Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/894,826

IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING CONTROL DEVICE, AND IMAGING METHOD

Non-Final OA

Filed

Sep 24, 2024

Priority

Dec 14, 2018 — JP 2018-234123 +2 more

Examiner

LE, TUAN H

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +26.3% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (74%); +26.3% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 414 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LE, TUAN H View full profile →

Grants 74% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

308 granted / 414 resolved

+14.4% vs TC avg

Strong +26% interview lift

Without

With

+26.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 1m

Avg Prosecution

7 currently pending

Career history

418

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.4%

-38.6% vs TC avg

§103

84.6%

+44.6% vs TC avg

§102

8.3%

-31.7% vs TC avg

§112

1.9%

-38.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 414 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 24, 2024

Application Filed

May 26, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/470,847

Patent 12684883

IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGE DATA OBTAINING METHOD, AND IMAGING DEVICE

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/670,764

Patent 12684267

IMAGING SYSTEM, MOVABLE APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

2y 1m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/428,824

Patent 12621565

IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM FOR IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS

2y 3m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

18/325,682

Patent 12598394

IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

2y 10m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026

18/785,787

Patent 12585830

SECURE DIGITAL DATA COLLECTION

1y 8m to grant Granted Mar 24, 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

74%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+26.3%)

3y 1m (~1y 4m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 414 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.