Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/881,677

LEARNING-BASED PRINTER PAPER POSITIONING METHOD, PRINTING METHOD FOR PRINTER PAPER, AND PRINTER

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Jan 06, 2025
Priority
Jul 06, 2022 — CN 202210797887.6 +2 more
Examiner
GOKHALE, PRASAD V
Art Unit
3653
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Shanghai Sunmi Technology Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allowance Rate
850 granted / 989 resolved
+33.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
23 currently pending
Career history
1031
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
38.1%
-1.9% vs TC avg
§102
28.9%
-11.1% vs TC avg
§112
30.1%
-9.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 989 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION Claim Interpretation It is understood that ‘adc’ refers to an analog-to-digital conversion value, fed back by a sensor. Additionally, it is understood that ‘printing unit’ refers not to a print head but to a region of printing on the paper. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 24-43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claim 24, lines 17-18, it is claimed that “the printer paper positioning the printing unit and the connection area” however it is not understood how the printer paper itself performs the positioning. Additionally, in lines 17-19, the phrase appears incomplete, starting with the transitional term ‘so that’ (i.e. so that what happens?). Regarding Claim 32, lines 12-14, the phrase appears incomplete, starting with the transitional term ‘so that’ (i.e. so that what happens?). Regarding Claim 32, line 8, the term “re-determining” is recited however no initial determination has been introduced thus far. It is unclear how it is “RE-determining”. Claims 25-31 and 33-43 are rejected by dependency. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 24-43 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRASAD GOKHALE whose telephone number is (571)270-3543. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am - 5:30pm. 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, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571) 272-7805. 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. /PRASAD V GOKHALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 August 14, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 06, 2025
Application Filed
Aug 18, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12735288
INTERMEDIATE TRANSPORT DEVICE AND MEDIUM PROCESSING SYSTEM
3y 6m to grant Granted Sep 15, 2026
Patent 12729082
SHEET STORAGE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME
1y 5m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12709500
SHEET STACK HANDLER COMPRISING A SHEET STACKER AND/OR SHEET FEEDER FOR A PINTER
2y 9m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026
Patent 12709501
ACCOMMODATION SYSTEM INCLUDING ACCOMMODATION UNIT THAT ACCOMMODATES RECORDING MATERIAL
1y 8m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026
Patent 12703593
MEDIUM FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS
3y 6m to grant Granted Aug 11, 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
86%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+8.4%)
2y 1m (~4m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 989 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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