Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 17, 2026
Application No. 18/400,743

Lighted Plug Grip Device

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Dec 29, 2023
Examiner
PAUMEN, GARY F
Art Unit
2834
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
unknown
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 10m
To Grant
87%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allow Rate
1706 granted / 1930 resolved
+20.4% vs TC avg
Minimal -2% lift
Without
With
+-1.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 10m
Avg Prosecution
56 currently pending
Career history
1986
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
§103
66.3%
+26.3% vs TC avg
§102
19.0%
-21.0% vs TC avg
§112
2.1%
-37.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1930 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . 35 USC 102 Rejection The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ku et al 2008/0293290. Regarding claim 11, Ku et al discloses an electrical power supply cord device, comprising: an electrical plug 20; at least one receptacle 30 electrically connected to the electrical plug; a housing 23 of the electrical plug; and whereas the housing of the electrical plug comprises a trigger notch (see “trigger” in Figure below). PNG media_image1.png 687 1384 media_image1.png Greyscale Claims Defining Over Prior Art Claims 1-10 are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches at least one LED light; an optical element comprised of translucent material; whereas the at least one LED light is configured to provide ambient light; and whereas the central ring within the housing of the receptacle is perpendicular to the face of the receptacle, and the central ring within the housing of the receptacle creates an aperture through the housing of the receptacle; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th. 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, Christopher Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. 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. /GARY F PAUMEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 29, 2023
Application Filed
Jan 11, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12603450
CABLE CONNECTOR SYSTEMS
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12597742
ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT AND POWER CORD
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12597735
LOCK MECHANISM AND CONNECTOR SET
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12597736
ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12597723
CONTACT ASSEMBLY HAVING CABLE CONTACTS AND CONNECTOR CONTACTS
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
88%
Grant Probability
87%
With Interview (-1.7%)
1y 10m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1930 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

Sign in for Full Analysis

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

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month