www.uspto.gov
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/593, 186
`
`10/04/2019
`
`Ryuichi KANOH
`
`735256.423C1
`
`2311
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`BRUMFIELD, SHANIKA M
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2487
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`10/06/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`7,11-12 and 21-23 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C] Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 7,11-12 and 21-23 is/are rejected.
`(1 Claim(s)__is/are objectedto.
`C} Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)(] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 04 October 2019 is/are: a)¥) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
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`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210930
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/593, 186
`KANOH etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`SHANIKA M BRUMFIELD
`2487
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on amendments filed 01 July 2021.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`2a)¥) This action is FINAL.
`2b) (J This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/593,186
`Art Unit: 2487
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Responseto Arguments
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`2.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7, 11, 12, and 21 — 23 have been
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`considered but are moot because the new groundof rejection does not rely on any
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`reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically
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`challenged in the argument.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
`
`(a) INGENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the
`invention, and of the manner and process of making and usingit, in suchfull, clear, concise,
`and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with whichit
`is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode
`contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112:
`
`The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the
`manner and process of making and usingit, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to
`enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with whichit is most nearly
`connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the
`inventor of carrying out his invention.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 7, 11, 12, and 21 — 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C.
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`112 (pre-AlA), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description
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`requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not describedin the
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`specification in such a way as to reasonably conveyto one skilled in the relevant art that
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`the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/593,186
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 3
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`inventor(s), at the time the application wasfiled, had possession of the claimed
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`invention. Claims 1 and 21 recite the limitation “wherein the luma clip widths applied to
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`the luma pixels arranged along the first line are selected to be asymmetrical with
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`respectto the first boundary, and wherein the chroma clip widths applied to the chroma
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`pixels arranged along the second line are selected to be symmetrical with respect to the
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`second boundary.” While the originally filed specification provides for selecting
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`asymmetrical clip widths, it teaches selecting clip widths asymmetrically for the entire
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`pixel (luma and chroma components combined) and does not teach selecting clip widths
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`for luma and chroma componentsdifferently and separately. The originally filed
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`description, therefore, does not describe the claimed subject matter in such a way asto
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`reasonably conveyto one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or joint inventors
`
`had possession of the claimed invention at the time the application wasfiled.
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`5.
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`Claims 11, and 22-23 properly depend on oneof claims 7 and 21, and are thus
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`likewise rejected.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`6.
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`Claims 7, 11, 12, and 21 — 23 contain allowable subject matter, pending the 112
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`rejection above.
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`Conclusion
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`7.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/593,186
`Art Unit: 2487
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`Page 4
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR 1.136(a).
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`A shortenedstatutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`
`
`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the eventafirst replyis filed within
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortenedstatutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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`8.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to SHANIKA M BRUMFIELD whosetelephone number is
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`(571)270-3700. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30 - 5 PM AWS.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/Avww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, David Czekaj can be reached on 571-272-7327. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/593,186
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 5
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
`
`For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-
`
`my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on accessto the Private
`
`PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free).
`
`If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access
`
`to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-
`
`272-1000.
`
`SHANIKA M. BRUMFIELD
`Examiner
`
`Art Unit 2487
`
`/SHANIKA M BRUMFIELD/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2487
`
`/Dave Czekaj/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2487
`
`