector with a matrix (A filter that is fundamentally applied is a low pass filter, and a number of taps, a filter coefficient, whether or not to encode a filter flag, a number of filter applying times, etc. may be determined by the above factors) [Jeong: para. 0242] – Note: It is known in the arts that image filtering performs multiplying a vector of filter coefficients with a matrix, which is a block of pixels. In addition, wavelet filter decomposition can generate a low resolution);
determining a full size resolution of the predicted sub block by performing a linear interpolation ((performing interpolation) [Jeong: para. 0037]; (In order to perform more precise prediction by performing block matching, interpolation is performed in a resolution of a real number unit) [Jeong: para. 0321]) to expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block; and
decoding the block (decoding an encoded image) [Jeong: para. 0051].
Jeong does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block.
However, in the same field of endeavor Zhao further discloses the deficient claim limitations as follows:
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block (As one example, assume that the depth block being intra-prediction encoded or decoded is a 32x32 sized depth block. In this example, video encoder 20 may signal an index into a partition pattern list for blocks of size 16x16. Video
decoder 30 may receive the index into the partition pattern list for blocks of size 16xl6 and determine the partition pattern from partition patterns for blocks of size 16x16. In this example, both video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may be
configured to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block from the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16xl 6. As one example, video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may upsample the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16x16 to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block.) [Zhao: para. 0134].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong with Zhao to program the system to implement of Zhao’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong with Zhao will enable the system to increase the efficiency of implementing intra-prediction encoding and decoding for line-based partitioning [Zhao: para. 158].
Regarding claim 14, FEBC meets the claim limitations as set forth in claim 10. FEBC further meets the claim limitations as follow.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions (a memory storing a program or a program code) [Jeong: para. 0051] which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out method according to claim 1 (including a memory storing a program or a program code for generating a reconstructed image by entropy decoding an encoded image, performing dequantization on the entropy decoded image, and performing inverse-transform on the dequantized image, and a processor connected to the memory and executing the program) [Jeong: para. 0051].
Regarding claim 15, Jeong meets the claim limitations as follows.
An apparatus (the method and the device select a prediction candidate from reference blocks of a reference picture including a current picture, and use the selected prediction candidate to derive motion information for a current block when encoding and decoding an image) [Jeong: para. 0001] comprising:
a memory (a memory storing a program or a program code) [Jeong: para. 0051]; anda processor configured to (a processor connected to the memory and executing the program) [Jeong: para. 0051]: obtain information (select from a candidate group of a prediction mode) [Jeong: para. 0201] representative of a block of video coded (i.e. The division flag may be used for quad-tree division, and also may be used for binary-tree division. In binary-tree division, a division direction may be determined according to at least one of a division depth, a coding mode, a prediction mode, a size, a form, a type may be one of the coding type, a prediction type, a transform type, a quantization type, an entropy type, or an inloop filter, or may be one of a luma type or a chroma type), a slice type, a division available depth limit, and a minimum/maximum division available size of a block, or according to a combination thereof) [Jeong: para. 0153] using an intra-sub partition mode and information representative of the use of matrix-based intra prediction for the block (For example, in case of intra- prediction, when a prediction mode is a horizontal direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a vertical direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a horizontal direction. In addition, when the prediction mode is a vertical direction, a transform matrix based on a DCT may be used in a horizontal direction, and a transform matrix based on a DST may be used in a vertical direction) [Jeong: para. 0301];
partition (The partition unit 190 may divide an input image into a block) [Jeong: para. 0135] a block of a video into sub partitions (size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128,
64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form) [Jeong: para. 0136]; for each of the sub block (for each block) [Jeong: para. 0157], predicting samples of the sub block by (for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block) [Jeong: para. 0299]:
averaging samples (using a reference pixel average value) [Jeong: para. 0243] of a line of reconstructed reference samples (using a reference pixel positioned on a prediction directional line) [Jeong: para. 0245] adjacent on top of the block (i.e. selecting) [Jeong: para. 0153] and a column of reconstructed reference samples adjacent on the left of the block (In one embodiment, in order to reduce a bit amount
of a prediction mode, the prediction mode encoding unit may use a mode of at least one neighbor block to prediction a mode of the current block. A mode having a higher probability of being identical to a mode of the current block (most_probable_mode, MPM) may be included in a candidate group. Modes of the neighbor block may be included in the above candidate group. For example, prediction modes of left upper, left lower, upper, and right upper blocks of the
current block may be included in the above candidate group) [Jeong: para. 0253] to determine a one-dimensional vector (A size and form of each transform block may be determined according to an encoding cost for each candidate of a size and form of the transform block, and division information such as image data of the each determined transform block and a size and form of each determined
transform block, etc. may be encoded. Transform may be performed by a one-dimensional transform matrix) [Jeong: para. 0299-0300];
determine a low-resolution version of a predicted sub block (In detail, the partition unit 190 may be configured with a picture partition unit and a block partition unit. A size of form of the block may be determined according to a characteristic and a resolution of an image. A size or form of a block supported by the picture partition unit may be an MxN square form represented by the exponential power of 2 in horizontal and vertical lengths (256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 32x32, 16x16, 8x8, 4x4, etc.) or may be an MxN rectangle form. For example, in case of an 8k UHD image
with a high resolution, the input image may be divided into a 256x256 block size, in case of a HD image, the input image may be divided into a 128x128 block size, and in case of a WVGA image, the input image may be divided into a 16x16 block size) [Jeong: para. 0136] – Note: 16x16, 8x8, and 4x5 are considered low resolution version of a predicted sub block) by multiplying the vector with a matrix (A filter that is fundamentally applied is a low pass filter, and a number of taps, a filter coefficient, whether or not to encode a filter flag, a number of filter applying times, etc. may be determined by the above factors) [Jeong: para. 0242] – Note: It is known in the arts that image filtering performs multiplying a vector of filter coefficients with a matrix, which is a block of pixels. In addition, wavelet filter decomposition can generate a low resolution);
determine a full size resolution of the predicted sub block by performing a linear interpolation ((performing interpolation) [Jeong: para. 0037]; (In order to perform more precise prediction by performing block matching, interpolation is performed in a resolution of a real number unit) [Jeong: para. 0321]) to expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block; and
decoding the block (decoding an encoded image) [Jeong: para. 0051].
Jeong does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block.
However, in the same field of endeavor Zhao further discloses the deficient claim limitations as follows:
expand the low-resolution version of the predicted sub block matrix to the size of the block (As one example, assume that the depth block being intra-prediction encoded or decoded is a 32x32 sized depth block. In this example, video encoder 20 may signal an index into a partition pattern list for blocks of size 16x16. Video
decoder 30 may receive the index into the partition pattern list for blocks of size 16xl6 and determine the partition pattern from partition patterns for blocks of size 16x16. In this example, both video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may be
configured to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block from the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16xl 6. As one example, video encoder 20 and video decoder 30 may upsample the determined partition pattern for blocks of size 16x16 to determine the partition pattern for the 32x32 sized depth block.) [Zhao: para. 0134].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong with Zhao to program the system to implement of Zhao’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong with Zhao will enable the system to increase the efficiency of implementing intra-prediction encoding and decoding for line-based partitioning [Zhao: para. 158].
Claims 2-4, 7-9, 11-13, and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (US Patent Application Publication US 2018/0176596 A1), (“Jeong”), in view of Zhao et al. (US Patent Application Publication US 2015/0103906 A1), (“Zhao”), in view of Choi et al. (US Patent 11,265,578 B2), (“Choi”).
Regarding claims 2, 7, 11, and 16, Jeong and Zhao meet the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1, 6, 10, and 15. Zhao further meets the following claim limitations.
performing a transform on predicted residuals (For further compression, the residual data may be transformed from the spatial domain to a transform domain, resulting in residual transform coefficients) [Zhao: para. 0134], the transform being selected as a DCT2 transform pair.
Jeong and Zhao do not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
the transform being selected as a DCT2 transform pair.
However, in the same field of endeavor Choi further meets the claim limitations as follow.
the transform being selected as a DCT2 transform pair (A chroma horizontal/vertical transform kernel may also be determined according to Case 3 in the table 720 when the variable transform kernel is used for the chroma block decoded in the intra prediction mode in the current slice because the syntax 'Slice_Intra_Chroma_AMT' is 1, and the luma block does not include the transformation coefficient that is not 0 because the syntax 'Luma_Cbf' is 0. Accordingly, the chroma horizontal transform kernel and the chroma vertical transform kernel for the current chroma 30 block may be determined respectively to the chroma horizontal transform kernel and the chroma vertical transform
kernel of the DCT2 type) [Choi: col. 25, line 22-33; Fig. 8].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong and Zhao with Choi to program the system to implement of Choi’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong and Zhao with Choi will enable the coding system to increase energy compression performance according to the transformation and the inverse transformation on the chroma block. In addition, performance degradation of chroma transformation, which may occur when a luma transform kernel is variably used whereas a chroma transform kernel is fixedly used, can be prevented [Choi: col. 2, line 48-58].
Regarding claims 3, 8, 12, and 17, Jeong and Zhao meet the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1, 6, 10, and 15. Zhao further meets the following claim limitations.
performing a transform on predicted residuals (For further compression, the residual data may be transformed from the spatial domain to a transform domain, resulting in residual transform coefficients) [Zhao: para. 0134], the transform being selected as using a transform pair comprising DST7 and DCT2.
Jeong and Zhao do not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations (Emphasis added).
the transform being selected as using a transform pair comprising DST7 and DCT2.
However, in the same field of endeavor Choi further meets the claim limitations as follow.
the transform being selected as a DCT2 transform pair (In other words, when a variable transform kernel is used for the luma coding block (Luma_ATM_CU = 1), the chroma horizontal transform kernel and the chroma vertical transform kernel for the current chroma block may be determined respectively to be a chroma horizontal transform kernel and a chroma vertical transform kernel of a DST7 type. This is the same as a horizontal/vertical transform kernel determined according to a transform kernel candidate set when a luma intra mode index is 15. However, when a fixed transform kernel is used for the luma coding block, the chroma horizontal transform kernel and the chroma vertical transform kernel for the
current chroma block may be determined respectively to the chroma horizontal transform kernel and the chroma vertical transform kernel of the DCT2 type) [Choi: col. 25, line 7-21].
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong and Zhao with Choi to program the system to implement of Choi’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong and Zhao with Choi will enable the coding system to increase energy compression performance according to the transformation and the inverse transformation on the chroma block. In addition, performance degradation of chroma transformation, which may occur when a luma transform kernel is variably used whereas a chroma transform kernel is fixedly used, can be prevented [Choi: col. 2, line 48-58].
Regarding claims 4, 9, 13, and 18, Jeong and Zhao meet the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1, 6, 10, and 15. Jeong and Zhao further meet the following claim limitations.
performing a transform on predicted residuals (For further compression, the residual data may be transformed from the spatial domain to a transform domain, resulting in residual transform coefficients) [Zhao: para. 0134], the transform being selected among a set of transforms (including information of the selected prediction block) [Jeong: para. 0212]; (i.e. In binary-tree division, a division direction may be determined according to at least one of a division depth, a coding mode, a prediction mode, a size, a form, a type may be one of the coding type, a prediction type, a transform type, a quantization type, an entropy type, or an inloop filter, or may be one of a luma type or a chroma type), a slice type, a division available depth limit, and a minimum/maximum division available size of a block, or according to a combination thereof) [Jeong: para. 0153] and the signaling information further comprising information representative of the selection (Finally, a prediction block is selected or obtained by using the above process. Information related to the above may be information of a prediction mode, and may be transmitted to the transform unit 210 so that the residue signal is encoded after the prediction block is obtained) [Jeong: para. 0212].
In addition, in the same field of endeavor Choi further meets the claim limitations as follow.
the transform being selected among a set of transforms and the signaling information further comprising information representative of the selection ((The present disclosure relates to a video decoding method and video decoding apparatus, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for performing transformation and inverse transformation on a chroma block by using a transform kernel selectable according to various encoding/decoding conditions) [Choi: col. 1, line 10-15]; (According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a video encoding method includes: performing transformation on a chroma block by using a certain transform kernel determined independently from a luma transform kernel for transformation of a luma block, and a chroma transform kernel determined by using the luma transform kernel; and generating chroma multi-transform kernel information indicating whether the chroma transform kernel is determined to
be among a plurality of chroma transform kernels; and encoding the chroma multi-transform kernel information and a transformation coefficient generated by performing the transformation on the chroma block) [Choi: col. 2, line 20-31]).
It would have been obvious to one with an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Jeong and Zhao with Choi to program the system to implement of Choi’s method.
Therefore, the combination of Jeong and Zhao with Choi will enable the coding system to increase energy compression performance according to the transformation and the inverse transformation on the chroma block. In addition, performance degradation of chroma transformation, which may occur when a luma transform kernel is variably used whereas a chroma transform kernel is fixedly used, can be prevented [Choi: col. 2, line 48-58].
Reference Notice
Additional prior arts, included in the Notice of Reference Cited, made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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