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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
`
`16/564,680
`
`09/09/2019
`
`Virginie DRUGEON
`
`2019-1543A
`
`3351
`
`Lind& i
`Wenderoth,
`Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
`1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW
`Suite 500
`Washington, DC 20036
`
`ANYIKIRE, CHIKAODILI E
`
`2487
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`11/12/2021
`
`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*
`1-4,8-11 and 15-18 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4,8-11 and 15-18 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)
`
`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`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 20211104
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/564,680
`DRUGEON etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`CHIKAODILI E ANYIKIRE
`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 9/15/2021.
`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: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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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.
`
`Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
`
`A requestfor continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), wasfiled in this application after final rejection. Since this
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`application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set
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`forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action
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`has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on
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`September 15, 2021 has been entered.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
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`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103)is incorrect, any
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`correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of
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`rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be
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`the same under either status.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 3
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`(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 effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`Claim(s) 1 —4, 8 - 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Seregin et al (US 2017/0272759, hereafter Seregin).
`
`As per claim 1, Seregin discloses an encoder, comprising:
`
`circuitry; and
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`a memory connected to the circuitry, wherein, in operation, the circuitry:
`
`performs a determination process of enabling or disabling a position dependent
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`intra prediction combination (PDPC) process which is a process of determining a
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`plurality of predicted values of a pixel in a current picture to be encoded, on a block-
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`by- block basis based on availability of at least one reference pixel amongaplurality of
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`reference pixels ({ 105),
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`the determination process being performed by(i) generating the plurality of
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`predicted values of the pixel, using a plurality of reference pixels in the current picture,
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`and (ii) regardless of a shape of a current block to be processed, filtering the plurality of
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`predicted values based on a position of the pixel, using as inputs coordinates of a pixel
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`located at an upper-left of the current block, a width and a height of each of the plurality
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`of reference pixels, and a kind of an intra prediction mode (¥ 105 and 119),
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`wherein (i) when a result of the determination processindicates that the at least
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`one reference pixel is available, the circuitry enables the PDPC processon the block-
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`by-block basis, and (ii) when a result of the determination process indicates that the at
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 4
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`least one reference pixel is unavailable, the circuitry disables the PDPC process on the
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`block-by-block basis ({ 119 - 122).
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`Asper claim 2, Seregin discloses the encoder according to claim 1, wherein
`
`whenatleast one prediction mode among Planarintra prediction mode, DC intra
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`prediction mode, and CCLM intra prediction modeis used to calculate the predicted
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`values of the pixel in the current block to be processedin the current picture, the
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`circuitry determines the availability of the at least one reference pixel which is located
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`left of and above the current block, and determines whether the filtering is to be applied
`
`to the process of determining the predicted value ({ 69 and 134).
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`Asper claim 3, Seregin discloses the encoder according to claim 2, wherein
`
`whena vertical intra prediction direction is used to calculate the predicted value of the
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`pixel in the current block, the circuitry determines availability of a reference pixel which
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`is located left of the current block, and determines whether the filtering is to be applied
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`to the process of determining the predicted value ({ 85, 121, 122).
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`Asper claim 4, Seregin discloses the encoder according to claim 2, wherein
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`whena horizontal intra prediction direction is used to calculate the predicted value of
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`the pixel in the current block, the circuitry determines availability of a reference pixel
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`which is located abovethe current block, and determines whether the filtering is to be
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`applied to the process of determining the predicted value (4 85, 121, 122).
`
`Regarding claim 8, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 1 are
`
`applicable for claim 8.
`
`Regarding claim 9, arguments analogous to those presentedfor claim 2 are
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`applicable for claim 9.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 5
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`Regarding claim 10, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 3 are
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`applicable for claim 10.
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`Regarding claim 11, arguments analogous to those presentedfor claim 4 are
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`applicable for claim 11.
`
`Regarding claim 15, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 1 are
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`applicable for claim 15.
`
`Regarding claim 16, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 2 are
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`applicable for claim 16.
`
`Claim(s) 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Zhao et al (US 2020/0007860, hereafter Zhao) in view of Jang et al (US
`
`2019/0174128, hereafter Jang).
`
`As per claim 17, Zhao discloses an encoder, comprising:
`
`circuitry; and a memory connectedto the circuitry, wherein, in operation, the
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`circuitry: generates a plurality of predicted values of a current block in a current picture,
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`using a plurality of reference pixels in the current picture; and disables a wide angle
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`intra prediction based on availability of at least one reference pixel among the plurality
`
`of reference pixels ({ 105).
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`However, Zhao does notexplicitly teach wherein (i) when a width of the current
`
`block is greater than a height of the current block, the at least one reference pixel is
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`located aboveright of the current block, and (ii) when the height of the current block is
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`greater than the width of the current block, the at least one reference pixel is located
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`bottom left of the current block.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 6
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`In the same field of endeavor, Jang teaches wherein (i) when a width of the
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`current block is greater than a height of the current block, the at least one reference
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`pixel is located aboveright of the current block, and (ii) when the height of the current
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`block is greater than the width of the current block, the at least one reference pixel is
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`located bottom left of the current block ({ 281 - 286).
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`Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the
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`time the invention waseffectively to modify the invention of Zhao in view of Jang. The
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`advantage is improving image compression.
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`Regarding claim 18, arguments analogous to those presented for claim 17 are
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`applicable for claim 18.
`
`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to CHIKAODILI E ANYIKIRE whose telephone number is
`
`(571)270-1445. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 am - 4:30 pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-basedcollaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`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.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/564,680
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 7
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`
`/CHIKAODILI E ANYIKIRE/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
`
`