Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/09/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, Han in view of Huang and Chen fails to disclose or suggest a method comprising initiating an encoding of a video sequence by "signaling the minimum block size [for which signaling of a delta QP is enabled] in a picture parameter set," as recited in amended claim 1.
Examiner disagrees, Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Huang teaches determining a minimum block size in a picture in the video sequence for which signaling of a delta quantization parameter (QP) is enabled (abstract; Figs. 7b, 9b; 0035-44); signaling the minimum block size in the encoded video sequence(abstract; Figs. 7b, 9b; 0035-44); wherein the signaling of the minimum block size in the encoded video sequence comprises signaling the minimum block size in a picture of the encoded video sequence (0036; 0038).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to develop a system that is capable of facilitating more flexible QP processing (Huang 0035)
Chen teaches distributing the encoded video sequence over a communication channel (Fig. 1: communication channel 16; 0064-7); picture parameter set of the encoded video sequence (0064)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067) and to the use of parameter sets may enable out-of-band transmission of header information, avoiding the need for redundant transmissions to achieve error resilience (Chen 0064)
Huang says the QP minimum CU size may be specified at the sequence header, picture header or slice header, and gives examples with syntax elements using sps and sh. Chen describes sps and pps and generally how they are used, PPS is between sps and slice headers so something done in both sps and slice headers it would be obvious to consider for PPS especially when it already said it can be specified at the sequence header, picture header or slice header.
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 (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 pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries 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).
Claim 1-19 21 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Han CA 2890992 A1 in view of Huang et al. US 2012/0114034 (from IDS) and further in view of Chen et al. US 2011/0194613
Han discloses:
1. and under similar rationales 10. And 16. A method comprising: initiating an encoding of a video sequence to produce an encoded video sequence (Fig. 4), wherein the encoding of the video sequence includes: causing a decoding of the encoded video sequence in a decoder device, wherein the causing comprises receiving the encoded video sequence by the decoder device (Fig. 3 and 5).
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Huang teaches determining a minimum block size in a picture in the video sequence for which signaling of a delta quantization parameter (QP) is enabled (abstract; Figs. 7b, 9b; 0035-44); signaling the minimum block size in the encoded video sequence(abstract; Figs. 7b, 9b; 0035-44); wherein the signaling of the minimum block size in the encoded video sequence comprises signaling the minimum block size in a picture of the encoded video sequence (0036; 0038).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to develop a system that is capable of facilitating more flexible QP processing (Huang 0035)
Chen teaches distributing the encoded video sequence over a communication channel (Fig. 1: communication channel 16; 0064-7); picture parameter set of the encoded video sequence (0064)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067) and to the use of parameter sets may enable out-of-band transmission of header information, avoiding the need for redundant transmissions to achieve error resilience (Chen 0064)
10. additionally features: receiving the encoded video sequence by a decoder device; and causing the video sequence to be displayed (223).
16. additionally features:
Chen teaches and causing a distribution of the encoded video sequence over a communication channel; and receiving the encoded video sequence by a decoder device. (Fig. 1: communication channel 16; 0064-7);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the decoded video sequence (223).
3. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein the video sequence includes real-time video (0070).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
4. and 11. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein the video sequence includes archived video (0070).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
5. and 12. And 17. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein the video sequence includes a combination of video from a video content provider and computer-generated graphics. (0070).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
6. and 13. And 18. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein the video sequence includes a combination of real-time video and computer-generated graphics. (0070).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
7. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein distributing the encoded video sequence includes streaming the encoded video sequence over the communication channel (0060; 0070; Fig. 1: 16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
8. and 14. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Chen teaches wherein the communication channel includes a wide area network. (0072).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to communication channel may comprise any combination of wireless or wired media suitable for transmission of encoded video data (Chen 0067)
9. and 15. And 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding of the video sequence includes: dividing the picture into a plurality of non-overlapping regions including a first non- overlapping region (Figs 10-13); transforming a first block in the first non-overlapping region into a plurality of transformed coefficients, wherein the first block is smaller than the first non-overlapping region, and wherein a size of the first block is larger than or equal to the minimum block size (Figs 10-13; 28); quantizing the plurality of transformed coefficients using a first QP to generate a plurality of quantized coefficients (Fig. 4; 102); and encoding the plurality of quantized coefficients in the encoded video sequence (Fig. 4: 420-455; 103).
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Huang teaches determining a predicted QP value for the first block; determining a first delta QP based on the first QP and the predicted QP value; signaling the first delta QP in the encoded video sequence; (abstract; Figs. 7b, 9b; 0035-44);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to develop a system that is capable of facilitating more flexible QP processing (Huang 0035)
21. The method of claim 1,
Han does not explicitly disclose the following, however Huang teaches wherein the encoding of the video sequence includes signaling the quantization parameter at a transform unit level (0040-8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill at the time of the invention to modify the reference(s) as above in order to develop a system that is capable of facilitating more flexible QP processing (Huang 0035)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH W BECKER whose telephone number is (571)270-7301. The examiner can normally be reached flexible usually 10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph G Ustaris can be reached at 5712727383. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH W BECKER/Examiner, Art Unit 2483
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