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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
`
`16/997, 147
`
`08/19/2020
`
`Sughosh Pavan SHASHIDHAR
`
`735256.416C1
`
`4988
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`BECK, LERON
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2487
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`03/04/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`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.
`
`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*
`1-6 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-6 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* 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 8/19/2020 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)Z) 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)X) All
`1.2 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:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210227
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/997,147
`SHASHIDHAR etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`LERON BECK
`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
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 8/19/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)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: 16/997,147
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`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,
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`is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`2.
`
`Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US
`
`20180103268 Ai-Huang et al (Hereinafter referred to as “Huang’”),
`
`in view of US
`
`20170347128 A1-Panusopone etal (Hereinafter referred to as “Pan’).
`
`3.
`
`Regarding claim 1, Huang discloses a decoder (Fig 2) comprising:
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`Circuitry (memory electrically connected to processor) and
`
`a memory coupled to the circuitry (memory electrically connected to processor
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`is interpreted as circuitry), wherein the circuitry,
`
`in operation:
`
`determines whether or not a first splitting of splitting a block into three sub
`
`blocks inafirst direction parallel to a first side of the block is available ([O006],
`
`wherein partitioning into three sub-blocks) by determining a magnitude relation
`
`between a size of a secondside of the block and a first value ([0006], wherein for a
`
`given block of size, wherein m/2xn), the second side being different, from thefirst
`
`side, the first side being a longer side of the block (nis longer side of m/2);
`
`when thefirst splitting is available, parses, from a bitstream (parsing), a
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`split direction parameter indicative of a splitting direction ([0057], wherein
`
`transmits syntax for partition direction;
`
`splits the block into a plurality of sub blocks in a direction indicated by the
`
`split direction parameter ((0058]); and
`
`decodes theplurality of sub blocks ((005], decodes).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/997,147
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 3
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`Huang fails to disclose determines whetheror nota first splitting of splitting a
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`block into three sub blocksin a first direction parallel to a first side of the block
`
`is available by determining a magnitude relation between a size of a secondside of the
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`block andafirst value, the second side being different, from the first side, the first side
`
`being a longer side of the block
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`However, in the same field of endeavor, Pan discloses whether or notafirst
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`splitting of splitting a block into three sub blocksin a first direction parallel to a
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`first side of the block is available ((0061], partition into 3 nodes; [0041], flag set to 0
`
`or 1) by determining a magnitude relation betweenasize of a second side of the
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`block anda first value ([(0061], unequal size, wherein one nodeis larger than the
`
`other), the second side being different, from the first side, the first side being a
`
`longer side of the block (wherein one node is larger than the other) when thefirst
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`splitting is available, parses, froma bitstream, a split direction parameter
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`indicative of a splitting direction ([0086], parsing syntax, [0088], 3 equals ternary
`
`signal) splits the block into a plurality of sub blocks in a direction indicated by the
`
`split direction parameter ([0041]) decodes the plurality of sub blocks ((0086],
`
`decoding based off syntax).
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`4.
`
`Regarding claim 2, Huang discloses the decoder according to claim
`
`1, wherein the circuitry,
`
`in operation: splits the block into a plurality of sub blocks
`
`in a seconddirection parallel to the second side of the block when thefirst
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`splitting is not available ([0006], vertical and horizontal splitting).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/997,147
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 4
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`5.
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`Regarding claim 3, Pan disclose the decoder according to claim 1, wherein
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`the first value is a size corresponding to a minimum size supported in a transform
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`process ((0074, parameter sets a minimum size).
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`6.
`
`Regarding claim 4, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 1
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`and are applicable for claim 4.
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`7.
`
`Regarding claim 5, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 2
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`and are applicable for claim 5.
`
`8.
`
`Regarding claim 6, analyses are analogous to those presented for claim 3
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`and are applicable for claim 6.
`
`Conclusion
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`9.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to LERON BECK whose telephone numberis (571)270-
`
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`
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/997,147
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 5
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`
`LERON . BECK
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit 2487
`
`/LERON BECK/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
`
`