Office Action Predictor
Last updated: April 16, 2026
Application No. 18/445,506

WINDOWS NOTE CLIP

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Sep 11, 2023
Examiner
MERCADO, LOUIS A
Art Unit
3677
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Unknown
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 2m
To Grant
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allow Rate
529 granted / 666 resolved
+27.4% vs TC avg
Strong +18% interview lift
Without
With
+17.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
43 currently pending
Career history
709
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
32.8%
-7.2% vs TC avg
§102
44.9%
+4.9% vs TC avg
§112
17.4%
-22.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 666 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Claim Objections Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1, it is suggested to amend to the following form: - - Claim 1. Windows note clip comprising two open diagonal windows opposite to each other on cardstock or plastic is a framework of the windows note clip for two simultaneous functions of clipping or holding and carrying or transporting notepapers or index cards. - -. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Golarz (US Patent No. 4,542,286). Two open diagonal windows opposite to each other on cardstock (or plastic) are the frameworks of the Windows Note Clip that offers two simultaneous functions of clip (holding) and carry (transporting) the note papers (or index cards) (see annotated Fig. 3). PNG media_image1.png 308 569 media_image1.png Greyscale Examiner’s Comment It appears the inventor(s) filed the current application pro se (i.e., without the benefit of representation by a registered patent practitioner). While inventors named as applicants in a patent application may prosecute the application pro se, lack of familiarity with patent examination practice and procedure may result in missed opportunities in obtaining optimal protection for the invention disclosed. The inventor(s) may wish to secure the services of a registered patent practitioner to prosecute the application, because the value of a patent is largely dependent upon skilled preparation and prosecution. The Office cannot aid in selecting a patent practitioner. A listing of registered patent practitioners is available at https://oedci.uspto.gov/OEDCI/. Applicants may also obtain a list of registered patent practitioners located in their area by writing to Mail Stop OED, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS A MERCADO whose telephone number is (571)270-5388. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. 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, Jason W. San can be reached on 571-272-6531. 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. /LOUIS A. MERCADO/ Examiner Art Unit 3677 /JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 11, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 14, 2024
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Jan 23, 2025
Interview Requested
Jan 24, 2025
Interview Requested
Feb 11, 2025
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Feb 12, 2025
Examiner Interview Summary
Feb 20, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 20, 2025
Response Filed

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12569038
GARMENTS WITH SEMI-PRECIOUS STONE SNAPS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 10, 2026
Patent 12557883
SYSTEM FOR INTERLOCKING FASTENER
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 24, 2026
Patent 12553495
CORD STOPPER
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026
Patent 12540639
Fastening Clip
2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 03, 2026
Patent 12528628
Latching Snap Wrap
2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 20, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+17.9%)
2y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 666 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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