Patent 7724818

Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Here's an analysis of the prior art cited in US patent 7,724,818, based on the provided patent text and the USPTO search confirming the Google Patents record for US7724818B2. The current date is April 26, 2026.

Prior Art Analysis for US7724818

The patent US7724818 focuses on a method for coding sequences of pictures, specifically by introducing a hierarchical structure for parameter sets (sequence, picture) and placing certain picture parameters directly in slice headers.

Cited Patent References:

  1. EP0322123A2

    • Full Citation: EP0322123A2 - A method of operating an electronic information processing system for managing documents therein - International Business Machines Corporation
    • Publication Date: 1989-06-28 (Priority Date: 1987-12-23)
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a method for managing documents in an electronic information processing system, focusing on document organization, storage, and retrieval. It appears to be related to general data management rather than video coding specifics.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent does not appear to anticipate any claims of US7724818 as it relates to document management and does not disclose a method for coding sequences of pictures, nor the specific parameter set hierarchy and slice header parameters as claimed in US7724818.

  2. US5515107A

    • Full Citation: US5515107A - Method of encoding a stream of motion picture data - Sigma Designs, Incorporated
    • Publication Date: 1996-05-07 (Priority Date: 1994-03-30)
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a method of encoding motion picture data, specifically mentioning the creation of a bitstream with data representative of a sequence of pictures. It deals with motion estimation and coding of frames, but does not detail a multi-layered parameter set structure (sequence, picture, slice header) in the manner of US7724818.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While it relates to encoding video, it does not specifically disclose defining parameters in distinct sequence and picture parameter sets, nor defining a picture parameter value in a slice header that remains unchanged across all slices of a picture, as claimed in US7724818 (e.g., Claims 1, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23). Therefore, it is unlikely to directly anticipate these specific structural and hierarchical features.

  3. RU2073913C1

    • Full Citation: RU2073913C1 - Information carrier, method and device for writing data files and device for reading data from such information carrier - Н.В.Филипс Глоэлампенфабрикен
    • Publication Date: 1997-02-20 (Priority Date: 1990-09-19)
    • Brief Description: This Russian patent describes an information carrier, method, and device for writing and reading data files. It is general in nature regarding data storage and retrieval.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to EP0322123A2, this patent is not directly related to video coding techniques as described in US7724818 and therefore does not appear to anticipate its claims.

  4. US5838265A

    • Full Citation: US5838265A - Method, encoder and decoder for resynchronization to a data stream which contains errors - Deutsche Thomson Brandt Gmbh
    • Publication Date: 1998-11-17 (Priority Date: 1995-07-07)
    • Brief Description: This patent addresses resynchronization in data streams, particularly in the presence of errors, which is relevant to video transmission. It mentions resynchronization markers and header information for various data layers (e.g., video sequence layer, group of pictures layer, picture layer, slice layer).
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While it deals with video data layers and error resilience, it doesn't explicitly describe the specific multi-layered parameter set definition and referencing structure (sequence parameter set, picture parameter set, and a picture parameter in the slice header that is constant for the picture) as detailed in US7724818's claims. Its focus is more on resynchronization mechanisms. Therefore, it may not directly anticipate the specific parameter set hierarchy and value persistency.

  5. RU2201654C2

    • Full Citation: RU2201654C2 - Low-noise coding and decoding method - Томсон Лайсенсинг С.А.
    • Publication Date: 2003-03-27 (Priority Date: 1997-12-23)
    • Brief Description: This Russian patent describes a low-noise coding and decoding method. Without a detailed English translation, it's difficult to ascertain its specific relevance to video coding parameter sets.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Based on the generic title, it's unlikely to anticipate the specific parameter set hierarchy and slice header parameter definitions of US7724818 without more detailed content.

  6. US6414608B1

    • Full Citation: US6414608B1 - Variable length code decoding device, digital broadcast receiving apparatus, and DVD reproducing apparatus - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    • Publication Date: 2002-07-02 (Priority Date: 1999-06-09)
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a variable length code (VLC) decoding device and its application in digital broadcast receivers and DVD players. It focuses on entropy decoding, which is a component of video codecs.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent pertains to VLC decoding and apparatus rather than the specific parameter set organization and signaling described in US7724818. Thus, it does not appear to anticipate the claims related to sequence, picture, and slice header parameter definitions.

  7. WO2002015589A1

    • Full Citation: WO2002015589A1 - Video coding - Nokia Corporation
    • Publication Date: 2002-02-21 (Priority Date: 2000-08-14)
    • Brief Description: This international patent application by Nokia Corporation relates to video coding, particularly dealing with motion compensation and reference picture handling. It discusses aspects of video encoding efficiency.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While this patent is in the same field (video coding by Nokia), its abstract and general description do not indicate the specific tripartite parameter set structure (sequence, picture, and slice header picture parameter) as claimed in US7724818. It might cover broader video coding concepts, but not the precise inventive step of parameter set organization.

  8. US20030012275A1

    • Full Citation: US20030012275A1 - Multiple parallel encoders and statistical analysis thereof for encoding a video sequence - International Business Machines Corporation
    • Publication Date: 2003-01-16 (Priority Date: 2001-06-25)
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes using multiple parallel encoders and statistical analysis for encoding video sequences, aiming to improve encoding efficiency. It focuses on the encoder architecture and optimization.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference describes encoding methods but does not explicitly detail the parameter set hierarchy (sequence, picture, slice header) or the persistence rules for picture parameters within slice headers as found in US7724818. Therefore, it is unlikely to anticipate the specific claims of US7724818 related to parameter set structure.

  9. US7072393B2

    • Full Citation: US7072393B2 - Multiple parallel encoders and statistical analysis thereof for encoding a video sequence - International Business Machines Corporation
    • Publication Date: 2006-07-04 (Priority Date: 2001-06-25)
    • Brief Description: This is the granted patent corresponding to US20030012275A1. The description would be substantially the same, focusing on parallel encoders and statistical analysis for video encoding.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): As the granted version of the previous entry, it shares the same limitations regarding anticipation of US7724818's specific parameter set claims.

  10. US20040013202A1

    • Full Citation: US20040013202A1 - Method and device for indicating quantizer parameters in a video coding system - Nokia Corporation
    • Publication Date: 2004-01-22 (Priority Date: 2002-04-23)
    • Brief Description: This Nokia patent application describes a method and device for indicating quantizer parameters in a video coding system, allowing for different quantizer parameters for different parts of a picture or different pictures. This touches upon signaling parameters.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While dealing with parameter signaling (quantizer parameters), this reference does not disclose the specific multi-level parameter set structure (sequence, picture, and slice header picture parameter with picture-level constancy) that is central to US7724818's claims. It might anticipate aspects of parameter signaling in general, but not the specific hierarchical definition and persistency claimed.

  11. US20040008766A1

    • Full Citation: US20040008766A1 - Random access points in video encoding - Nokia Corporation
    • Publication Date: 2004-01-15 (Priority Date: 2002-04-29)
    • Brief Description: This Nokia patent application addresses random access points in video encoding, particularly relating to instantaneous decoder refresh (IDR) pictures and how they enable decoders to start decoding at any IDR picture. This concept is fundamental to sequence boundaries.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on IDR pictures and random access. While IDR pictures relate to sequence boundaries, it does not explicitly detail the contents and hierarchical relationships of sequence, picture, and slice header parameter sets in the specific way claimed by US7724818. However, the concept of a "sequence" being tied to IDR pictures is certainly relevant background art for the "sequence parameter set" of US7724818. It might potentially anticipate the general idea of parameters related to a sequence or group of pictures, but not the specific hierarchical split and slice header parameter rule.

  12. US20040010802A1

    • Full Citation: US20040010802A1 - Generic adaptation layer for JVT video - Visharam Mohammed Zubair
    • Publication Date: 2004-01-15 (Priority Date: 2002-04-29)
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes a generic adaptation layer for JVT (Joint Video Team) video, focusing on encapsulating video coding layer (VCL) data into network abstraction layer units (NALUs). It mentions the use of parameter sets at different layers (sequence, GOP, picture) to decouple transmission. The abstract explicitly mentions "sequence parameter sets, group of pictures parameter sets and picture parameter sets are used to decouple the transmission from the sequence, group of pictures and picture boundaries."
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant. It explicitly mentions "sequence parameter sets" and "picture parameter sets" in the context of JVT video coding and decoupling their transmission. This directly overlaps with the "defining parameters in a sequence parameter set" and "defining parameters in a picture parameter set" elements of US7724818's independent claims (e.g., Claim 1, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23). However, US7724818 also claims "defining at least one picture parameter value in a slice header, the picture parameter value remaining unchanged at least in all slice headers of one picture." The abstract of US20040010802A1 doesn't explicitly detail parameters within slice headers with picture-level persistency as an inventive element separate from the parameter sets. It could potentially anticipate the concept of sequence and picture parameter sets, but the specific detail of a picture parameter in the slice header that remains unchanged for the whole picture may still be novel to US7724818. Claims 2, 3, 7, 8, 17, 18 which relate to referencing between these parameter sets (slice header refers to picture parameter set, picture parameter set refers to sequence parameter set) are also broadly hinted at by the decoupling idea, but the exact mechanism of US7724818 is a detailed implementation.

  13. US20040008786A1

    • Full Citation: US20040008786A1 - Adaptive weighting of reference pictures in video encoding - Boyce Jill Macdonald
    • Publication Date: 2004-01-15 (Priority Date: 2002-07-15)
    • Brief Description: This patent application discusses adaptive weighting of reference pictures in video encoding, aiming to improve prediction efficiency. It relates to motion compensation techniques.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on reference picture weighting, which is a detail within video encoding, but does not appear to disclose the specific parameter set hierarchy and slice header parameter definitions as claimed in US7724818.

  14. US7227901B2

    • Full Citation: US7227901B2 - Low-complexity deblocking filter - Ub Video Inc.
    • Publication Date: 2007-06-05 (Priority Date: 2002-11-21)
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a low-complexity deblocking filter for video coding, used to reduce artifacts. This is a post-processing step in video decoding.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent addresses a specific video processing component (deblocking filter) and not the parameter set signaling structure of US7724818. Therefore, it does not appear to anticipate the claims.

  15. US6646578B1

    • Full Citation: US6646578B1 - Context adaptive variable length decoding system and method - Ub Video Inc.
    • Publication Date: 2003-11-11 (Priority Date: 2002-11-22)
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a context-adaptive variable length decoding (CAVLD) system and method. CAVLD is an entropy coding technique used in video codecs.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US6414608B1, this patent focuses on an entropy decoding technique and not the overarching parameter set structure and signaling of US7724818. It does not appear to anticipate the claims.

  16. US20040199565A1

    • Full Citation: US20040199565A1 - Method and apparatus for supporting advanced coding formats in media files - Visharam Mohammed Zubair
    • Publication Date: 2004-10-07 (Priority Date: 2003-02-21)
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes a method and apparatus for supporting advanced coding formats in media files, particularly focusing on handling metadata and parsing coded data. It touches on stream properties and format information.
    • Potentially Anticipating Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While this patent deals with supporting advanced coding formats and handling metadata, its abstract does not clearly articulate the specific hierarchical parameter set structure (sequence, picture, and a picture parameter in the slice header that is constant for the picture) as claimed in US7724818. It is more general about media file formatting and metadata.

Most Relevant Prior Art

Based on this analysis, US20040010802A1 (Generic adaptation layer for JVT video by Visharam Mohammed Zubair) appears to be the most relevant prior art. It explicitly introduces the concepts of "sequence parameter sets" and "picture parameter sets" for decoupling transmission in JVT video, directly overlapping with the first two defining steps of US7724818's independent claims (e.g., Claim 1: "defining, in an encoder, parameter values in a sequence parameter set for a sequence of pictures; defining, in the encoder, parameter values in a picture parameter set for a picture").

However, the third critical element of US7724818, "defining, in the encoder, at least one picture parameter value in a slice header, the picture parameter value remaining unchanged at least in all slice headers of one picture," is not explicitly detailed in the abstract of US20040010802A1 as a distinct inventive step. The novelty of US7724818 likely lies in this specific distribution of picture-level parameters, moving some into the slice header with a defined persistency, in conjunction with the sequence and picture parameter sets. Claims 4 and 9, which specify examples of such picture parameters (picture order count, frame number), further differentiate US7724818.

Generated 5/20/2026, 6:48:34 PM