Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/435,023

CATALYST APPLICATION FOR EXTRACTING AND EXECUTING TASKS

Final Rejection §112
Filed
Feb 07, 2024
Examiner
KIM, DONG U
Art Unit
4100
Tech Center
4100
Assignee
Dropbox Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
87%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 87% — above average
87%
Career Allowance Rate
625 granted / 722 resolved
+26.6% vs TC avg
Moderate +13% lift
Without
With
+13.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
28 currently pending
Career history
748
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
10.4%
-29.6% vs TC avg
§103
45.3%
+5.3% vs TC avg
§102
10.2%
-29.8% vs TC avg
§112
27.4%
-12.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 722 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION 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 . This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed on 7/29/2026. This Action is made FINAL. Claims 1-20 are pending and they are presented for examination. Response to Amendment Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 1 (similarly claims 8 and 15) recite: “detecting, within a computer application running on a client device, an entry point trigger for initializing a task catalyst application that monitors content presented by the computer application”. After careful search of the instant application, the examiner was unable to find any disclosure(s) for the above limitation. On multiple instances the specification discloses: Instant PGPub paragraph 18, “the task catalyst system can utilize a task catalyst application to generate a task list from digital content presented within a computer application on a client device.” Instant PGPub paragraph 40, “To elaborate, the task catalyst system 102 monitors applications windows of a client device to detect active applications window. In some cases, the task catalyst system 102 communications with an operating system of a client device to detect or determine which application windows are active because they are currently receiving user interactions and/or are consuming a particular amount of processing power and/or memory. Based on detecting or identifying an active application window, the task catalyst system 102 moves a catalyst bauble (e.g., a circular interface element) to accompany, integrate with, or attach to the active application window. The catalyst bauble acts as an entry point or a quick access for a task catalyst application, providing menu options and interactive elements for performing task catalyst application functions without leaving (or navigating away from) the active application window.” At best, the specification discloses a catalyst system (emphasis added) which detects an entry point trigger. Claim 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20 are rejected based on rejection of its corresponding dependent claim. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Furihata et al. (Pub 20170262816) discloses when a button is pressed, a list generator may generate a todo list. 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 DONG U KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1313. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 5:00pm. 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, Bradley Teets can be reached at 5712723338. 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. /DONG U KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2197
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 07, 2024
Application Filed
May 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Jul 14, 2026
Interview Requested
Jul 23, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Jul 23, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Jul 29, 2026
Response Filed
Sep 11, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
87%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+13.4%)
2y 8m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 722 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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