Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 15/643,282

POWER ROUTING MODULE FOR A SOLAR CELL ARRAY

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Jul 06, 2017
Priority
Sep 14, 2016 — provisional 62/394,371 +11 more
Examiner
AYAD, TAMIR
Art Unit
1726
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
The Boeing Company
OA Round
19 (Non-Final)
42%
Grant Probability
Moderate
19-20
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 42% of resolved cases
42%
Career Allowance Rate
303 granted / 721 resolved
-23.0% vs TC avg
Strong +48% interview lift
Without
With
+48.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 5m
Avg Prosecution
45 currently pending
Career history
787
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
51.6%
+11.6% vs TC avg
§102
20.8%
-19.2% vs TC avg
§112
21.8%
-18.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 721 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA 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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1, 4, 6-12, 14, 27, and 41-49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Specifically, claims 1, 14, and 27 each recite “the insulation layer of polyimide adjacent to a bypass diode and the first electrical conductors,” in lines 36-37, respectively, however, there is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “the insulation layer of polyimide” in the claims. Claims 4, 6-12, and 41-49 are rejected due to their respective dependence on claims 1, 14, and 27. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1, 4, 6-12, 14, 27, and 41-49 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art, alone or in combination, does not disclose the power routing modules including an insulation layer of polyimide for electrically insulating the first electrical conductors of the electrically conductive layer, adjacent to a bypass diode and the first electrical conductors, the bypass diode and the first electrical conductors adjacent to a non-conductive adhesive layer configured to attach the power routing modules to the multi-layer substrate, in conjunction with the other limitations recited in claims 1, 14, and 27, respectively. Claims 4, 6-12, and 41-49 would be allowable due to their respective dependence on claims 1, 14, and 27. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMIR AYAD whose telephone number is (313) 446-6651. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a 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. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Barton can be reached at (571) 272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call (800) 786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272-1000. /TAMIR AYAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 67 earlier events
Jul 22, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Aug 12, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Oct 31, 2025
Response Filed
Jan 15, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112
Mar 11, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Apr 14, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Apr 18, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jul 29, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12675008
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD
2y 0m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12672383
BACK-CONTACT SOLAR CELL
1y 9m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026
Patent 12658841
MASS INERTER FOR SOLAR TRACKERS
2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026
Patent 12648258
Back-Contact Solar Cell, Battery Assembly and Photovoltaic System
11m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026
Patent 12615852
SOLAR MODULE WITH OPTIMIZED INTERCONNECTION AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
2y 4m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

19-20
Expected OA Rounds
42%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+48.4%)
3y 5m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 721 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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