Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/631,092

OPTICAL CONNECTOR UNIT FOR A PHOTONIC ASSEMBLY AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME

Non-Final OA

Filed

Apr 10, 2024

Priority

Jan 22, 2024 — provisional 63/623,491

Examiner

KIM, TONG-HO

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +0.6% interview lift. Interview lift (+0.6%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 1079 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

KIM, TONG-HO View full profile →

Grants 95% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1028 granted / 1079 resolved

+35.3% vs TC avg

Minimal +1% lift

Without

With

+0.6%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

1y 8m

Avg Prosecution

24 currently pending

Career history

1099

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

66.6%

+26.6% vs TC avg

§102

14.6%

-25.4% vs TC avg

§112

7.0%

-33.0% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1079 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 10, 2024

Application Filed

May 19, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/561,715

Patent 12684832

EPI BARRIER ALIGNED BACKSIDE CONTACT

4y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/148,528

Patent 12685222

PACKAGE ARCHITECTURE WITH MEMORY CHIPS HAVING DIFFERENT PROCESS REGIONS

3y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/548,644

Patent 12684904

METHOD OF CONTROLLING BOW IN A SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE, SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

2y 10m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/243,818

Patent 12677442

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

2y 10m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/499,599

Patent 12677711

DIRECT PLUG-IN LED LAMP BEAD WITH INTERNAL RESISTOR

2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 07, 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

95%

Grant Probability

96%

With Interview (+0.6%)

1y 8m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1079 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.