Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 18/643,847

SENSOR, APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR PRODUCT

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Apr 23, 2024
Priority
Oct 27, 2021 — JP 2021-175762 +2 more
Examiner
ZHONG, XIN Y
Art Unit
2855
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Canon Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allowance Rate
482 granted / 631 resolved
+8.4% vs TC avg
Strong +15% interview lift
Without
With
+15.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
32 currently pending
Career history
652
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.0%
-39.0% vs TC avg
§103
55.4%
+15.4% vs TC avg
§102
16.4%
-23.6% vs TC avg
§112
25.1%
-14.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 631 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 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1-26 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. Claims 1 and 4-6 recite the limitations "the circle". There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims. It is unclear whether the limitations “the circle” are referring to the imaginary circle or not. The remaining claims are rejected due to their dependence. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-26 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. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reasons for allowance of independent claim 1 is the inclusion of the specific limitations of “the at least one metal component has a first coupling surface section disposed on the one side of the circle and coupled to the first reinforcement component, and a second coupling surface section disposed on the other side of the circle and coupled to the second reinforcement component, the at least one metal component is formed by bending a metal member, and two sides that define a thickness of the at least one elastic section intersect with the circle”, in combination of with all other recited (method steps/associated elements) in a sensor. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.” Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIN Y ZHONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3798. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.. 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, Kristina Deherrera can be reached at 303-297-4237. 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. /XIN Y ZHONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 23, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12704488
MASS SPECTROMETRY SYSTEM, PROCESSING DEVICE, AND ANOMALY DETECTION METHOD
2y 7m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Patent 12704480
SUPPORT BED FOR IMPACT MEASUREMENTS
2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Patent 12695001
Photonically Multiplexed Optical Measurement Apparatus and Performing Optical Multiplexing
3y 2m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026
Patent 12693271
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRASONIC TESTING USING TEMPORAL SPARSE FIRING
2y 11m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026
Patent 12693270
SYSTEM FOR MONITORING CONTAINERS OR PIPES IN WHICH AT LEAST TWO PHASES OR AT LEAST TWO MEDIA OF ONE PHASE IN THE FORM OF A LIQUID, A GAS AND/OR A SOLID ARE STORED OR TRANSPORTED TOGETHER
2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 28, 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
76%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+15.3%)
2y 9m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 631 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