Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/772,392

HUMIDITY CONTROL AGENT AND DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Jul 15, 2024
Priority
Jan 19, 2022 — JP 2022-006519 +1 more
Examiner
BUI, DUNG H
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Daikin Industries Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
6m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allowance Rate
982 granted / 1257 resolved
+18.1% vs TC avg
Strong +25% interview lift
Without
With
+25.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
53 currently pending
Career history
1321
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
§103
85.2%
+45.2% vs TC avg
§102
9.8%
-30.2% vs TC avg
§112
2.7%
-37.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1257 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1-7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Boesmann et al (US 20080028777; hereinafter Boesmann). The abstract, paragraphs [0001]-[0004], [0043]-[0044], [0053]-[0068], [0134]-[0140], and [0218]-[0235] of Boesmann discloses a moisture control material having a triazolium-phosphate salt structure similar to that recited in claims 1-7 and 11. Claim(s) 1-7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schwab et al (US 20100084597; hereinafter Schwab). The abstract, paragraphs [0015], [0019]-[0020], [0049], [0074]-[0099], and [0120]-[0152] of Schwab discloses a moisture control material having a triazolium-phosphate salt structure similar to that recited in claims 1-7 and 11. Claim(s) 1-7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shiflett et al (US 20070295478; hereinafter Shiflett). The abstract, paragraphs [0092], [0094]-[0127], and claims 10, 14 of Shiflett discloses a moisture control material having a triazolium-phosphate salt structure similar to that recited in claims 1-7 and 11. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Claim(s) 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boesmann et al (US 20080028777; hereinafter Boesmann). As regarding claims 8-10, Boesmann discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Boesmann discloses the claimed invention except for wherein a solution of the salt composed of triazolium cations and phosphate ester anions has a viscosity of 50 mPa⋅s or less at 25°C; an equilibrium water vapor pressure at 25°C of 100 hPa or less, and an equilibrium water vapor pressure at 50°C of 200 hPa or more; and a value as difference between the equilibrium water vapor pressure at 25°C and the equilibrium water vapor pressure at 50°C (ΔVP50-25) of 50 hPa or more. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide wherein a solution of the salt composed of triazolium cations and phosphate ester anions has a viscosity of 50 mPa⋅s or less at 25°C; an equilibrium water vapor pressure at 25°C of 100 hPa or less, and an equilibrium water vapor pressure at 50°C of 200 hPa or more; and a value as difference between the equilibrium water vapor pressure at 25°C and the equilibrium water vapor pressure at 50°C (ΔVP50-25) of 50 hPa or more in order to enhance control material performance, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUNG H BUI whose telephone number is (571)270-7077. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 - 4:30 ET. 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, Benjamin L. Lebron can be reached at (571) 272-0475. 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. /DUNG H BUI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 15, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 12, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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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
78%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+25.1%)
2y 6m (~6m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1257 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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