Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/189,913

WAFER ARTIFICIAL LEARNING AND DISCOVERY OBSERVER

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 24, 2023

Examiner

LU, TOM Y

Art Unit

2667

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +3.5% interview lift. Interview lift (+3.5%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 957 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LU, TOM Y View full profile →

Grants 88% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

838 granted / 957 resolved

+25.6% vs TC avg

Minimal +4% lift

Without

With

+3.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 5m

Avg Prosecution

21 currently pending

Career history

978

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

7.2%

-32.8% vs TC avg

§103

41.7%

+1.7% vs TC avg

§102

33.0%

-7.0% vs TC avg

§112

6.5%

-33.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 957 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 24, 2023

Application Filed

Nov 14, 2023

Response after Non-Final Action

Apr 29, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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KNOWLEDGE DISTILLATION METHOD FOR COMPRESSING IMAGE SEGMENTATION MODEL AND COMPUTING DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE SAME

2y 3m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/171,312

Patent 12648699

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3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/556,219

Patent 12651338

IMAGE DIAGNOSSIS ASSISTANCE DEVICE, IMAGE DIAGNOSSIS ASSISTANCE METHOD, AND IMAGE DIAGNOSSIS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

2y 7m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/613,045

Patent 12639975

BIOMETRIC SCANNER FOR PROCESSING LIVE SEAFOOD HARVESTS

2y 2m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/630,545

Patent 12639794

IMAGE NOISE REDUCTION AND FILTER DATA PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER DEVICE

2y 1m to grant Granted May 26, 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

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

88%

Grant Probability

91%

With Interview (+3.5%)

2y 5m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 957 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.