Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`REMARKS
`
`Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration of this application in view of the above
`
`amendments and the following remarks. Claims 1, 8, 14, 20, 27, 33 and 45 are currently
`
`amended. Claims 2-7, 9-13, 15-19, 21-26, 28-32 and 34-38 were previously canceled. Support
`
`for the amendments may be found, for example, in paragraphs [0554], [0570], and [0635]-
`
`[0637], and in Figures 48A and 48B. No new matteris introduced.
`
`The Examineris thanked for conferring by telephone on September 24, 2021. While an
`
`agreement was not reached during the telephone conference, the Examiner’s efforts to expedite
`
`prosecution are appreciated.
`
`Objections
`
`The Examiner objected to informalities in claim 45. Claim 45 has been amended and the
`
`amendmentsare believed to obviate the Examiner’s concerns.
`
`Double Patenting Rejections
`
`The Examinerprovisionally rejected claims 1, 8, 14, 20, 27, 33, and 39-46 on the ground
`
`of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable overclaims 1, 3, 7, 19,
`
`25, and 31 of co-pending Application No 16/417517, in view of Chuangetal.
`
`(US20180070110A1) (hereinafter Chuang) and Piaoet al. (US20170353721A1) (hereinafter
`
`Piao). The Examiner’s rejections are respectfully traversed at least because the cited portions of
`
`Piao are notpriorart.
`
`The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Number
`
`62/424,738 filed on November 21, 2016. Piao wasfiled on April 7, 2017 (after the priority date
`
`of the present application), and claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2016-0157438 filed
`
`on November24, 2016 (after the priority date of the present application) and to U.S. Provision
`
`Application No. 62/344,102,filed on June 1, 2016 (the Piao Provisional Application). Thus,
`
`Piao is only prior art to the extent of the disclosure of the Piao Provisional Application.
`
`The Examinerrelies on Figure 8, and paragraphs [0003], [0054], [0055], [0081] and
`
`[0138] of the Piao non-provisional application. Figure 8 and paragraphs [0003], [0054], [0055],
`
`[0081] and [0138] of Piao non-provisional application do not appear in the Piao Provisional
`
`

`

`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`Application. Accordingly, Piao is not prior art, and the Examineris respectfully requested to
`
`withdraw this basis of rejection.
`
`Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. § 103
`
`The Examinerrejected claims 1, 8, 14, 20, 27, 33 and 39-46 under 35 U.S.C. Section 103
`
`as allegedly rendered obvious by Chuanget al. (US20180070110A1) (hereinafter Chuang) and
`
`Piao et al. (US20170353721A1) (hereinafter Piao). The Examiner’s rejections are respectfully
`
`traversed.
`
`The Examineragain relies on Figure 8, and paragraphs [0003], [0054], [0055], [0081]
`
`and [0138] of Piao. As discussed above, Piao is only prior art to the extent of the disclosure of
`
`the Piao Provisional Application. Figure 8 and paragraphs [0003], [0054], [0055], [0081] and
`
`[0138] of the Piao non-provisional application do not appearin the Piao Provisional Application.
`
`Accordingly, the Piao provisional application does not render the claims obvious as argued by
`
`the Examinerfor at least this reason, and the Examiner1s respectfully requested to withdraw this
`
`basis of rejection.
`
`In addition, the independent claims have been to amendedto clarify the claimed subject
`
`matter. For example, independent claim 1, as amended, recites in part as follows (with emphasis
`
`added):
`
`wherein the circuitry, in operation:
`
`in responseto splitting a block of a picture into sub blocks along a single
`direction, sets one or more partition-selection parameters to a set of values, the
`partition-selection parameters including a horizontal-vertical partition mode
`parameter indicating a horizontal or a vertical direction, wherein:
`
`in responseto splitting the block into four sub blocks alongthe single
`direction using first block partitioning information, each of the sub blocks having
`
`a same size, sets the one or more partition-selection parameters to a first set o
`values, the first set of values including a value for the horizontal-vertical partition
`mode parameter indicating the single direction, and
`
`in responseto splitting the block into three sub blocks along the single
`direction using second block partitioning information,ratios of sizes of the sub
`blocks being 1:2:1, sets the one or more partition-selection parameters to a
`second set of values different from the first set of values, the second set of values
`including the value for the horizontal-vertical partition mode parameter
`indicating the single direction,
`
`10
`
`

`

`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`encodes the sub blocks of the block; and
`
`writes the one or more parametersinto a bit stream.
`
`The other independentclaims have been similarly amended. Support for the amendments
`
`to the independent claims may be found, for example, in paragraphs [0554], [0570], and [0635]-
`
`[06371]. and in Figures 48A and 48B. which are reproduced below for convenience.
`
`POA AN AN RR RA URN Re RRR ON UA ER ER Re RA OR RA 2
`,
`a
`1
`4
`%
`4
`Y
`t
`2
`t
`3
`:
`,
`t
`2
`:
`*
`:
`i
`y
`t
`:
`'
`‘
`:
`:
`t
`:
`‘
`i
`?
`:
`£
`‘
`+
`:
`:
`i
`i
`:
`3
`2
`?
`a
`x
`+
`1
`:
`2
`i
`3
`‘
`i
`:
`t
`zt
`‘
`¥
`¥
`:
`+
`.
`+
`:
`2
`x
`+
`\
`
`“S23
`yaa
`
`\
`poten,
`i
`‘
`
`7
`:
`+
`:
`33 <
`CBS
`;
`t
`Ne
`
`5
`
`&
`
`yt.
`Og
`
`’:
`
`353
`Se
`x
`neee
`
`rae
`FARIA RSROEWEE
`& AHAMBS BGS fo” “he
`Rex t
`
`re
`S 3
`oa
`oo
`so
`BX
`fee
`
`
`
`‘The writen parameters can indicate partioning
`HSS]
`mode (Qg., quad-tresbinarwinralliple tree partition, honzon-
`
`11
`
`

`

`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`falwertical partition, symimeiric‘asymimeinc partition, and
`ratio of Diack wilthyheimeht of sub blocks).
`
`[S70] The parrsexl parameters can inchoate partitioning
`mode (c.g. quad-tree/‘binarwimultiple tree partion, horizon-
`
`
`ialvertical partition, symumetric‘asymmeiric partition, and
`ratio of black wadihhyeight af sub bloeks),
`
`[0638] For exanysle, for a 32x32 block, as shown in (al)
`PICs. SBA, dhepaarsed parameters can indicale (he parkivionis
`a quad-tree }partition, and the partition includes only vertical
`directions.As such, the 32832block is partitioned! inte four
`Saxe sub blacks.
`
`[{G636] As another example, for a S2e32block, as showsa
`m Gad} mm FiO. 48.4. the papseed parameters can micheate the
`partition is a triple partition,
`the partition is a vertical
`partition, andratio af blockwidth ofsub blocks is rf: 1. As
`
`such, the S2eS2 blockis partitioned mio a SxSz sub block,
`a 16x82 subtblock, and a 8x32 sub bioe For example, for
`narameterscan indicatethe partionisaaeieadettee partition,
`a 32x32 block. as shown im (bh) Pi. 48. the parsed
`
`
`
`ami the partion inclides only harmontal directlans. As
`such, the 32x32 block is partitioned into four S2a8 sub
`blocks.
`fOG37] As another example, fore S2an2 hock, as shown
`
`m Cbd) in FIG. 48. the parsed parameters can mdicate the
`partition as 8 triple partition, the partition is a horreontal
`
`partition, and ratio ofblock height afsub blocksis back. As
`such, the 32x32 Block is partitioned iite a 32x8 sub block,
`a 32x16 sub blnck, and a 32x8 sub block.
`
`Asnoted above, the portions of Piao to which the Examinerpointsare notprior art. The
`
`Examiner does not appear to contend Chuang discloses the above recited features. Thus, claim 1
`
`and the other independentclaimsare allowable over the cited references. The dependentclaims
`
`are allowable at least by virtue of their dependencies.
`
`12
`
`

`

`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`To the extent the Examinerrelies on Figure 8, and paragraphs [0097], [0099], and [0100]
`
`of Chuang, the cited portions do not appearto disclose partition-selection parameters including a
`
`horizontal-vertical partition mode parameter which indicates a direction, as recited. Instead, the
`
`cited portions disclose using codewordsto indicate a tree-structure partitioning mode. For
`
`convenience, the cited portions of Chuang are reproduced below.
`
`
`
`FIG. 8
`
`
`
`
`YY Mock SF is apis
`
`
`
`
` rel
` at the:
`
`Woaihe Py
`
`
`
`MUHPO YW Une paring af Boek Qh are
`:
`
`
`a pariisoning offhe Aighinros’
`Sasheel Limes inthe d
`
`
`
`originatingfons tes nsot godeafpartiliomingfree 82,
`branch
`
`
`13
`
`

`

`£TDFEew, ork
`
`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`tyBRScere
`
`x:x
`
`xx
`{1 00)
`
`33
`Sat
`
`SALTR
`
`ed YI
`
`§
`mary £
`
`yy
`x.
`SSS
`
`During the telephone conference, the Examinerindicated horizontal and vertical splits
`
`into 4 segments was known as shown by
`
`two references mentioned in a summary ofan interview
`
`of May 19, 2021. The Examiner pointed to Wang,etal.
`
`2
`
`US 2013/0136175 (Figures 4A, 4B and
`
`14
`
`

`

`Application No. 16/417,514
`Reply to Office Action Dated May 26, 2021
`
`5) and Guoet al., 2013/0163664 (Figures 6, 7, and 9). Wang discloses horizontal and vertical
`
`partitions, but does not appear to disclose partition-selection parameters including a horizontal-
`
`vertical partition mode parameter. Guo discloses using a partition modetable and indexes,
`
`instead of partition-selection parameters including a horizontal-vertical partition mode
`
`parameter.
`
`Accordingly, the independent claims are allowable over Chuang, considered aloneor in
`
`combination with the Piao provisional application, or the Wang and Guo references. The
`
`dependentclaims are allowable at least by virtue of their dependencies.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Forat least these reasons, Applicant respectfully requests allowance of the pending claims.
`
`In the event the Examinerfinds minor informalities that can be resolved by telephone conference
`
`or if the Examinerbelieves a telephone conference would facilitate prosecution of this application,
`
`the Examiner is urged to contact Applicant’s undersigned representative by telephone at (206)
`
`622-4900 in order to expeditiously resolve prosecution of this application.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`Seed Intellectual Property Law Group Lip
`
`/Timothy L. Boller/
`Timothy L. Boller
`Registration No. 47,435
`
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, Washington 98104
`Phone: (206) 622-4900 | Fax:
`
`(206) 682-6031
`
`TLB:mve
`8201173_L.docx
`
`15
`
`