Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/948,908

LIQUID-DISCHARGE-HEAD DRIVING DEVICE, LIQUID-DISCHARGE-HEAD DRIVING SYSTEM, LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS, LIQUID-DISCHARGE-HEAD DRIVING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

Non-Final OA

Filed

Nov 15, 2024

Priority

Nov 29, 2023 — JP 2023-202114

Examiner

VALENCIA, ALEJANDRO

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +6.3% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 43% grant rate with +6.3% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 1357 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

VALENCIA, ALEJANDRO View full profile →

Grants 43% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

583 granted / 1357 resolved

-17.0% vs TC avg

Moderate +6% lift

Without

With

+6.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 0m

Avg Prosecution

103 currently pending

Career history

1501

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

80.6%

+40.6% vs TC avg

§102

17.4%

-22.6% vs TC avg

§112

0.3%

-39.7% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1357 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 15, 2024

Application Filed

May 01, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Jun 11, 2026

Interview Requested

Jun 18, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Jun 18, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/481,722

Patent 12661894

LIQUID DISCHARGING APPARATUS

4y 9m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/482,913

Patent 12661914

HEAD LIFTING LOWERING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD OF HEAD LIFTING LOWERING DEVICE, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM, MANUFACTURING METHOD OF HEAD LIFTING LOWERING DEVICE

4y 9m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/192,337

Patent 12661890

DROPLET EJECTION HEAD AND PRINTER

3y 2m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/355,456

Patent 12661897

LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS

2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/408,628

Patent 12661675

LIQUID EJECTION DEVICE

2y 5m to grant Granted Jun 23, 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

43%

Grant Probability

49%

With Interview (+6.3%)

3y 0m (~1y 4m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1357 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.