Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/656,742

DRUM OF COMPACTOR

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 07, 2024

Examiner

LEE, JONG SUK

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 17% of cases after interview

— +23.2% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 120 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LEE, JONG SUK View full profile →

Grants only 17% of cases

Career Allowance Rate

20 granted / 120 resolved

-43.3% vs TC avg

Strong +23% interview lift

Without

With

+23.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 8m

Avg Prosecution

26 currently pending

Career history

138

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

87.7%

+47.7% vs TC avg

§102

8.5%

-31.5% vs TC avg

§112

1.4%

-38.6% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 120 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

May 07, 2024

Application Filed

May 22, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/703,952

Patent 12680244

Self-propelled earth working machine having an electrically driven working apparatus and a balanced weight distribution

2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/626,850

Patent 12669037

GREEN CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION LINE COMPRESSION SYSTEM

2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/765,232

Patent 12668942

PILE WITH AN UPHEAVAL RESISTANT SLEEVE

1y 11m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/685,963

Patent 12654962

Methods and Systems for Mining

2y 3m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/537,530

Patent 12644246

Embedding Anchors in an Underwater Floor

2y 5m 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

17%

Grant Probability

40%

With Interview (+23.2%)

2y 8m (~6m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 120 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.