Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/677,683

CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD

Non-Final OA

Filed

May 29, 2024

Priority

Jun 28, 2023 — JP 2023-105854

Examiner

LAM, ANDREW H

Art Unit

2682

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Canon Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +7.2% interview lift. Interview lift (+7.2%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 550 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LAM, ANDREW H View full profile →

Grants 84% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

463 granted / 550 resolved

+22.2% vs TC avg

Moderate +7% lift

Without

With

+7.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

1y 10m

Avg Prosecution

11 currently pending

Career history

560

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

3.3%

-36.7% vs TC avg

§103

77.4%

+37.4% vs TC avg

§102

15.5%

-24.5% vs TC avg

§112

2.0%

-38.0% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 550 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

May 29, 2024

Application Filed

May 06, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/386,882

Patent 12682670

PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR MEDICAL SIGNATURES

2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/457,089

Patent 12664809

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON HANDWRITTEN DATA IN A HANDWRITTEN DOCUMENT

2y 10m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/118,520

Patent 12657943

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EXTRACTING INFORMATION FROM DOCUMENTS VIA EYE GAZE TRACKING

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/082,747

Patent 12651009

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC VISUALIZATIONS OF CONTROL AREAS

3y 5m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/406,660

Patent 12639957

SURFACE DETECTION FOR A VEHICLE

2y 4m to grant Granted May 26, 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

91%

With Interview (+7.2%)

1y 10m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 550 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.