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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
`
`16/591,903
`
`10/03/2019
`
`Ryuichi KANOH
`
`735256.422C1
`
`3237
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`BOYLAN, JAMES T
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2486
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`08/31/2020
`
`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*
`1-20 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`CC) Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) O Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`C) 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)C The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 10/03/2019 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:
`cc) None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)Y) 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.
`3.4) 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 10/03/2019.
`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 20200727
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/591,903
`KANOH etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`JAMES T BOYLAN
`2486
`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 10/03/2019.
`LC} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)(J This action is FINAL. 2b))This action is non-final.
`3) 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\(Z 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: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
`
`is being examined
`
`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Priority
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 10/03/2019. The
`
`submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the
`
`information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis forall
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention maynotbe obtained, notwithstanding thatthe claimed
`invention is not identicallydisclosed as set forth insection 102, if the differences between the
`claimed invention and the prior artare such that the claimed invention as a whole would have
`been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having
`ordinaryskill inthe art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentabilityshall notbe
`negated by the manner in whichthe invention was made.
`
`Claims 1-5, 7-11,13-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
`
`unpatentable over Norkin et al. (herein after will be referred to as Norkin) (US
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 3
`
`20130294525) in view of Norkin et al. (herein after will be referred to as Norkin ‘814)
`
`(US 20130329814).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Norkin discloses an encoder comprising:
`
`processing circuitry; and a memory coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein
`
`the processingcircuitry is configured to: [See Norkin [0084-0086] Units are
`
`implemented as computer program modules running ona processor with
`
`the computer program in the form of memory.]
`
`using clipping such that change amounts of the respective values do not exceed
`
`respective thresholds, [See Norkin [0006] When filtering, delta is clipped off
`
`to a threshold.]
`
`the pixels in the first block and the second block being arranged alongaline
`
`across the boundary.
`
`[See Norkin [Fig. 3A] Boundary (1) between two
`
`adjacent blocks.]
`
`Norkin does not explicitly disclose
`
`selecta first filter for a first block based at least on a prediction mode usedfor the
`
`first block; select a secondfilter for a second block; and
`
`change values ofpixels in the first block and the second block, using the first
`
`filter and the secondfilter, to filter a boundary between thefirst block and the
`
`second block, and
`
`However, Norkin ‘814 does disclose
`
`selecta first filter for a first block based at least on a prediction mode usedfor the
`
`first block; select a secondfilter for a second block; and [See Norkin ‘814
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 4
`
`[0042] Independentfiltering decision for the blocks of pixels separated by a
`
`block boundary....adapt the particular deblocking filtering at each block
`
`based on its local structures. Also, see 0168, the prediction block outputis
`
`processed bya filtering control device to control any deblocking filtering
`
`that is applied to the reference block.]
`
`e
`
`change values of pixels in the first block and the second block, using the first
`
`filter and the secondfilter, to filter a boundary between thefirst block and the
`
`second block, and [See Norkin Fig. 2A] Boundary (1) between pixels in
`
`adjacent blocks.]
`
`It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the
`
`effective filing date to modify the device by Norkin to add the teachings of Norkin ‘814,
`
`in order to improve upon deblocking filtering over block boundaries [See Norkin ‘814
`
`[0014-0015].
`
`Regarding claim 2, Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) disclose the device of claim 1.
`
`Furthermore, Norkin does not explicitly disclose
`
`e wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the secondfilter for the
`
`second block based at least on a prediction mode used for the second block.
`
`However, Norkin ‘814 does disclose
`
`e wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the secondfilter for the
`
`second block based at least on a prediction mode used for the second block.
`
`[See Norkin ‘814 [0042] Independentfiltering decision for the blocks of
`
`pixels separated by a block boundary....adapt the particular deblocking
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 5
`
`filtering at each block based on its local structures. Also, see 0168, the
`
`prediction block output is processed bya filtering control device to control
`
`any deblocking filtering that is applied to the reference block.]
`
`Applying the same motivation as applied in claim 1.
`
`Regarding claim 3, Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) disclose the device of claim 1.
`
`Furthermore, Norkin discloses
`
`e wherein the respective thresholds for the pixels in the first block and the second
`
`block are selected to be symmetrical or asymmetrical with respect to the
`
`boundary based onblock sizesof the first block and the second block.
`
`[See
`
`Norkin [0068-0069] Threshold value is varied dependenton the blocksize.
`
`Also, see Fig. 3A-3B, boundaryfilter between two blocks containing pixels.
`
`The threshold value is symmetrical for all pixels in the block due to the
`
`threshold value being selected based on block size.]
`
`Regarding claim 4, Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) disclose the device of claim 3.
`
`Furthermore, Norkin discloses
`
`e wherein at least one of the respective thresholds for the pixels located at
`
`respective positions in the first block is different from a threshold for the pixel
`
`located at a corresponding position in the second block with respect to the
`
`boundary.
`
`[See Norkin [0068-0069] Threshold value is varied dependent on
`
`the block size. Also, see Fig. 3A-3B, boundaryfilter between two blocks
`
`containing pixels. When the blocksare of different size, then the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 6
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`thresholdsfor the pixels in the different block sizes will have different
`
`thresholds.]
`
`Regarding claim 5, Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) disclose the device of claim 3.
`
`Furthermore, Norkin discloses
`
`wherein the pixels in the first block includeafirst pixel located atafirst position,
`
`and the pixels in the second block include a second pixel located at a second
`
`position corresponding to the first position with respect to the boundary, [See
`
`Norkin [Fig. 3A] Pixels PO, QO with boundary (1).]
`
`wherein the thresholds includeafirst threshold and a second threshold
`
`corresponding to the first pixel and the secondpixel, respectively, and wherein
`
`the first threshold is different from the second threshold.
`
`[See Norkin [0068-
`
`0069] Threshold value is varied dependent on the block size. Also, see Fig.
`
`3A4-3B, boundaryfilter between two blocks containing pixels. When the
`
`blocks are of different size, then the thresholdsfor the pixels in the
`
`different block sizes will have different thresholds.]
`
`Regarding claim 7, see examiners rejection for claim 1 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 7.
`
`Regarding claim 8, see examiners rejection for claim 2 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 8.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591 ,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Regarding claim 9, see examiners rejection for claim 3 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 9.
`
`Regarding claim 10, see examiners rejection for claim 4 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 10.
`
`Regarding claim 11, see examiners rejection for claim 5 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 11.
`
`Regarding claim 13, see examiners rejection for claim 1 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 13.
`
`Regarding claim 14, see examiners rejection for claim 2 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 14.
`
`Regarding claim 15, see examiners rejection for claim 3 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 15.
`
`Regarding claim 16, see examiners rejection for claim 4 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 16.
`
`Regarding claim 17, see examiners rejection for claim 5 which is analogous
`
`and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 17.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 8
`
`Regarding claim 19, see examiners rejection for claim 1 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 19.
`
`Regarding claim 20, see examiners rejection for claim 2 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 20.
`
`Claims 6, 12 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Norkin (US 20130294525) in view of Norkin ‘814 (US 20130329814) and in further
`
`view of Narroschkeet al. (herein after will be referred to as Narroschke) (US
`
`20130101027).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) disclose the device of claim 3.
`
`Furthermore, Norkin does not explicitly disclose
`
`e wherein the pixels in the first block includeafirst additional pixel located ata first
`
`additional position and the pixels in the second block include a second additional
`
`pixel located at a second additional position which correspondsto thefirst
`
`additional position with respect to the boundary, and the thresholds includeafirst
`
`additional threshold and a second additional threshold corresponding to the first
`
`additional pixel and the second additional pixel, respectively, and wherein the
`
`first additional
`
`threshold is same as the second additional threshold.
`
`However, Narroschke does disclose
`
`e wherein the pixels in the first block includeafirst additional pixel located ata first
`
`additional position and the pixels in the second block include a second additional
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 9
`
`pixel located at a second additional position which correspondsto thefirst
`
`additional position with respect to the boundary, and the thresholds includeafirst
`
`additional threshold and a second additional threshold corresponding to the first
`
`additional pixel and the second additional pixel, respectively, and wherein the
`
`first additional
`
`threshold is same as the second additional threshold.
`
`[See
`
`Narroschke [Fig. 5] Boundary (550) with pixels between adjacent blocks.
`
`Also, see 0086, Each possible sample position (i.e. P1, Q1) has an
`
`associated individual threshold.]
`
`It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the
`
`effective filing date to modify the device by Norkin (modified by Norkin ‘814) to add the
`
`teachings of Narroschke,
`
`in order to improve upon the precision of the deblocking filter
`
`which will reduce the amount of blocking artifacts [See Narroschke [0017]].
`
`Regarding claim 12, see examiners rejection for claim 6 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 12.
`
`Regarding claim 18, see examiners rejection for claim 6 which is analogous and
`
`applicable for the rejection of claim 18.
`
`Conclusion
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`Page 10
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to JAMES T BOYLAN whosetelephone numberis
`
`(571)272-8242. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 7am-3pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, JAMIE ATALA can be reached on 571-272-7384. The fax phone numberfor
`
`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/591,903
`Art Unit: 2486
`
`(JAMES T BOYLAN/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2486
`
`Page 11
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`