Last updated: August 17, 2026

Application No. 18/743,329

INSPECTION TOOL FOR FIBER ARRAY UNIT (FAU) QUALITY MONITORING IN THE CO-PACKAGED OPTICS APPLICATION AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING USNG THE SAME

Final Rejection

Filed

Jun 14, 2024

Examiner

NGUYEN, SANG H

Art Unit

2877

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +11.8% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 89% grant rate with +11.8% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 1466 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

NGUYEN, SANG H View full profile →

Grants 89% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1299 granted / 1466 resolved

+20.6% vs TC avg

Moderate +12% lift

Without

With

+11.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

1y 12m

Avg Prosecution

21 currently pending

Career history

1484

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

12.8%

-27.2% vs TC avg

§103

45.3%

+5.3% vs TC avg

§102

20.2%

-19.8% vs TC avg

§112

13.5%

-26.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1466 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 14, 2024

Application Filed

Mar 27, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

May 21, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

May 22, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Jun 24, 2026

Response Filed

Jul 29, 2026

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/621,949

Patent 12702736

MEDICAL TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHODS USING A PLURALITY OF FLUID LINES

2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026

18/448,082

Patent 12699035

POLARIZATION SELECTIVE REFLECTION GEOMETRY TRAPPING OF NANOPARTICLES

2y 12m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026

18/790,456

Patent 12699059

INDUSTRIAL TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CHECKING THE COMPOSITION OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISE A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY PARTS

2y 0m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026

18/697,047

Patent 12693206

Particle Measuring Apparatus

2y 4m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026

18/895,175

Patent 12693217

MULTI-WAVELENGTH ABSORPTION WATER SENSOR WITH HIGH ULTRAVIOLET WAVELENGTH RESOLUTION AND EXTENDED VISIBLE AND NEAR INFRARED MEASUREMENT RANGE

1y 10m 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

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

89%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+11.8%)

1y 12m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 1466 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.