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 7/11/25 is/are 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.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 8/25/25. These drawings are acceptable.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 11-15 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yin et al. (US 2024/0187580).
Regarding claim 1, Yin discloses a method for video decoding (see 4320 in fig. 13), comprising: receiving, by a decoder (see 4324 in fig. 13), a video signal that comprises a first component and a second component (see YUV in fig. 3); receiving, by the decoder, a plurality of offsets associated with the second component (see SAO in fig. 3); obtaining, by the decoder, a classifier associated with the second component according to a residual sample value of the first component (see CCSAO in fig. 3); selecting, by the decoder, an offset from the plurality of offsets for the second component according to the classifier (see inputs to “+” in fig. 3); and obtaining, by the decoder, a modified sample value of the second component based on the offset that is selected (see output of “+” in fig. 3; e.g. see ¶ [0175]-[0176]).
Regarding claims 2 and 15, Yin further discloses wherein the residual sample value is obtained according to one of following values: a value of a collocated residual sample of the first component relative to a residual sample of the second component (see 400 in fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Yin further discloses wherein the classifier is a joint classifier that is determined according to a combination of residual samples (e.g. see ¶ [0136]) and at least one of reconstructed samples or edge strengths (e.g. see ¶ [0070]).
Regarding claim 12, Yin further discloses wherein selecting the offset from the plurality of offsets for the second component according to the classifier (e.g. see ¶ [0070]); and obtaining the modified sample value of the second component based on the offset that is selected comprises: selecting the offset from the plurality of offsets for the second component according to the joint classifier (e.g. see ¶ [0072]); and obtaining the modified sample value of the second component based on a sample offset comprising the offset that is selected and at least one of a band offset or an edge offset (see output UV in fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Yin further discloses comprising: storing, by the decoder, the classifier and the offset that is selected in a memory or Adaptation Parameter Set (APS) for future use in following video frames (e.g. see ¶ [0102]).
Regarding claim 14, the claim(s) recites a method for encoding (see 4310 in fig. 13) with analogous limitations to claim 1, and is/are therefore rejected on the same premise.
Regarding claim 17, the claim(s) recite an apparatus (e.g. see ¶ [0183]) with analogous limitations to claim 1, and is/are therefore rejected on the same premise.
Regarding claim 18, Yin further discloses comprising: one or more processors (e.g. see ¶ [0183]); and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions executable by the one or more processors (e.g. see ¶ [0183]), wherein the one or more processors, upon execution of the instructions, are configured to perform the method in claim 14.
Regarding claim 19, Yin further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a bitstream (e.g. see ¶ [0034]) generated by the method in claim 14.
Regarding claim 20, Yin further discloses a method for storing a bitstream, comprising: performing the method in claim 14 to generate a bitstream; and storing the bitstream (e.g. see ¶ [0034]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 3 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yin in view of Xiu et al. (US 2022/0303580).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, Yin does not discloses wherein the residual sample value of the first component comprises one of following values: a first residual sample value of the first component after chroma scaling in Luma Mapping with Chroma Scaling (LMCS); or a second residual sample value of the first component before LMCS, wherein a switch syntax element indicates whether the first residual sample value or the second residual sample value is used, and wherein the switch syntax element is fixed or signalled in one or more of Sequence Parameter Set (SPS), Adaptation Parameter Set (APS), Picture parameter set (PPS), Picture header (PH), Slice header (SH), Region, Coding tree unit (CTU), Coding unit (CU), Subblock, and Sample levels.
However, Xiu discloses a coding system wherein the residual sample value of the first component comprises one of following values: a first residual sample value of the first component after chroma scaling in Luma Mapping with Chroma Scaling (LMCS) (e.g. see ¶ [0009]), wherein a switch syntax element indicates whether the first residual sample value or the second residual sample value is used (e.g. see ¶ [0009]), and wherein the switch syntax element is fixed or signalled in one or more of Slice header (SH) (e.g. see ¶ [0009]).
Given the teachings as a whole, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate Xiu teachings of LMCS into Yin video processing for the benefit of processing different luma to chroma format.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 4-10 is/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 following is an Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: claim 4 discloses wherein obtaining the classifier associated with the second component according to the residual sample value of the first component comprises: obtaining the classifier associated with the second component according to the residual sample value of the first component and a number of bands divided from a range of residual sample values of the first component.
The closest prior art Yin and Xiu fails to anticipate or render the above underlined limitation obvious.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Citation of Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1. Kotra et al. (US 2023/0336734), discloses SAO filtering with luma chroma classification.
2. Li et al. (US 2022/0182635), discloses cross-component sample adaptive offset.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD T TORRENTE whose telephone number is (571)270-3702. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 6:45-3:15 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jay Patel can be reached at (571) 272-2988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD T TORRENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2485
