Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/857,904

HEADPHONES AND CARRYING CASE

Non-Final OA

Filed

Oct 18, 2024

Priority

Apr 26, 2022 — JP 2022-072711 +1 more

Examiner

JOSHI, SUNITA

Art Unit

2624

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +6.0% interview lift. Interview lift (+6.0%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 1125 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

JOSHI, SUNITA View full profile →

Grants 81% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

911 granted / 1125 resolved

+19.0% vs TC avg

Moderate +6% lift

Without

With

+6.0%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 2m

Avg Prosecution

18 currently pending

Career history

1144

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.5%

-39.5% vs TC avg

§103

86.8%

+46.8% vs TC avg

§102

8.1%

-31.9% vs TC avg

§112

0.7%

-39.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1125 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 18, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 02, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/448,601

Patent 12684299

ELECTRODES FOR MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM MICROPHONES

2y 11m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/835,594

Patent 12684295

MAGNET ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRODYNAMIC LOUDSPEAKER MOTOR, ELECTRODYNAMIC LOUDSPEAKER MOTOR COMPRISING SAME, AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRODYNAMIC LOUDSPEAKER

1y 11m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/084,584

Patent 12671928

MICROPHONE CHIP AND MICROPHONE

3y 6m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/849,270

Patent 12671930

TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE

1y 9m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/553,773

Patent 12666212

VARIABLE STIFFNESS DIAPHRAGM FOR A PLAYBACK DEVICE

2y 8m to grant Granted Jun 23, 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

81%

Grant Probability

87%

With Interview (+6.0%)

2y 2m (~5m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1125 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.