Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/277,004

ENERGY-SAVING ARRANGEMENT FOR TWIN-SCREW SHIPS

Final Rejection §112
Filed
Aug 11, 2023
Examiner
AVILA, STEPHEN P
Art Unit
3615
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Becker Marine Systems GmbH
OA Round
2 (Final)
80%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 1m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 80% — above average
80%
Career Allow Rate
1541 granted / 1921 resolved
+28.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +10% lift
Without
With
+10.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
40 currently pending
Career history
1961
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.1%
-38.9% vs TC avg
§103
61.3%
+21.3% vs TC avg
§102
9.8%
-30.2% vs TC avg
§112
9.1%
-30.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1921 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1, 3-5, 8 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. In claim 1, there is no antecedent basis in the claim for “the watercraft” (line 4). The use of “preferably” (line 16) and “particularly preferred” (line 16) in claim 1 is indefinite. Further in claim 1, “45% and 55%” (line 15) and “50%” (line 16) are indefinite range within ranges. In claim 13, line 5, there is no antecedent basis for “the watercraft”. With respect to claim 3, line 4, claim 13, line 1, the use of “in particular” defines an indefinite range within a range. Further the language of claim 3, last 2 lines, claim 8, lines 2-3, lines, claim 12, lines 2-3, define indefinite alternate structure. In claims 5, 13, the use of “preferably” and “particularly preferred” and the range within a range language is indefinite. Claim 8 is further rejected for being dependent on canceled claim 6. Applicant's arguments filed 1/29/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. It is noted that Applicant has not provided any arguments against the 112 rejections so the 112 rejections are deemed to be proper. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN AVILA whose telephone number is (571)272-6678. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 6-4. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel J. Morano can be reached at 571-272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. STEPHEN AVILA Primary Examiner Art Unit 3617 /STEPHEN P AVILA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 11, 2023
Application Filed
Nov 03, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §112
Jan 29, 2026
Response Filed
Feb 24, 2026
Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12600450
STERN DRIVES HAVING STEERABLE GEARCASE
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12600449
MARINE VESSELS HAVING A FIRST MARINE DRIVE AND A SECOND MARINE DRIVE AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING THEM
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12595036
RIM-DRIVEN MOTOR FOR PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12594799
AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE WITH ADJUSTABLE COMPONENTS FOR USE IN A LIQUID MANURE LAGOON
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12583567
SMALL MARINE VESSEL CAPABLE IN WHICH ACTION POSITION OF THRUST FORCE IS CHANGEABLE
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Powered by AI — typically takes 5-10 seconds

Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
80%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+10.1%)
2y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1921 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month