Last updated: July 05, 2026

Application No. 18/207,443

OPTICAL SENSING SYSTEM, OPTICAL SENSING DEVICE, AND OPTICAL SENSING METHOD

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 08, 2023

Priority

Sep 16, 2022 — JP 2022-147845

Examiner

RATCLIFFE, LUKE D

Art Unit

3645

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

NEC Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +10.3% interview lift. Interview lift (+10.3%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 1713 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

RATCLIFFE, LUKE D View full profile →

Grants 87% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1496 granted / 1713 resolved

+35.3% vs TC avg

Moderate +10% lift

Without

With

+10.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

30 currently pending

Career history

1743

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.1%

-38.9% vs TC avg

§103

79.2%

+39.2% vs TC avg

§102

6.5%

-33.5% vs TC avg

§112

8.7%

-31.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1713 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 08, 2023

Application Filed

Mar 26, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/889,865

Patent 12663542

ONLINE LIDAR INTENSITY NORMALIZATION

3y 10m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/935,540

Patent 12663543

LIDAR SENSOR THAT MEASURES HORIZONTAL ANGLE USING STEP DIFFERENCE AND LIGHT REFLECTANCE

3y 9m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/983,352

Patent 12656497

POINT CLOUD MOTION COMPENSATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND LIDAR

3y 7m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

17/492,513

Patent 12650513

LIDAR WITH ADAPTIVE LASER POINT DENSITY

4y 8m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

17/861,745

Patent 12644986

TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENT FOR KNOWN TARGET DETECTION

3y 10m to grant Granted Jun 02, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

87%

Grant Probability

98%

With Interview (+10.3%)

2y 9m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1713 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.