Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/339,914

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACOUSTIC PASSTHROUGH

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 22, 2023

Priority

Jun 24, 2022 — provisional 63/355,523

Examiner

JEREZ LORA, WILLIAM A

Art Unit

2695

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Apple Inc.

OA Round

2 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +15.5% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (84%); +15.5% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 614 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

JEREZ LORA, WILLIAM A View full profile →

Grants 84% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

513 granted / 614 resolved

+21.6% vs TC avg

Strong +16% interview lift

Without

With

+15.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 2m

Avg Prosecution

27 currently pending

Career history

633

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.9%

-39.1% vs TC avg

§103

89.0%

+49.0% vs TC avg

§102

0.5%

-39.5% vs TC avg

§112

3.9%

-36.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 614 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 22, 2023

Application Filed

Feb 28, 2024

Response after Non-Final Action

Sep 04, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Dec 04, 2025

Response Filed

May 15, 2026

Request for Continued Examination

May 19, 2026

Response after Non-Final Action

May 28, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/966,996

Patent 12671953

MUSIC COLLABORATION USING VIRTUAL CONFERENCING

3y 8m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/520,818

Patent 12671954

AUDIO APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREFOR

2y 7m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/593,369

Patent 12666211

AUDIO PROCESSING SYSTEM, AUDIO PROCESSING DEVICE, AND AUDIO PROCESSING METHOD

2y 3m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/438,883

Patent 12652490

IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD

2y 3m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/494,307

Patent 12647721

DEEP AUDIO ZOOMING: BEAMWIDTH-CONTROLLABLE NEURAL BEAMFORMER

2y 7m 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.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

2-3

Expected OA Rounds

84%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+15.5%)

2y 2m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 614 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.