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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
`
`16/942,634
`
`07/29/2020
`
`Kiyofumi ABE
`
`735256.443C1
`
`4975
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`OWENS, TSION B
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`2487
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`09/22/2021
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`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*
`1-22 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
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`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210914
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/942,634
`ABE etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`TSION B OWENS
`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
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 7/29/2020.
`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: 16/942,634
`Art Unit: 2487
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AJA.
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`Claim Relections 33 DSC $102
`
`‘The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C, 102 that form the
`be
`hasis for the relections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -
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`{atl} the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise
`available to the public before the effective fing date of the claimned invention.
`
`LON
`(a\(2} the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151. or in an application for patent
`published or deemed published under section 122(b}, in which the patent or applications the case maybe, names
`another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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`3.
`
`Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim et.al.
`
`(US 2020/0036992) (Chong Soon Lim.
`
`Regarding Claims 1 and 21; Lim discloses an encoder, comprising: circuitry; and
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`memory, wherein the circuitry encodes an image block using the memory,and in encoding the
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`imageblock, [See abstract and Figs. 1, 41 and 47-50], the circuitry: obtains one or more size
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`parametersrelated to a size of the image block [See Paragraphs 129-136 and Figs. 3, 47];
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`determines whether the one or more size parameters and one or more thresholdssatisfy a
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`determined relationship [See Paragraphs 442-448]; encodes a split parameter when the one or
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`more size parameters and the one or more thresholds are determined to satisfy the determined
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`relationship, the split parameter indicating whether the image blockis to be split into a plurality
`
`of partitions including a non-rectangular partition [See Paragraphs 463-477 and 516-519];
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`and encodesthe image block after splitting the image block into the plurality of partitions when
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/942,634
`Art Unit: 2487
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`Page 3
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`the split parameter indicates that the image blockis to be split into the plurality of partitions [See
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`Paragraphs 518-523];
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`Regarding Claims 2 and 12; Lim discloses wherein the circuitry encodes the image
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`block without encoding the split parameter when the one or more size parameters and the one or
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`morethresholds are determined notto satisfy the determined relationship [See Paragraphs 426-
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`430 and 516-519].
`
`Regarding Claims 3 and 13; Lim discloses wherein the circuitry encodes the image
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`block withoutsplitting the image block or encodes the image block after splitting the image
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`block into a plurality of rectangular partitions, when the one or more size parameters and the one
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`or more thresholds are determined notto satisfy the determined relationship [See Paragraphs
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`426-430 and 516-519].
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`Regarding Claims 4 and 14; Lim discloses wherein the circuitry encodes the image
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`block withoutsplitting the image block or encodes the imageblockafter splitting the image
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`block into a plurality of rectangular partitions, when the split parameter indicates that the image
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`block is not to be split into the plurality of partitions [See Paragraphs 129-136 and Fig.3].
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`Regarding Claims 5 and 15; Lim discloses wherein the one or more thresholds
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`comprise one threshold, and the determinedrelationship is that each of the one or more size
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`parametersis greater than or equal to the one threshold, or that at least one of the one or more
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`size parameters is greater than or equal to the one threshold [See Paragraphs 496-508].
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`Regarding Claims 6 and 16; Lim discloses wherein the one or more thresholds
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`comprise a first threshold and a secondthreshold,the first threshold is less than or equal to the
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`second threshold, and the determined relationship is that each of the one or more size parameters
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`is greater than or equalto the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold, or that
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/942,634
`Art Unit: 2487
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`Page 4
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`at least one of the one or more size parameters is greater than or equalto the first threshold and
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`less than or equal to the second threshold [See Paragraphs 496-510].
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`Regarding Claims 7 and 17; Lim discloses wherein the non-rectangular partition is a
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`triangular partition [See Paragraphs325].
`
`Regarding Claims 8 and 18; Lim discloses wherein the one or more size parameters
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`includeat least one of a ratio of a width of the image block to a height of the image block,a ratio
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`of the height of the image block to the width of the image block, the width of the image block, or
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`the height of the image block [See Paragraphs 515-517].
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`Regarding Claims 9 and 19; Lim discloses wherein each of the one or more thresholds
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`is greater than or equal to zero [See Paragraphs 328].
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`Regarding Claims 10 and 20; Lim discloses wherein the one or more thresholds
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`indicate a restricted range of a ratio of a width of the image block to a height of the image block,
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`the restricted range being a rangefor splitting the image block into the plurality of partitions [See
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`Paragraphs 424-438].
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`Regarding claims 11 and 22, the limitations claimed are substantially similar to claim 1
`
`above, therefore the ground for rejecting claim | also applieshere.
`
`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to TSION B. OWENSwhosetelephone numberis (571)272-
`
`3934. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, alt Friday 7:30AM - 5:00PM
`
`EST.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/942,634
`Art Unit: 2487
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`Page 5
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`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, David Czekaj can be reached on (571)272-7327. The fax phone numberfor the
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`organization wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
`
`maybe 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 }
`
`system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you 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.
`
`/TSION B OWENS/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
`
`