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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
`
`17/034,825
`
`09/28/2020
`
`Kiyofumi ABE
`
`735256.438C1
`
`8910
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`MAHMUD, FARHAN
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2483
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
`
`06/10/2021
`
`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):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-10 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-10 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 09/28/2020.
`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 20210605
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/034,825
`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 09/28/2020.
`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: 17/034,825
`Art Unit: 2483
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA 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 under the first
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`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`2.
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/28/2020 is in compliance with the
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`provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statementis being considered by the
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`examiner.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b}) CONCLUSION.—The s pecfication shallcondude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out
`and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor ora joint inventor regards as the
`invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claimingthe subject matter which the applicant regards as hisinvention.
`
`4,
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`Claims 1-10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph,as
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`being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the
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`inventoror a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AlA35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards
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`as the invention. These claims recite performing both the up-conversion and the down-conversion to
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`generate a second quantization matrix, and further goes on to recite separately that both the up-
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`conversion results in the second quantization matrix and the down-conversion results in the second
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`quantization matrix.It is unclear whether the up-conversion process and down-conversion process are
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`performedin alternative toeach other or performed in a particular order to arrive at the second
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`quantization matrix. It is not possible to arrive at the same second quantization matrix by performing
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`both up-conversion and down-conversion, and each of them separately. Applicant is advised to amend
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/034,825
`Art Unit: 2483
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`Page 3
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`the claims to more particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor
`
`regardsas the invention.
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`5.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphsof 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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.
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`6.
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`Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka et al. (US
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`20140321539 A1).
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`7.
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`8.
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`Regarding Claim 1, Tanaka et al. teachesan encoder (Paragraph 385) comprising:
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`circuitry; and memory coupled to the circuitry, wherein using the memory (Paragraphs 374-
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`376), the circuitry, in operation:
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`9.
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`performs anup-conversion and adown-conversion on a first quantization matrix to generate a
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`second quantization matrix (Paragraphs 15-22; Paragraphs 292-295),
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`
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`10. the first quantization matrix having a first number of rows andafirst number of columns equal
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`to the first number of rows to form a square matrix (Paragraphs 15-22),
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`11.
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`the second quantization matrix having a second number of rows and a second number of
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`columnsdifferent from the second number of rows to formarectangular matrix (Paragraphs 15-22);
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`and
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`12.
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`quantizes transform coefficients of a current block using the second quantization matrix
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`(Paragraph 2; Paragraph 24; Paragraphs 292-295),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/034,825
`Art Unit: 2483
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`Page 4
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`13.
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`wherein in the up-conversion, the circuitry generates the second quantization matrix such that
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`one of the second number of rows and the second number of columnsis larger than the first number of
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`rows (Paragraphs 15-22); and
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`14.
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`in the down-conversion, the circuitry generates the second quantization matrix such that the
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`other of the second number of rows and the second number of columns is smaller than the first number
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`of rows (Paragraphs 15-22; Paragraphs 292-295).
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`15.
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`Regarding Claim 2, Tanaka et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry,
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`in operation, encodes, into a bitstream, only information relating to the first quantization matrix out of
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`the information relating to the first quantization matrix and information relating to the second
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`quantization matrix (Paragraph 300).
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`16.
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`Regarding Claim 3, Tanaka et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, wherein in the down-
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`conversion, the circuitry divides matrix elements in the first quantization matrix into a number of groups
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`equal to a number of matrix elements in the second quantization matrix, in each of the groups, matrix
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`elements included in the group are sequentially arranged ina horizontal direction or a vertical direction
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`of the square matrix, and for each of the groups, the circuitry determines as a matrix elementthat is in
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`the second quantization matrix and corresponds to the group (i) a matrix element located at a lowest
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`frequency domain among the matrix elements included in the group,(ii) a matrix element located at a
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`highest frequency domain among the matrix elements included in the group,or (iii) an average value of
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`the matrix elements included in the group (Paragraphs 189-198).
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`17.
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`Regarding Claim 4, Tanaka et al. teaches the encoder according to claim 1, wherein in the up-
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`conversion, the circuitry (i) divides matrix elements in the second quantization matrix into a number of
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`groups equal to anumber of matrix elements in the first quantization matrix, and determines, for each
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`of the groups, matrix elements included in the group in the second quantization matrix by repeating the
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`matrix elements included in the group,or(ii) determines the matrix elements in the second quantization
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/034,825
`Art Unit: 2483
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`Page5S
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`matrix by performing linear interpolation between neighboring matrix elements among the matrix
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`elements in the second quantization matrix (Paragraphs 189-198).
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`18.
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`Claims 5-8 are drawn to the decoder associated with the encoder claimedin claims 1-4. These
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`claims have limitations which are substantially similar to the limitations rejected in the claims above,
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`and are performed in inverse to the encoding process above and as such are rejected using the rejection
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`above. Tanaka et al. further teaches a decoder associated with the encoder (Paragraph 11).
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`19.
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`Method claims 9 and 10 are drawn to the method of using corresponding apparatus claims 1,
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`and 5 respectively, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons of anticipation as used above.
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`Conclusion
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`20.
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to FARHAN MAHMUD whosetelephone number is (571)272-7712. The examiner can
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`normally be reached on 10-7.
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`21.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
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`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.
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`22.
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`If attempts to reachthe examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
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`Joseph Ustaris can be reached on 5712727383. The fax phone number for the organization wherethis
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`application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`23.
`
`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
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/034,825
`Art Unit: 2483
`
`Page 6
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`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
`
`