Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/763,919

Labelless marking device

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Jul 03, 2024
Examiner
MCMILLION, TRACEY M
Art Unit
2853
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Shanghai Onlytec Equipment Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 2m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allow Rate
545 granted / 623 resolved
+19.5% vs TC avg
Minimal +2% lift
Without
With
+2.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
657
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
56.2%
+16.2% vs TC avg
§102
25.9%
-14.1% vs TC avg
§112
14.7%
-25.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 623 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Objections Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 11 includes a spelling error “siladbly”. Appropriate correction is required. Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 11 includes a plurality error i.e. “the pressing mechanism”. Appropriate correction is required. Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 14 includes a grammatical error i.e. "circumference of the second cam disc". Appropriate correction is required. Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 4 includes a grammatical error i.e. "circumference of the first cam disc". Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites the limitation "storage trays" in 10th paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation "connecting columns" in 13th paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation "the second springs" in 21st paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 6 recites the limitation "corresponding laser heads" in 1st paragraph. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Dependent claims 2-8 inherit the profile of independent claim 1 and therefore are also rejected. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang (CN 108454240) discloses a device, connecting with an external conveying device (2), wherein the external conveying device comprises a conveyor (2), a feeding device (4) and a discharging device (6) [Fig. 2]: comprising: a frame (53); a disc-shaped conveying module [Fig. 1]; marking module [marking mechanism], a first driving module (56); a cam disc (58) and a lower turning plate (52) being concentric and connected by a rotating shaft (50), a number of pressing mechanisms (54) provided on the upper turning plate (51), corresponding storage trays (55) provided on the lower turning plate (52). The marking module is a coding device which includes laser coding devices located on the frame but does not disclose that the coding device moves up and down and therefore the coding device does not correspond to or connect to a lifting mechanism. Fan (CN11651 1728A) discloses a laser marking machine comprises a laser marking head (5), and further comprises a conveying assembly used for conveying microphones in an assembly line mode, and the conveying assembly comprises a feeding part (8) and a discharging part (7); comprising a frame (1), a rotating disc (2), a driving motor (11), a cam disk (13); a rotating shaft (3); and the laser marking head is installed on the synchronization assembly [Fig.3]. The synchronization assembly drives the laser marking head and the transfer assembly to move synchronously but does not disclose the laser head moves up and down one by one and therefore does not correspond to or connect to individual lifting mechanisms. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACEY M MCMILLION whose telephone number is (571)270-5193. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-2:30PM EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853 /TRACEY M MCMILLION/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 03, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 09, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12600153
PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING PRINTED MATTER
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12594771
IMAGE RECORDING DEVICE INCLUDING THERMAL HEAD AND READER POSITIONED DOWNSTREAM OF THERMAL HEAD IN CONVEYING DIRECTION
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12594775
PRINTING APPARATUS
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12577729
PRESERVATION OF MOISTURE EVAPORATION AND BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION PROPERTIES ON GARMENTS POST PRINTING
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12578668
EXPOSURE HEAD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
88%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+2.4%)
2y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 623 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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