www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/071,470
`
`10/15/2020
`
`Kiyofumi ABE
`
`2020-2596A
`
`4478
`
`Pp
`Lind&
`Wenderoth,
`Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
`1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW
`Suite 500
`Washington, DC 20036
`
`MAHMUD, FARHAN
`
`2483
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`09/29/2021
`
`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):
`eoa@ wenderoth.com
`kmiller@wenderoth.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-22 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-22 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)0) The drawing(s) filedon__ is/are: a)(J 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)1) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)Z None ofthe:
`b)() Some**
`a)C All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) 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 10/15/2020.
`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 20210925
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/071,470
`ABE etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`FARHAN MAHMUD
`2483
`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 10/15/2020.
`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: 17/071,470
`Art Unit: 2483
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
`
`1.
`
`The present application,filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
`
`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`2.
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/15/2020 is in compliance with the
`
`provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statementis being considered by the
`
`examiner.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphsof 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis
`
`for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)}(1} the claimed invention was patented, describedina printed publication, or in public use, onsale,
`or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`4,
`
`Claim(s) 1-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)as being anticipated by Hsieh et al. (US
`
`20180103252 A1).
`
`5.
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Hsieh et al. teaches an encoder, comprising: circuitry; and memory
`
`(Paragraph 26; Paragraph 39),
`
`6.
`
`wherein using the memory, the circuitry: performs a transform processof(i) applying a first
`
`transform to a prediction residual signal indicating a difference between a current block to be encoded
`
`and a prediction image of the current block and(ii) further applying a second transform to a transform
`
`result of the first transform (Figure 10, Elements 1002 and 1006; Paragraph 26); and
`
`7.
`
`in the second transform, selects one transform basis (i) from a first group of candidates when a
`
`size of the current block is a first block size and (ii) from a second group of candidates when thesize of
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/071,470
`Art Unit: 2483
`
`Page 3
`
`the current block is a second block size different from thefirst block size, the first group including one or
`
`more candidates for a transform basis, the second group being different from thefirst group
`
`(Paragraphs 62-65; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs173-182).
`
`8.
`
`Regarding Claim 2, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein thefirst block size is a size of the current block having a shorter side whose length is
`
`less than 8, and the secondblock size is a size of the current block having the shorter side whose length
`
`is greater thanor equal to 8 (Paragraphs 53-56; Paragraphs 62-65; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs
`
`173-182).
`
`9.
`
`Regarding Claim 3, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein thefirst block size is 4x4 and the secondblock size is 8x8 (Paragraph 56; Paragraphs
`
`62-65; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs 173-182).
`
`10.
`
`Regarding Claim 4, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein the circuitry applies the second transform to sixteen samples among samples resulting
`
`from thefirst transform (Paragraph 56; Paragraphs 62-64; Paragraph 65, “The complete DCT and
`
`Discrete Sine Transform (DST) families may include a total of 16 transforms based on different types
`
`and a completedefinition of the different types”; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs 173-182).
`
`11.
`
`Regarding Claim 5, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein the circuitry selects the one transform basis from the second group when the size of
`
`the current block is a third block size different from the first block size and the second block size
`
`(Paragraphs 53-56; Paragraphs 62-65; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs 173-182).
`
`12.
`
`Regarding Claim 6, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein when the size of the current block is largerthana predetermined block size,it is
`
`determined that the second transform is to be applied to the transform result (Paragraphs 53-56;
`
`Paragraphs 62-65; Paragraphs 161-168; Paragraphs 173-182).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/071,470
`Art Unit: 2483
`
`Page 4
`
`13.
`
`Regarding Claim 7, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 6, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein when thesize of the current block is smaller thanthe predetermined block size,it is
`
`determinedthat the second transform is not to be applied to the transform result (Figure 10, Element
`
`1004).
`
`14.
`
`Regarding Claim 8, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 6, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein the predetermined block size is 4x4 (Paragraphs 53-56; Paragraphs 62-65; Paragraphs
`
`161-168; Paragraphs 173-182).
`
`15.
`
`Regarding Claim 9, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 6, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein the predetermined block size is 4x8 or 8x4 (Paragraphs 184-185).
`
`16.
`
`Regarding Claim 10, Hsieh et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 6, Hsieh etal. further
`
`teaches wherein the predetermined block size is a smallest block size applicable to the current block
`
`(Paragraph 179).
`
`17.
`
`Claims 11-20 are drawn to the decoder to perform the inverse processes of the encoder of
`
`claims 1-10 and have substantially similar limitations as those rejected above, and would be rejected for
`
`the same reasons as used above. Hsieh et al. further teaches a decoder, comprising: circuitry; and
`
`memory, wherein using the memory, the circuitry: performs an inverse transform process (Paragraph
`
`26; Paragraph 39).
`
`18.
`
`Method claims 21 and 22 are drawn tothe method of using corresponding apparatus claims 1
`
`and 11 and are rejected for the same reasons as used above.
`
`Conclusion
`
`19.
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to FARHAN MAHMUD whosetelephone number is (571)272-7712. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached on 10-7.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/071,470
`Art Unit: 2483
`
`Page5S
`
`20.
`
`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://www. uspto. gov/interviewpractice.
`
`21.
`
`If attempts to reachthe examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
`
`Joseph Ustaris can be reached on 5712727383. The fax phone number for the organization wherethis
`
`application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`22.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
`
`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained
`
`from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. 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). Ifyou 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.
`
`/FARHAN MAHMUD/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483
`
`