Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/843,463

SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE, SOUND OUTPUT DEVICE, AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD

Non-Final OA

Filed

Sep 03, 2024

Priority

Mar 10, 2022 — JP 2022-037152 +1 more

Examiner

FISCHER, MARK L

Art Unit

2692

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +28.1% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (68%); +28.1% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 788 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

FISCHER, MARK L View full profile →

Grants 68% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

534 granted / 788 resolved

+5.8% vs TC avg

Strong +28% interview lift

Without

With

+28.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 7m

Avg Prosecution

22 currently pending

Career history

815

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.8%

-39.2% vs TC avg

§103

75.3%

+35.3% vs TC avg

§102

12.0%

-28.0% vs TC avg

§112

9.7%

-30.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 788 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 03, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 18, 2026

Non-Final Rejection (signed)

Jun 02, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/481,396

Patent 12671938

LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM, SOUND SYSTEM FOR A PRESENTATION AREA, AND PRESENTATION AREA

2y 8m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/466,082

Patent 12666195

MEMS SOUND TRANSDUCER HAVING RECESSES AND PROJECTIONS

2y 9m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/578,272

Patent 12666206

ACOUSTIC FEATURE COMPUTING APPARATUS, ACOUSTIC FEATURE COMPUTING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

2y 5m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/763,871

Patent 12666204

TERMINAL, AUDIO COOPERATIVE REPRODUCTION SYSTEM, AND CONTENT DISPLAY APPARATUS

1y 11m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/281,348

Patent 12641365

CONTROL APPARATUS AND SPEAKER CONTROL METHOD

2y 8m to grant Granted May 26, 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

68%

Grant Probability

96%

With Interview (+28.1%)

2y 7m (~9m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 788 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.