Last updated: July 05, 2026

Application No. 18/598,347

Rail Vehicle

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 07, 2024

Priority

Mar 08, 2023 — JP 2023-035351

Examiner

MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Hitachi Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +16.6% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (82%); +16.6% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 1531 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J View full profile →

Grants 82% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1255 granted / 1531 resolved

+22.0% vs TC avg

Strong +17% interview lift

Without

With

+16.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

30 currently pending

Career history

1555

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

51.1%

+11.1% vs TC avg

§102

39.0%

-1.0% vs TC avg

§112

4.4%

-35.6% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1531 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 07, 2024

Application Filed

May 28, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/070,340

Patent 12662777

RAIL TIE HANDLING SYSTEM AND METHOD

3y 6m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/270,173

Patent 12661596

TROLLEY LAUNCHER SYSTEM FOR ZIPLINES

2y 12m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/017,777

Patent 12649964

WELDED RAIL

3y 4m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/199,593

Patent 12649500

High Speed Suspended Transit System and Related Methods

3y 0m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/015,187

Patent 12643581

COUPLER KNUCKLE INTERNAL PIVOT PIN SUPPORT

3y 4m to grant Granted Jun 02, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

82%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+16.6%)

2y 9m (~5m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1531 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.