Last updated: May 29, 2026

Application No. 18/397,381

TIME-RESOLVED CONTRAST IMAGING FOR LIDAR

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 27, 2023

Priority

Feb 20, 2018 — provisional 62/632,917 +2 more

Examiner

NOEL, JEMPSON

Art Unit

3645

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.

OA Round

4 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +35.6% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 65% grant rate with +35.6% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 137 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

NOEL, JEMPSON View full profile →

Grants 65% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

89 granted / 137 resolved

+13.0% vs TC avg

Strong +36% interview lift

Without

With

+35.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 4m

Avg Prosecution

31 currently pending

Career history

179

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.5%

-39.5% vs TC avg

§103

90.9%

+50.9% vs TC avg

§102

3.7%

-36.3% vs TC avg

§112

3.5%

-36.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 137 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Show 4 earlier events

Jul 01, 2025

Final Rejection mailed

Nov 03, 2025

Request for Continued Examination

Nov 09, 2025

Response after Non-Final Action

Dec 05, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Mar 12, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Mar 12, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Apr 06, 2026

Response Filed

May 07, 2026

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/104,173

Patent 12638652

TECHNIQUES FOR ALIGNMENT OF TARGET AND LOCAL OSCILLATOR BEAMS TO PHOTODIODE DETECTOR

3y 3m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

17/953,185

Patent 12631732

MEASURING DEVICE COMPRISING A TARGETING UNIT AND A SCANNING MODULE

3y 7m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

17/440,196

Patent 12601814

OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE AND LIDAR SYSTEM

4y 7m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026

17/497,328

Patent 12591062

LIDAR DEVICE

4y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026

17/806,507

Patent 12591044

LIGHT PROJECTION APPARATUS AND MOVING BODY

3y 9m to grant Granted Mar 31, 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

4-5

Expected OA Rounds

65%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+35.6%)

3y 4m (~11m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

High

PTA Risk

Based on 137 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.