Last updated: May 29, 2026

Application No. 18/237,086

STORAGE BILLING SYSTEM AND STORAGE BILLING METHOD

Final Rejection

Filed

Aug 23, 2023

Priority

Apr 12, 2023 — JP 2023-064899

Examiner

HAYLES, ASHFORD S

Art Unit

3627

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

Hitachi, Ltd.

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +37.8% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (66%); +37.8% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 547 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

HAYLES, ASHFORD S View full profile →

Grants 66% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

361 granted / 547 resolved

+14.0% vs TC avg

Strong +38% interview lift

Without

With

+37.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 5m

Avg Prosecution

22 currently pending

Career history

572

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

7.4%

-32.6% vs TC avg

§103

87.1%

+47.1% vs TC avg

§102

3.3%

-36.7% vs TC avg

§112

0.8%

-39.2% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 547 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 23, 2023

Application Filed

Aug 12, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Sep 29, 2025

Response Filed

Oct 16, 2025

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

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18/333,540

Patent 12572917

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2y 9m to grant Granted Mar 10, 2026

18/278,353

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2y 6m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026

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Patent 12527421

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPARING FOOD AUTONOMOUSLY

3y 4m to grant Granted Jan 20, 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

66%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+37.8%)

3y 5m (~7m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 547 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.