Last updated: October 02, 2026

Application No. 17/925,571

IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

Final Rejection

Filed

Nov 15, 2022

Priority

May 26, 2020 — JP 2020-091282 +1 more

Examiner

ZHAI, KYLE

Art Unit

2611

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +18.5% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (75%); +18.5% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 496 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

ZHAI, KYLE View full profile →

Grants 75% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

372 granted / 496 resolved

+13.0% vs TC avg

Strong +18% interview lift

Without

With

+18.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 10m

Avg Prosecution

21 currently pending

Career history

514

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

12.2%

-27.8% vs TC avg

§103

62.3%

+22.3% vs TC avg

§102

7.1%

-32.9% vs TC avg

§112

13.9%

-26.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 496 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 15, 2022

Application Filed

May 20, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Aug 20, 2025

Response Filed

Oct 02, 2025

Final Rejection mailed

Apr 24, 2026

Response after Non-Final Action

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/536,645

Patent 12737935

SHORT PROMPT TEXT-TO-IMAGE MODEL

2y 9m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026

18/568,755

Patent 12725337

VIDEO GENERATION METHOD AND DEVICE

2y 8m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026

18/319,731

Patent 12718537

EVALUATING BIAS IN GENERATIVE MODELS

3y 3m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026

18/554,818

Patent 12712068

FEATURE RECOGNITION AND DEPTH GUIDANCE USING INTRAOPERATIVE OCT

2y 10m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026

18/034,966

Patent 12682585

DATA PROCESSING DEVICE AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD

3y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 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

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

75%

Grant Probability

94%

With Interview (+18.5%)

2y 10m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 496 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.