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 .
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 20 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.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are: the steps of the encoding method and the step of generating the bitstream. Claim 20 is directed to a method of transmitting a bitstream reciting only the step of transmitting the bitstream. Although, the claim recites "the bitstream being generated by a video encoding method," this does not clearly constitute steps performed by the claimed method of transmitting a bitstream since the step of generating the bitstream is not recited in the claim and the bitstream may be generated by the encoding method at different time and be stored, and thus claim 20 would only be limited to transmitting the stored bitstream without performing the steps of the encoding method. Therefore, the steps of the encoding method and the step of generating the bitstream, which are essential, are omitted. Omitting these steps renders the claim incomplete. The examiner suggests amending claim 20 to recite all the steps of the encoding method, the step of generating the bitstream and step of transmitting the bitstream. For example: A method of transmitting a bitstream, the method comprising:
generating a first prediction block of a current block based on a first block vector;
generating a second prediction block of the current block based on a second block vector;
generating a final prediction block of the current block by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block,
wherein the first prediction block is generated based on a first matching block in a current picture indicated by the first block vector, and
wherein the second prediction block is generated based on a second matching block in the current picture indicated by the second block vector;
generating the bitstream; and
transmitting the bitstream.
For the purpose of prior art rejection, claim 20 is interpreted to cover any method of
transmitting a bitstream.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-5, 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al (US 20260032232).
As to claim 1, Zhang discloses an image decoding method (FIG. 10, weighted fusion of an IntraTMP fusion prediction) comprising:
generating a first prediction block of a current block based on a first block vector (see [0177], a first prediction block for the current block is determined; see FIG. 5, matching block 1 and corresponding BV);
generating a second prediction block of the current block based on a second block vector (see [0203], a second prediction block for the current block is determined; see FIG. 5, matching block 2 and corresponding BV); and
generating a final prediction block of the current block by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block (see [0100] and [0215], the first prediction block and the second prediction block are fused to determine a final prediction block for the current block using weighted fusion),
wherein the first prediction block is generated based on a first matching block in a current picture indicated by the first block vector (FIG. 5, matching block 1 in a current picture), and
wherein the second prediction block is generated based on a second matching block in the current picture indicated by the second block vector (FIG. 5, matching block 2 in the current picture).
As to claim 2, Zhang further discloses wherein the first block vector is derived by performing block vector prediction (FIG. 5 and [0204]), and
wherein the second block vector is determined based on an intra block copy merge candidate list and an index indicating one merge candidate (see [0110], [0178]).
As to claim 3, Zhang further discloses wherein the first block vector and the second block vector are determined based on an intra block copy merge candidate list and a first merge index and second merge index indicating different merge candidates (FIG. 5; see [0110]-[0111] and [0267]).
As to claim 4, Zhang further discloses wherein the final prediction block of the current block is generated by adding the first prediction block to which a first weight is applied and the second prediction block to which a second weight is applied (FIG. 5 and [0091], A weight value is determined for each matching block. Weighted fusion is performed on these matching blocks according to their weight values to obtain a final prediction block).
As to claim 5, Zhang further discloses wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined to be preset values (see [0093] and [0100], The weight values are predefined fixed values).
As to claim 18, Zhang discloses an image encoding method (FIG. 10, weighted fusion of an IntraTMP fusion prediction) comprising:
generating a first prediction block of a current block based on a first block vector (see [0177], a first prediction block for the current block is determined; see FIG. 5, matching block 1 and corresponding BV);
generating a second prediction block of the current block based on a second block vector (see [0203], a second prediction block for the current block is determined; see FIG. 5, matching block 2 and corresponding BV); and
generating a final prediction block of the current block by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block (see [0100] and [0215], the first prediction block and the second prediction block are fused to determine a final prediction block for the current block using weighted fusion),
wherein the first prediction block is generated based on a first matching block in a current picture indicated by the first block vector (FIG. 5, matching block 1 in a current picture), and
wherein the second prediction block is generated based on a second matching block in the current picture indicated by the second block vector (FIG. 5, matching block 2 in the current picture).
As to claim 20, Zhang discloses a method of transmitting a bitstream generated by an image encoding method (see [0114]), the transmission method comprising:
transmitting the bitstream (see [0114]),
wherein the image encoding method comprises:
generating a first prediction block of a current block based on a first block vector;
generating a second prediction block of the current block based on a second block vector; and
generating a final prediction block of the current block by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block,
wherein the first prediction block is generated based on a first matching block in a current picture indicated by the first block vector, and
wherein the second prediction block is generated based on a second matching block in the current picture indicated by the second block vector.
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, 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.
Claim(s) 6 and 8-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al (US 20260032232) in view of LI et al (US 20250324060).
As to claim 6, Zhang fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on an index indicating one weight candidate among a plurality of preset weight candidates.
However, LI teaches wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on an index indicating one weight candidate among a plurality of preset weight candidates (see [0105], [0126]).
At the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify Zhang using LI’s teachings to include wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on an index indicating one weight candidate among a plurality of preset weight candidates in order to improve the accuracy of intra prediction (LI; [0095]).
As to claim 8, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on a first index indicating one weight candidate set among a plurality of weight candidate sets (LI; see [0105] and [0126], An index ranging from 0 to 2 is signaled to indicate which set of weight from sets of weights is used for the current block) and a second index indicating one weight candidate among a plurality of weight candidates included in the one weight candidate set (LI; see [0105] and [0126], w.sub.0, w.sub.1).
As to claim 9, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the first index indicates a weight candidate set used in at least one of a picture group, a slice group or a block group (LI; see [0105] and [0126], An index ranging from 0 to 2 is signaled to indicate which set of weight from sets of weights is used for a block group), and
wherein the second index indicates a weight candidate used in at least one unit of a picture, a slice or a block (LI; see [0105] and [0126], w.sub.0, w.sub.1 used for the current block).
As to claim 10, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the at least one unit is a unit of a lower layer corresponding to the at least one group (LI; [0105]).
As to claim 11, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on a first distortion value, which is a distortion value between a current template adjacent to the current block and a first reference template adjacent to the first matching block, and a second distortion value, which is a distortion value between a current template adjacent to the current block and a second reference template adjacent to the second matching block (Zhang; [0091]-[0093]).
As to claim 12, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the first distortion value and the second distortion value are measured through any one of a sum of absolute differences (SAD) measurement method or a sum of square error (SSE) measurement method (Zhang; [0092]).
As to claim 13, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the first weight and the second weight are determined based on a look-up table corresponding to the first distortion value and the second distortion value (LI; see [0126]).
As to claim 14, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein a shape of the current template is determined to be one of a first template shape including samples adjacent to the left side of the current block, a second template shape including samples adjacent to the top side of the current block, and a third template shape including samples adjacent to the left side of the current block and samples adjacent to the top side of the current block, and wherein the shapes of the first reference template and the second reference template correspond to the shape of the current template (Zhang; FIG. 3).
As to claim 15, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the final prediction block of the current block is generated by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block based on a comparison result between a threshold value, which is derived based on the first distortion value, and the second distortion value (Zhang; [0092], [0276]-[0279]).
As to claim 16, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the second distortion value is a value smaller than the first distortion value (Zhang; [0092], [0276]-[0279]), and
wherein based on the second distortion value is smaller than or equal to the threshold, the final prediction block of the current block is generated by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block (Zhang; [0091]-[0092], [0276]-[0280]).
As to claim 17, the combination of Zhang and LI further discloses wherein the second distortion value is a value greater than the first distortion value (Zhang; [0092], [0276]-[0279]), and
wherein based on the second distortion value is less than the threshold value, the final prediction block of the current block is generated by a weighted sum of the first prediction block and the second prediction block (Zhang; [0091]-[0092], [0276]-[0280]).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al (US 20260032232) in view of LI et al (US 20250324060) in view of LEE (US 20190313113).
As to claim 7, the combination of Zhang and LI fails to explicitly disclose wherein a codeword assigned to each of the plurality of preset weight candidates is determined based on a usage frequency of each of the plurality of weight candidates.
However, LEE teaches wherein a codeword assigned to each of the plurality of preset weight candidates is determined based on a usage frequency of each of the plurality of weight candidates (see [0202], [0204], [0208], [0210]).
At the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify the combination of Zhang and LI using LEE’s teachings to include wherein a codeword assigned to each of the plurality of preset weight candidates is determined based on a usage frequency of each of the plurality of weight candidates in order to perform efficient prediction (LEE; [0021]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOUBACAR ABDOU TCHOUSSOU whose telephone number is (571)272-7625. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chris Kelley can be reached at 5712727331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BOUBACAR ABDOU TCHOUSSOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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