Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/448,857

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING AUDIO, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Aug 11, 2023
Priority
Nov 18, 2022 — CN 202211449203.X
Examiner
DONELS, JEFFREY
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Douyin Vision Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allowance Rate
1124 granted / 1311 resolved
+25.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +11% lift
Without
With
+11.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
1323
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
6.4%
-33.6% vs TC avg
§103
23.8%
-16.2% vs TC avg
§102
35.4%
-4.6% vs TC avg
§112
30.1%
-9.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1311 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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claims 1,17,18 it is not clear if the “to-be-selected arrangement style” is the same as the “target arrangement style” or if they are related. It is not clear as to what is meant by audio being “merged” to a template. They appear to be two different types of data. Correction is required. Regarding Claim 6, the “meter” is not positively recited and lacks antecedent basis. Correction is required. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-18 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited show related teachings in the art. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY DONELS whose telephone number is (571)272-2061. The examiner can normally be reached M-F. 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, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. 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. JEFFREY . DONELS Examiner Art Unit 2837 /JEFFREY DONELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 11, 2023
Application Filed
Aug 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12741846
SMART ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS
4y 9m to grant Granted Sep 22, 2026
Patent 12731567
WATER HARP WITH OPTICAL SENSING OF THE BREAK OF FLOWING WATER STREAMS
3y 5m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12725593
EFFECT ADDING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
4y 11m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026
Patent 12725594
ELECTRONIC MUSIC KEYBOARD
3y 3m to grant Granted Sep 01, 2026
Patent 12725590
METHOD FOR LAYERING AND MIXING MONAURAL BEATS TO HELP SLEEP
3y 3m to grant Granted Sep 01, 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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+11.2%)
2y 5m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1311 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

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

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month