Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/911,971

Powered Cutting Head Steering System and Method

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Oct 10, 2024
Examiner
STAUBACH, CARL C
Art Unit
3747
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Deere & Company
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
73%
Grant Probability
Favorable
2-3
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 73% — above average
73%
Career Allowance Rate
427 granted / 583 resolved
+3.2% vs TC avg
Strong +21% interview lift
Without
With
+20.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
15 currently pending
Career history
601
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.3%
-39.7% vs TC avg
§103
79.0%
+39.0% vs TC avg
§102
15.2%
-24.8% vs TC avg
§112
3.4%
-36.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 583 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION 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 . 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 6-7 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. Claim 6 recites the limitation "the position" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 7 recites the limitation "the angle" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-5,8-20 allowed. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARL C STAUBACH whose telephone number is (571)272-3748. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Interview Agendas can be faxed to examiner at (571)273-3748. 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, Logan Kraft can be reached at 571-270-5065. 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. /CARL C STAUBACH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 1 earlier event
Dec 04, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Apr 14, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Apr 14, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Apr 20, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 18, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Jun 25, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12679340
VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT A PARKING MANEUVER
2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12679456
VEHICLE STEERING MODES
2y 3m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12679315
Control Device and Method for Operating an Emergency Braking Assistant for a Motor Vehicle
2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12679454
OPEN LOOP-STYLE RETURN FOR STEER-BY-WIRE (AND CLOSED-LOOP EPS) APPLICATIONS
2y 1m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12680822
PREDICTING VEHICLE TRAVEL RANGE
1y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 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

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
73%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+20.8%)
2y 7m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 583 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