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(s) submitted on 7/11/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “a range around the sample to be filtered” in claim 7 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “around” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 20210314628 A1) (hereinafter Zhang).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses:
A method for processing video data comprising:
determining to employ an adaptive loop filter (ALF) that uses side information as an input, wherein the ALF receives at least one selected from a group consisting of: [See Zhang, ¶ 0065-0070, 0156 discloses signaling side information which enables adaptive loop filtering (ALF) and particularly, filter coefficients used in a non-linear adaptive loop filtering procedure.]
a residual sample of a current picture, a prediction sample of the current picture, a reconstructed sample prior to application of deblocking filter (DBF), a reconstructed sample prior to application of the ALF or prior to application of a cross component ALF (CCALF), [See Zhang, ¶ 0010-0013, 0042 contextualizes that reconstructed samples may further be processed through various “in-loop” filtering operations to generate reference samples, or reference blocks, or reference pictures used for further encoding. Particularly, that ALF is located at the last processing stage of each picture and functions as a tool trying to catch and fix artifacts created by previous stages; See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses signaling side information providing parameters for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region by using a non-linear adaptive loop filter.] a forward reference picture or a backward reference picture, an output of an offline-trained-filter, an output of a Gauss filter, and an output of a low-pass filter, as the side information; and
performing a conversion between a visual media data and a bitstream based on the ALF. [See Zhang, ¶ 0156, Fig. 9 discloses performing a conversion between a coded representation of a video (a bitstream) comprising one or more video regions and the video (visual media data) by using an adaptive loop filter (ALF).]
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information is used directly without modification; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0065-0076 discloses signaling sign information with “modification” via a clipping function, and without such modification.]
wherein the side information is filtered into at least one selected from a group consisting of a range, a domain and a bit-depth.
Regarding claim 3, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information is used for classification or filtering in the ALF [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information identifying filter coefficients used in ALF.] or for filtering in the CCALF; or
wherein modified side information or prepared side information comprises a clipped residual sample, wherein the clipped residual sample is used for filtering in the ALF or in the CCALF.
Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein a first syntax element is included in the bitstream to indicate whether modified side information or prepared side information is enabled or used; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0082 discloses that selected clipping values are coded in the “alf_data” syntax element by using a Golomb encoding scheme corresponding to the index of the clipping value in the above Table 2. This encoding scheme is the same as the encoding scheme for the filter index.]
wherein the first syntax element is binarized by at least one selected from a group consisting of unary code, truncated unary code, fixed-length code, exponential Golomb code, and truncated exponential Golomb code; or
wherein the first syntax element is signaled independently for different color components.
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the ALF receives input from coded reference pictures, and wherein the coded reference pictures are accessed during application of at least one selected from a group consisting of: a deblocking filter (DBF), a sample adaptive offset (SAO), a cross component SAO (CCSAO), a bilateral filter (BF), a chroma BF (ChromaBF), the ALF, [See Zhang, ¶ 0042, 0128-0130 discloses that parameters (e.g., clipping parameters) used in NLALF may depend on temporal layer index/low delay check flag/reference pictures.] and the CCALF.
Regarding claim 6, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information, including at least one selected from a group consisting of a residual sample, [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information that provides a clipping parameter for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region using an adaptive loop filter, wherein the performing includes generating a filtered video unit by applying a clipping operation to sample differences (a residual sample) at a video region level.] a reconstruction sample at different stages, a coded reference picture, an output from a filter, a prediction sample, inserting a picture or frame, and a transform coefficient, is in a same color component as a sample to be filtered or in a different color component from the sample to be filtered. [See Zhang, ¶ 0155-0156 discloses that the clipping parameter is a function of a color representation format.]
Regarding claim 7, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information, including at least one selected from a group consisting of a residual sample, [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information that provides a clipping parameter for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region using an adaptive loop filter, wherein the performing includes generating a filtered video unit by applying a clipping operation to sample differences (a residual sample) at a video region level.] a reconstruction sample at different stages, a coded reference picture, an output from a filter, a prediction sample, inserting a picture or frame, and a transform coefficient, is obtained from a same position as a sample to be filtered or is obtained from a position within a range around the sample to be filtered. [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses the coded representation includes side information that provides a clipping parameter for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region using an adaptive loop filter.]
Regarding claim 8, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein a preparation of the side information is applied in the ALF or in the CCALF; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information identifying filter coefficients used in ALF.]
wherein the preparation of the side information for the ALF is applied as part of an in-loop filter tool, a pre-processing method, or a post-processing method.
Regarding claim 9, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of:
a residual sample of other coded pictures; [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information that provides a clipping parameter for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region using an adaptive loop filter, wherein the performing includes generating a filtered video unit by applying a clipping operation to sample differences (a residual sample) at a video region level.]
a prediction sample of other coded pictures;
a reconstructed sample prior to application of a sample adaptive offset (SAO), a cross component SAO (CCSAO), a bilateral filter (BF), or a Hadamard Transform Domain Filter (HTDF);
a reconstructed sample prior to application of any filter;
a long term reference picture;
an inserted picture generated from data inside a current GOP;
an inserted picture generated from data outside a current GOP;
an intra-prediction mode, a coding mode;
a reference index; [See Zhang, ¶ 0082 discloses that selected clipping values are coded in the “alf_data” syntax element by using a Golomb encoding scheme corresponding to the index of the clipping value in the above Table 2. This encoding scheme is the same as the encoding scheme for the filter index.]
a reference list;
a motion vector;
a transform type;
output from a Sobel filter, Prewitt filter, Roberts filter, Canny filter, HTDF, BF, high pass filter, or any other filter; or
the side information comprises a transform domain coefficient for a transform comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of a Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Low Frequency Non-Separable Transform (LFNST), Non-Separable Primary Transform (NSPT), and Hadamard Transform.
Regarding claim 10, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information or the residual sample is clipped into a pre-defined, signalled, or derived clipping range, [See Zhang, ¶ 0082 discloses that selected clipping values are coded in the “alf_data” syntax element by using a Golomb encoding scheme corresponding to the index of the clipping value in the above Table 2. This encoding scheme is the same as the encoding scheme for the filter index.] or the side information is clipped into a pre-defined, signalled, or derived N bit-depth; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0153-0154 discloses a clipping parameter used in the clipping operation is a function of a clipping index and a bit-depth of the reconstruction samples or a bit-depth of the video unit.]
wherein the side information is scaled into a predefined, signalled, or derived range, or the side information is scaled into a predefined, signalled, or derived N bit-depth; or
wherein the side information is transformed into a predefined, signalled, or derived range, or the side information is transformed into a predefined, signalled, or derived domain, or the side information is transformed into a predefined, signalled, or derived N bit-depth; or
wherein the side information is filtered into a predefined, signalled, or derived range, or the side information is filtered into a predefined, signalled, or derived domain, or the side information is filtered into a predefined, signalled, or derived N bit-depth; or
wherein multiple kinds of the side information are fused by a weighted sum, fused by online-trained coefficients, or fused by offline-trained and/or pre-define coefficients.
Regarding claim 11, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein modified side information or prepared side information, comprising a clipped residual sample [See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information that provides a clipping parameter for filtering a reconstruction of a video unit of a video region using an adaptive loop filter, wherein the performing includes generating a filtered video unit by applying a clipping operation to sample differences (a residual sample) at a video region level.] or a scaled residual sample, is used in classification in the ALF, filtering in the ALF, [See Zhang, ¶ 0042, 0128-0130 discloses that parameters (e.g., clipping parameters) used in NLALF may depend on temporal layer index/low delay check flag/reference pictures.] or filtering in the CCALF; or
wherein the side information is used as input into at least one selected from a group consisting of a sample adaptive offset (SAO), a cross component SAO (CCSAO), a bilateral filter (BF), a Hadamard Transform Domain Filter (HTDF), the DBF, a pre-processing filter, a post-processing filter.
Regarding claim 12, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein usage of the side information is signaled by a syntax element in the bitstream, wherein the syntax element is coded with at least one context or bypass coding, and wherein the context depends on coding information of a block or a neighboring block, or a filtering shape of at least one neighboring block; or
wherein the syntax element is signaled on when the side information is available; or
wherein the syntax element is predicted by an on/off decision of side information preparation of at least one neighboring block; or
wherein the syntax element is signaled and shared for different color components, or the syntax element is signaled for a first color component and not signaled for a second color component; or
wherein the syntax element is signaled in a sequence parameter set (SPS), a picture parameter set (PPS), a picture header, a slice header, an Adaptation Parameter Set (APS), a coding tree unit (CTU), or a coding unit (CU). [See Zhang, ¶ 0151 discloses whether to turn on the clipping in ALF may be signaled to decoder such as in SPS, PPS, slice header, tile group header, tile, CTU, CU, or block.]
Regarding claim 13, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the ALF receives input from coded reference pictures, and wherein the coded reference pictures are accessed during a prediction loop stage, during a loop filter stage, or after a loop filter stage; or
wherein the coded reference pictures are accessed before or after application of at least one selected from a group consisting of:
the DBF, a sample adaptive offset (SAO), a cross component SAO (CCSAO), a bilateral filter (BF), a chroma BF (ChromaBF), the ALF, the CCALF; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0042, 0128-0130 discloses that parameters (e.g., clipping parameters) used in NLALF may depend on temporal layer index/low delay check flag/reference pictures; See Zhang, ¶ 0156 discloses side information identifying filter coefficients used in ALF.]
wherein the coded reference pictures are accessed after a loop filter stage by motion-compensation based padding; or
wherein each filter is applied to a video unit, and wherein the video unit is a sequence, picture, sub-picture, slice, tile, coding tree unit (CTU), CTU row, group of CTUs, coding unit (CU), prediction unit (PU), transform unit (TU), coding tree block (CTB), coding block (CB), prediction block (PB), transform block (TB), or any other region that contains more than one luma or chroma sample or pixel.
Regarding claim 14, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the side information is applied in a pre-processing filter or a post-processing filter of a video; or
wherein the method is used jointly or individually; or
wherein usage of the method is signaled in the bitstream; or [See Zhang, ¶ 0082 discloses that selected clipping values are coded in the “alf_data” syntax element by using a Golomb encoding scheme corresponding to the index of the clipping value in the above Table 2. This encoding scheme is the same as the encoding scheme for the filter index.]
wherein the usage of the method is signaled at sequence level, group of pictures level, picture level, slice level, or tile group level, or the usage of the method is signaled in a sequence header, picture header, sequence parameter set (SPS), video parameter set (VPS), [See Zhang, decoding parameter set (DPS), decoding capability information (DCI), picture parameter set (PPS), Adaptation Parameter Set (APS), slice header, or tile group header, or wherein the usage of the method is signaled at a prediction block (PB), transform block (TB), coding block (CB), prediction unit (PU), transform unit (TU), coding unit (CU), virtual pipeline data unit (VPDU), coding tree unit (CTU), CTU row, slice, tile, sub-picture, or other region containing more than one sample or pixel; or
wherein application of the method is dependent on coded information comprising block size, color format, single tree partitioning, dual tree partitioning, color component, slice type, or picture type.
Regarding claim 15, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 4.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the first syntax element is binarized as a flag, a fixed length code, an exponential Golomb code, a unary code, a truncated unary code, or a truncated binary code, and is signed or unsigned; or
wherein the first syntax element is coded with a context model, bypass coded, or wherein the first syntax element is signaled conditionally, wherein the first syntax element is signaled only when a corresponding function is applicable, or the first syntax element is signaled when height or width of a block satisfy a condition; or
wherein the first syntax element is signaled at block level, sequence level, group of pictures level, picture level, slice level, or tile group level, or [See Zhang, ¶ 0151 discloses whether to turn on the clipping in ALF may be signaled to decoder such as in SPS, PPS, slice header, tile group header, tile, CTU, CU, or block.]
the first syntax element is signaled in a sequence header, picture header, sequence parameter set (SPS), video parameter set (VPS), decoding parameter set (DPS), decoding capability information (DCI), picture parameter set (PPS), Adaptation Parameter Set (APS), slice header, or tile group header.
Regarding claim 16, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the method is combined with or excluded from use with affine, Multi Transform Selection (MTS), Low Frequency Non-Separable Transform (LFNST), merge with motion vector difference (MMVD), Matrix-Based Intra Prediction (MIP), Intra Sub-Partitions (ISP), cross-component linear model (CCLM), Convolutional cross-component model (CCCM), Symmetric Motion Vector Difference (SMVD), Bidirectional optical flow (BDOF), decoder side motion vector refinement (DMVR), History-based Motion Vector Prediction (HMVP), Template Matching, intra block copy (IBC), [See Zhang, ¶ 0120 discloses that a current block is coded as CPR (current picture referencing, aka intra block copy, IBC).] or Palette; or
wherein an excluded tool is disabled implicitly without signaling when the method is used, or wherein the method is disabled implicitly without signaling when an excluded tool is used.
Regarding claim 17, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the conversion includes encoding the visual media data into the bitstream. [See Zhang, ¶ 0159 discloses forming a coded representation of the video in the form of a bitstream.]
Regarding claim 18, Zhang discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Zhang discloses:
wherein the conversion includes decoding the visual media data from the bitstream. [See Zhang, ¶ 0159 discloses decompressing video from a bitstream.]
Regarding claim 19, this claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 in the form of “an apparatus” rather than “a method”, and is therefore rejected on the same premise.
Further, claim 19 recites the following limitations which are not explicitly found from claim 1, but are addressed as follows:
Zhang discloses:
An apparatus for processing video data comprising: [See Zhang,
a processor and a non-transitory memory with instructions thereon, wherein the instructions upon execution by the processor, cause the processor to: [See Zhang, ¶ 0178 discloses a processor and non-transitory memory with instructions thereupon.]
Regarding claim 20, this claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 in the form of “a non-transitory computer readable medium” rather than “a method”, and is therefore rejected on the same premise.
Further, claim 20 recites the following limitations which are not explicitly found from claim 1, but are addressed as follows:
Zhang discloses:
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a bitstream of a video which is generated by a method performed by a video processing apparatus, wherein the method comprises: [See Zhang, ¶ 0179 discloses a computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable media, the computer program product including program code for carrying out the method.]
Examiner’s Note: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a bitstream generated by a method, the method comprising… is a product by process claim limitation where the product is the bit stream and the process is the method steps to generate the bitstream. MPEP §2113 recites “Product-by-Process claims are not limited to the manipulations of the recited steps, only the structure implied by the steps”. Thus, the scope of the claim is the storage medium storing the bitstream (with the structure implied by the method steps). The structure includes the information and samples manipulated by the steps.
“To be given patentable weight, the printed matter and associated product must be in a functional relationship. A functional relationship can be found where the printed matter performs some function with respect to the product to which it is associated”. 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 storage medium storing the claimed bitstream in claim 18 merely serves as a support for the storage of the bitstream and provides no functional relationship between the stored bitstream and storage medium. Therefor 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 (Paragraph 0179).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK E DEMOSKY whose telephone number is (571)272-8799. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7-4 EST.
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/PATRICK E DEMOSKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486
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