Last updated: July 05, 2026

Application No. 18/277,387

SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY, LIGHT SOURCE MODULE, AND DISTANCE-MEASURING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Aug 16, 2023

Priority

Mar 12, 2021 — JP 2021-040536 +1 more

Examiner

HAGAN, SEAN P

Art Unit

2828

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 39% of cases after interview

— +30.2% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 612 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

HAGAN, SEAN P View full profile →

Grants only 39% of cases

Career Allowance Rate

238 granted / 612 resolved

-29.1% vs TC avg

Strong +30% interview lift

Without

With

+30.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 3m

Avg Prosecution

32 currently pending

Career history

657

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

97.8%

+57.8% vs TC avg

§102

1.2%

-38.8% vs TC avg

§112

1.0%

-39.0% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 612 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 16, 2023

Application Filed

Apr 07, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

16/766,672

Patent 12665376

A laser system

6y 1m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/696,349

Patent 12665383

BASE MEMBER OR LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE

4y 3m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/799,404

Patent 12665392

METHOD FOR PRODUCING OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES

1y 10m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/732,348

Patent 12620773

PERFORMANCE HETEROGENEOUS LASERS AND ACTIVE COMPONENTS

4y 0m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

17/842,031

Patent 12620779

VCSEL WITH SELF-ALIGNED MICROLENS TO IMPROVE BEAM DIVERGENCE

3y 10m to grant Granted May 05, 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

39%

Grant Probability

69%

With Interview (+30.2%)

3y 3m (~4m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 612 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.