Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/915,155

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD, PRINTER, PRINTER CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Oct 14, 2024
Priority
Oct 26, 2023 — JP 2023-183965
Examiner
ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
Art Unit
2113
Tech Center
2100 — Computer Architecture & Software
Assignee
Canon Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
93%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2m
Est. Remaining
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 93% — above average
93%
Career Allowance Rate
1439 granted / 1550 resolved
+37.8% vs TC avg
Minimal +5% lift
Without
With
+4.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
18 currently pending
Career history
1564
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
6.4%
-33.6% vs TC avg
§103
29.8%
-10.2% vs TC avg
§102
17.7%
-22.3% vs TC avg
§112
22.2%
-17.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1550 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 1-21 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. In claims 1, 18, it is unclear what the predetermined process is at line 2 respectively. In claim 17, it is unclear what the step of assigning first information and second information. The step of manufacturing an article using the apparatus is unclear. In claim 19, it is unclear how the printer is configured. Also it is unclear how the printer assign first information and the second information. In claim 20, it is unclear what is assigning the first and second information and how the first and second information are being assigned to data. In claim 21, it is unclear the claim does not recite that the computer readable medium is limited to non-transitory embodiments. A claim encompassing both transitory and non-transitory embodiments, such as applicant’s claimed computer readable medium, does not fall within one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter. See In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346, 1356-57 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (“A transitory, propagating signal like Nuitjen’s is not a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.’ … Thus, such a signal cannot be patentable subject matter.”). Claims 2-16 are also rejected for incorporating the deficiencies of their base claim. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Isozaki et al. (U.S. Pub No. 20060031695) disclose an information processing apparatus includes a first processor and second processors. The first processor includes an application-program execution controller controlling execution of an application program, an operation-information obtaining unit obtaining operation information regarding operation of the second processors, a distributed-processing controller controlling distributed processing assigned to the second processors so that processing jobs relating to the execution of the application program is integrated as a processing unit that provides a single function, and a clock-rate-ratio setting unit setting clock-rate ratios of current operating clock rates relative to maximum operating clock rates. The operation information includes the maximum operating clock rates, the current operating clock rates, and the numbers of cycles required in a predefined time for the processing assigned to the second processors. The distributed-processing controller controls the distributed processing corresponding to the processing unit based on the operation information. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GERTRUDE ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE whose telephone number is (571)272-6954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 7:30-8:00 EST. 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, Ramya P Burgess can be reached at 571-272-6011. 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. /GERTRUDE ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 14, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

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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
93%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+4.6%)
2y 1m (~2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1550 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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