Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/728,238

PROGRAM, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jul 11, 2024

Priority

Feb 03, 2022 — JP 2022-015311 +1 more

Examiner

MCLEAN, NEIL R

Art Unit

2681

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +10.5% interview lift. Interview lift (+10.5%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 696 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MCLEAN, NEIL R View full profile →

Grants 80% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

554 granted / 696 resolved

+17.6% vs TC avg

Moderate +10% lift

Without

With

+10.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

11 currently pending

Career history

714

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

7.2%

-32.8% vs TC avg

§103

68.7%

+28.7% vs TC avg

§102

15.2%

-24.8% vs TC avg

§112

2.7%

-37.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 696 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 11, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 02, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/533,904

Patent 12682481

METHODS AND DEVICES FOR SETTING A THRESHOLD IN AN OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEM

2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/366,298

Patent 12676007

FREESPACE DETECTION USING MACHINE LEARNING FOR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS

2y 11m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

17/980,433

Patent 12621397

IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DELETION OF SETTING HISTORY

3y 6m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/525,701

Patent 12620094

IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM

2y 5m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/193,390

Patent 12586172

STRUCTURE DIAGNOSTIC CASE PRESENTATION DEVICE, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

2y 12m to grant Granted Mar 24, 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

80%

Grant Probability

90%

With Interview (+10.5%)

2y 9m (~9m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 696 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.