Last updated: July 13, 2026

Application No. 18/986,555

Untitled Application

Unknown

Filed

Examiner

TOPGYAL, GELEK W

Art Unit

Tech Center

International Business Machines Corporation

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation

OA Round

2 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 59% of cases after interview

— +18.7% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 613 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

TOPGYAL, GELEK W View full profile →

Grants 59% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

362 granted / 613 resolved

-0.9% vs TC avg

Strong +19% interview lift

Without

With

+18.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 7m

Avg Prosecution

16 currently pending

Career history

647

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.6%

-39.4% vs TC avg

§103

84.5%

+44.5% vs TC avg

§102

12.0%

-28.0% vs TC avg

§112

0.6%

-39.4% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 613 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 24, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Feb 24, 2026

Response Filed

Jun 01, 2026

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/569,838

Patent 12670932

IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, APPARATUS, DEVICE AND STORAGE MEDIUM

2y 6m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/923,815

Patent 12633158

FAKE FINGER DETERMINATION APPARATUS AND FAKE FINGER DETERMINATION METHOD

1y 6m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/493,140

Patent 12626726

EDITING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, TERMINAL DEVICE, EDITING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

2y 6m to grant Granted May 12, 2026

18/618,819

Patent 12614342

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

2y 1m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026

18/725,149

Patent 12601836

RADIO-WAVE SENSOR INSTALLATION ASSISTANCE DEVICE, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND RADIO-WAVE SENSOR INSTALLATION POSITION DETERMINATION METHOD

1y 9m to grant Granted Apr 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

59%

Grant Probability

78%

With Interview (+18.7%)

3y 7m

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 613 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.