Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/877,458

AUDIO SIGNAL OUTPUT APPARATUS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 20, 2024

Priority

Jun 29, 2022 — nonprovisional of PCT/JP2022/026011 +1 more

Examiner

MCKINNEY, ANGELICA M

Art Unit

2694

Tech Center

2600 — Communications

Assignee

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +13.8% interview lift. Interview lift (+13.8%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 507 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MCKINNEY, ANGELICA M View full profile →

Grants 85% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

432 granted / 507 resolved

+23.2% vs TC avg

Moderate +14% lift

Without

With

+13.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 2m

Avg Prosecution

23 currently pending

Career history

521

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.8%

-39.2% vs TC avg

§103

87.8%

+47.8% vs TC avg

§102

6.7%

-33.3% vs TC avg

§112

1.9%

-38.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 507 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 20, 2024

Application Filed

May 18, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/542,485

Patent 12684278

HEADPHONES

2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/175,308

Patent 12675256

WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER FOR AUDIO PLAYBACK DEVICES

3y 4m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

17/742,882

Patent 12661296

Device and Method of Monitoring Same

4y 1m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/911,945

Patent 12658168

Class VIII Flextensional Transducers and Method of Assembly

3y 9m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/175,320

Patent 12650804

WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER FOR AUDIO PLAYBACK DEVICES

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 09, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

85%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+13.8%)

2y 2m (~7m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 507 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.