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 07/09/2025 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHANG et al. (US 20200382795 A1, Zhang).
Regarding claim 1. Zhang discloses a method for video processing, comprising:
applying, for a conversion between a current video block of a video and a bitstream of the video, a bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) process on a subblock of the current video block, a size of the subblock being dependent on information associated with the current video block ([0104] and [0180]; Figures 12A-12B and 20; “[0104] In the JEM, an MC block corresponds to a coding block. When a CU is coded with sub-CU mode (includes sub-CU merge, affine and FRUC mode), each sub-block of the CU is a MC block. To process CU boundaries in a uniform fashion, OBMC is performed at sub-block level for all MC block boundaries, where sub-block size is set equal to 4x4, as shown In FIGS. 12A and 12B,”; “[0180] In bi-directional optical flow (BDOF or BIO), motion compensation is first performed to generate the first predictions (in each prediction direction) of the current block. The first predictions are used to derive the spatial gradient, the temporal gradient and the optical flow of each sub-block or pixel within the block, which are then used to generate the second prediction, e.g., the final prediction of the sub-block or pixel,”); and
performing the conversion based on the applying ([0006]; “This method includes enabling, based on one or more picture order count (POC) parameters associated with a picture of a current block of video, either a first prediction mode or a second prediction mode different from the first prediction mode, the first prediction mode being a coding mode using optical flow; and performing, based on the first mode or the second mode, a conversion between the current block and a bitstream representation of the video,”).
Regarding claim 2. Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of the following:
a color component of the current video block ([0521]; “performing, upon a determination that a coding mode using optical flow has been enabled for a current block of video, a filtering operation using a single type of interpolation filter for each color component of the current block;...wherein the coding mode using optical flow comprises a bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) prediction mode,”),
a color format of the current video block,
coded information of the current video block,
information of at least one prediction block of the current video block, or
a value of a quantization parameter (QP) associated with the current video block ([0521]; “performing, upon a determination that a coding mode using optical flow has been enabled for a current block of video, a filtering operation using a single type of interpolation filter for each color component of the current block;...wherein the coding mode using optical flow comprises a bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) prediction mode,”).
Regarding claim 3. Zhang discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the coded information comprises at least one of the following:
residual information, or a coding tool applied to the current video block ([0087] and [0276]; “[0087] future video coding technologies are explored using a reference software known as the Joint Exploration Model (JEM). In JEM, sub-block based prediction is adopted in several coding tools, such as affine prediction, alternative temporal motion vector prediction (ATMVP), spatial-temporal motion vector prediction (STMVP), bi-directional optical flow (BDOF or BIO),”; “[0276] The CCLM prediction mode also includes prediction between the two chroma components, i.e., the Cr component is predicted from the Cb component. Instead of using the reconstructed sample signal, the CCLM Cb-to-C'r prediction is applied in residual domain,”), or
wherein the at least one prediction block comprises a plurality of prediction blocks from a plurality of reference picture lists of the current video block ([0476]; “Suppose the weighting values are WO and W1 for RefO and Ref1 in the GBi process, then prediction blocks are firstly weighted before deriving the variables used in BIO procedure, such as SAD calculation, gradient calculation,”), or
wherein the quantization parameter associated with the current video block comprises one of the following: a quantization parameter of the current video block, a quantization parameter of a current coding unit (CU) comprising the current video block, a quantization parameter of a current slice comprising the current video block, or a quantization parameter of a sequence comprising the current video block, or
wherein if the value of the quantization parameter associated with the current video block is less than a first value, the size of the subblock is W1xHl, and each of W1 and Hl is an integer, or if the value of the quantization parameter associated with the current video block is greater than the first value, the size of the subblock is W2xH2, and each of W2 and H2 is an integer, or if the value of the quantization parameter associated with the current video block is equal to the first value, the size of the subblock is W3 xH3, and each of W3 and H3 is an integer.
Regarding claim 4. Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the size of the subblock is determined at an encoder or a decoder (0190; Figures 22A-22B), or
wherein an increase or a decrease of the size of the subblock is determined at an encoder, or the increase or the decrease of the size of the subblock is determined at a decoder (0190; Figures 22A-22B).
Regarding claim 5. Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the BDOF process is applied to obtain a first set of offsets for a first prediction from a first reference picture list of the current video block and a second set of offsets for a second prediction from a second reference picture list of the current video block, and the first set of offsets and the second set of offsets are asymmetric (0087, 0180-0184 and 0190-0196; Figures 21-23 and 27).
Regarding claim 6. Zhang discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the first set of offsets are represented as (vx0, vy0), the second set of offsets are represented as (-vx1, -vy1), each of vx0, vy0, vx1, and vy1 is a real number or an integer (0184; Figure 24).
Regarding claim 7. Zhang discloses the method of claim 6, wherein vx1 is different from vx0, and vy1 is different from vy0 (0184-0185; Figure 24).
Regarding claim 13. Zhang discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the BDOF process is applied for at least one of a BDOF MV refinement or a BDOF sample adjustment, or
wherein information regarding at least one of the following is dependent on at least one picture order count (POC) distance associated with the current video block: whether to apply the BDOF process, or how to apply the BDOF process (0184; Figure 24), or
wherein information regarding at least one of the following is dependent on a bi-prediction with coding unit level weight (BCW) weight for the current video block: whether to apply the BDOF process, or how to apply the BDOF process, or
wherein information regarding at least one of the following is dependent on at least one template of the current video block or at least one reference template of one of the at least one template: whether to apply the BDOF process, or how to apply the BDOF process.
Regarding claim 14. Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the BDOF process is allowed to be applied on a further video block of the video in combination with a first coding tool, or if a second coding tool is applied on the further video block, the BDOF process is not applied on the further video block (0196).
Regarding claim 15. Zhang discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the first coding tool or the second coding tool comprises at least one of the following: a local illumination compensation (LIC), an overlap subblock based motion compensation (OBMC), a combined inter and intra prediction (CIIP), or a symmetric motion vector difference (SMVD) (0087), or
wherein the further video block is coded with a plurality of BCW weights that are non-equal, or
wherein a plurality of reference blocks of the further video block are on the same side of a current frame comprising the current video block, or
wherein a plurality of reference blocks of the further video block are on different sides of a current frame comprising the current video block.
Regarding claim 16. Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the conversion includes encoding the current video block into the bitstream (0531-0532; Figure 29).
Regarding claim 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion includes decoding the current video block from the bitstream (0531, 0532 and 0534; Figures 29-30).
Regarding claim 18. An apparatus for video processing claim 18 is drawn to the apparatus corresponding to the method of using same as claimed in claim 1. Therefore, apparatus claim 18 corresponds to method claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above.
Regarding claim 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium claim 19 is drawn to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of using the corresponding to the method of using the same as claimed in claim 1. Therefore, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium claim 19 corresponds to the method claim 1, and is rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above.
Regarding claim 20. Claim 20 directed to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (CRM) storing a bitstream generated by a method performed by an apparatus for video processing. The claim does not recite that the CRM contains executable instruction, that when executed, implement the method. The bitstream is a product produced by the video processing method. Therefore, the claims are not limited to the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps. (See MPEP 2113 - Product-by-Process claims.) Hence, the encoding method steps recited are given patentable weight only to structures in the bitstream that are implied by the steps.
To be given patentable weight, the CRM and the bitstream (i.e. descriptive material) must be in a functional relationship. A functional relationship can be found where the descriptive material performs some function with respect to the CRM to which it is associated. See MPEP §2111.05(I)(A). When a claimed “computer-readable medium merely serves as a support for information or data, no functional relationship exists”. MPEP §2111.05(III).
The CRM storing the claimed bitstream in claim 20 merely services as a support for the CRM of the bitstream and provides no functional relationship between the stored bitstream and the CRM.
Therefore, the structure bitstream, which scope is implied by the method steps, is non-functional descriptive material and given no patentable weight. MPEP §2111.05(III).
Thus, the claim scope is just a storage medium storing data and is anticipated by Zhang which recites a storage medium storing a bitstream ([0534]; “The output of the coding component 3004 may be either stored, or transmitted via a communication connected, as represented by the component 3006,”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASMAMAW G TARKO whose telephone number is (571)272-7493. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chris Kelley can be reached at (571) 272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ASMAMAW G TARKO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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