Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 17/781,781

METHOD FOR CONVERTING A BLAST FURNACE PLANT

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 02, 2022

Priority

Dec 03, 2019 — LU 101514 +1 more

Examiner

SMOOT, MORIAH SIMONE MCMIL

Art Unit

1733

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Paul Wurth S.A.

OA Round

2 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +5.6% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 64% grant rate with +5.6% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 113 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

SMOOT, MORIAH SIMONE MCMIL View full profile →

Grants 64% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

72 granted / 113 resolved

-1.3% vs TC avg

Moderate +6% lift

Without

With

+5.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

42 currently pending

Career history

151

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.0%

-39.0% vs TC avg

§103

78.0%

+38.0% vs TC avg

§102

2.8%

-37.2% vs TC avg

§112

7.2%

-32.8% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 113 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Show 2 earlier events

Sep 15, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Dec 15, 2025

Response Filed

Feb 05, 2026

Final Rejection mailed

Feb 19, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Feb 19, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Apr 01, 2026

Response after Non-Final Action

May 28, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

May 28, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/414,956

Patent 12680044

HIGH-CARBON BIOGENIC REAGENTS AND USES THEREOF

2y 5m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/991,642

Patent 12629749

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PARTIAL SINTERING OF POWDER TO CREATE LARGER POWDER PARTICLES FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

3y 6m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

17/771,971

Patent 12624404

METHOD FOR OPERATING BLAST FURNACE

4y 0m to grant Granted May 12, 2026

19/104,476

Patent 12618119

HYDROGEN-RICH BLAST FURNACE IRONMAKING SYSTEM BASED ONMASS-ENERGY CONVERSION, AND PRODUCTION CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

1y 2m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

17/268,910

Patent 12606883

Binder Formulation

5y 2m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

2-3

Expected OA Rounds

64%

Grant Probability

69%

With Interview (+5.6%)

2y 9m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 113 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.