Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/906,803

Mouth Guard Having User-Notification Feature Of Impact Force

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Oct 04, 2024
Priority
Dec 20, 2018 — provisional 62/782,965 +2 more
Examiner
LANEAU, RONALD
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Force Impact Technologies Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4m
Est. Remaining
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allowance Rate
1328 granted / 1505 resolved
+28.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +10% lift
Without
With
+9.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
32 currently pending
Career history
1522
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
32.7%
-7.3% vs TC avg
§103
21.7%
-18.3% vs TC avg
§102
14.8%
-25.2% vs TC avg
§112
8.7%
-31.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1505 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Preliminary Amendment Claims 1-20 were canceled in the preliminary amendment received on 10/04/24, claims 21-40 added and are now pending. 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 21, 30 and 38 recite recites the limitation "the user" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. As a result, claims 21-40 are rejected. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 21-40 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. None of the references, either singularly or in combination, discloses or even suggests: As per claims 21-39, a mouth guard system for detection of impact forces, comprising: a printed circuit board embedded within the main body and including at least an accelerometer, a communication transmitter for transmitting an indication signal in response to an impact experienced by the user, a battery, and a wireless battery charging component, the printed circuit board having a first end portion for being located adjacent to one molar region on the teeth, a second end portion for being located adjacent to the other molar region on the teeth, a middle portion adjacent to an incisor region on the teeth, and at least one bridge portion for connecting one of the first and second end portions to the middle portion in the front portion of the main body, the first and second end portions of the printed circuit board having widths measured in the front portion of the main body of the main body that are greater than the width of the at least one bridge portion as measured in the front portion of the main body; and wherein the accelerometer is mounted in the middle portion of the printed circuit board, the battery is mounted in one of the two end portions of the printed circuit board, and the wireless battery charging component is mounted in one of the two end portions of the printed circuit board. As per claims 30-37, a mouth guard system for detection of impact forces, comprising a printed circuit board embedded within the main body and including at least an accelerometer, a Bluetooth transceiver for communicating data with an external smart device associated with the user, a battery, and a wireless battery charging component, the printed circuit board having a first end portion for being located adjacent to one molar region on the teeth, a second end portion for being located adjacent to the other molar region on the teeth, a middle portion adjacent to an incisor region on the teeth, a first bridge portion extending within the front portion of the main body for connecting the first end portion to the middle portion, and a second bridge portion extending within the front portion of the main body for connecting the second end portion to the middle portion, and wherein the widths of the first and second bridge portions as measured in the front portion of the main body first are less than the widths of the first and second end portions of the printed circuit board as measured in the front portion of the main body; and wherein the accelerometer is mounted in the middle portion of the printed circuit board adjacent to at least one cut-out in the middle portion, the battery is mounted in one of the two end portions of the printed circuit board, and the wireless battery charging component is mounted in one of the two end portions of the printed circuit board. As per claims 38-40, a mouth guard system for detection of impact forces, comprising a printed circuit board embedded within the main body and including a plurality of components, the plurality of components including an accelerometer, a Bluetooth transceiver for communicating data with an external smart device associated with the user, a battery, and a wireless battery charging component, and wherein the printed circuit board has a first end portion for being located adjacent to one molar region on the teeth, a second end portion for being located adjacent to the other molar region on the teeth, a middle portion adjacent to an incisor region on the teeth, a first bridge portion extending within the front portion of the main body for connecting the first end portion to the middle portion, and a second bridge portion extending within the front portion of the main body for connecting the second end portion to the middle portion, and wherein the widths of the first and second bridge portions as measured in the front portion of the main body first are less than the widths of the first and second end portions of the printed circuit board as measured in the front portion of the main body; and wherein some of the plurality of components are mounted on the first end portion of the printed circuit board, wherein some of the plurality of components are mounted on the second end portion of the printed circuit board, wherein some of the plurality of components are mounted on the middle portion of the printed circuit board, and wherein the two bridge portions lack any of the plurality of components. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See references cited on PTO form 892. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONALD LANEAU whose telephone number is (571)272-6784. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 6-4:30 ET. 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, David Lewis can be reached at 571-272-7673. 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. /Ronald Laneau/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 04, 2024
Application Filed
Oct 04, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 22, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Jun 08, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12676051
LIVE ACTION CRAPS TABLE WITH OPTICAL HAND AND DICE TRACKING
2y 6m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12673268
EXTENDABLE PARTIES IN VIDEO GAMES
2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12673259
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING AN AVATAR FROM AN APPLICATION TO VISIT ANOTHER APPLICATION
2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12673269
INVITING OTHER PLAYERS TO ENGAGE IN VIRTUAL INTERACTIONS
2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12673270
METHOD FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION IN GAME, APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE
2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 07, 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
88%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+9.7%)
2y 1m (~4m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1505 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month