Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/617,668

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PHOTOMASK DELIVERY

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 27, 2024

Examiner

PATEL, MIRAJ T

Art Unit

3628

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +21.5% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (84%); +21.5% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 106 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

PATEL, MIRAJ T View full profile →

Grants 84% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

89 granted / 106 resolved

+32.0% vs TC avg

Strong +22% interview lift

Without

With

+21.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

1y 10m

Avg Prosecution

13 currently pending

Career history

113

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.7%

-39.3% vs TC avg

§103

66.9%

+26.9% vs TC avg

§102

4.0%

-36.0% vs TC avg

§112

23.2%

-16.8% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 106 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 27, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 08, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/454,226

Patent 12679655

CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD FOR AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE SYSTEM

2y 10m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/924,563

Patent 12678840

WASTE PLASTIC DENSITY SEPARATION

1y 8m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/515,081

Patent 12661683

TRACK GENERATION DEVICE AND FLUID APPLICATION SYSTEM

2y 7m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/961,328

Patent 12629723

Adaptive Lumber Management

1y 5m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/022,419

Patent 12617618

AUTOMATIC WAREHOUSE AND A METHOD FOR MANAGING AN AUTOMATIC WAREHOUSE BASED ON POPULARITY OF ITEMS

3y 2m to grant Granted May 05, 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

84%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+21.5%)

1y 10m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 106 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.