Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/669,027

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 20, 2024

Priority

May 25, 2023 — JP 2023-086225

Examiner

MENBERU, BENIYAM

Art Unit

2681

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Canon Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +12.9% interview lift. Interview lift (+12.9%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 727 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MENBERU, BENIYAM View full profile →

Grants 74% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

539 granted / 727 resolved

+12.1% vs TC avg

Moderate +13% lift

Without

With

+12.9%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 8m

Avg Prosecution

22 currently pending

Career history

750

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.2%

-38.8% vs TC avg

§103

88.6%

+48.6% vs TC avg

§102

1.1%

-38.9% vs TC avg

§112

5.9%

-34.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 727 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

May 20, 2024

Application Filed

Mar 12, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/552,721

Patent 12680996

Crop Monitoring System And Method

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/092,026

Patent 12672916

SURGICAL COMPUTING SYSTEM WITH INTERMEDIATE MODEL SUPPORT

3y 6m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/704,675

Patent 12676936

IMAGE READING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/027,189

Patent 12663382

Estimating Biofilm Biomass on Objects in an Aquatic Environment

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/311,287

Patent 12664639

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND METHOD

3y 1m to grant Granted Jun 23, 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

74%

Grant Probability

87%

With Interview (+12.9%)

2y 8m (~6m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 727 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.