Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/788,136

ACOUSTIC WAVE DEVICES

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jul 30, 2024
Examiner
OUTTEN, SAMUEL S
Art Unit
2843
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Skyworks Solutions Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 8m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allow Rate
499 granted / 634 resolved
+10.7% vs TC avg
Strong +21% interview lift
Without
With
+21.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
668
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
48.7%
+8.7% vs TC avg
§102
25.5%
-14.5% vs TC avg
§112
18.9%
-21.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 634 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hori et al. (US PGPub 20150091416) As per claim 1: Hori discloses in Figs. 2-4: An acoustic wave device using a surface acoustic wave, comprising: a substrate (support layer 14) containing 70 mass% or greater of silicon dioxide (SiO2) ([0027]); a piezoelectric thin film (12) formed of LiTaO3 crystal or LiNbO3 crystal ([0026]), the piezoelectric thin film being disposed on the substrate; and an interdigital transducer electrode (32/34) disposed in contact with the piezoelectric thin film. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL S OUTTEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7123. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30AM-6:00PM. 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, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at (571) 272-1988. 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. /Samuel S Outten/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 30, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 14, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12603632
BULK ACOUSTIC WAVE DEVICES HAVING ELECTRODES WITH ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE GRADIENTS TO IMPROVE COUPLING EFFICIENCY AND RELATED FABRICATION METHODS
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12592678
ACOUSTIC WAVE DEVICE WITH TRANSVERSE SPURIOUS MODE SUPPRESSION
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12585042
OPTICAL DETECTOR INCLUDING PLASMONIC METASURFACES AND BULK ACOUSTIC WAVE RESONATORS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12587164
ACOUSTIC WAVE DEVICE
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12580552
MULTIPLEXER
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
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+21.0%)
2y 8m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 634 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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