Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/990,000

IMAGE SENSOR

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 20, 2024

Priority

Mar 16, 2021 — RE 10-2021-0034208 +1 more

Examiner

KO, TONY

Art Unit

2878

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +2.4% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 88% grant rate with +2.4% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 888 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

KO, TONY View full profile →

Grants 88% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

780 granted / 888 resolved

+19.8% vs TC avg

Minimal +2% lift

Without

With

+2.4%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 5m

Avg Prosecution

20 currently pending

Career history

903

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.1%

-38.9% vs TC avg

§103

43.0%

+3.0% vs TC avg

§102

43.8%

+3.8% vs TC avg

§112

9.4%

-30.6% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 888 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 20, 2024

Application Filed

May 14, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Jul 02, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Jul 02, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/725,642

Patent 12680868

COMPARATOR, LIGHT DETECTION ELEMENT, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

2y 0m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/635,309

Patent 12677487

IMAGING ELEMENT AND SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT

2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/836,991

Patent 12674704

SIGNAL GENERATION CIRCUIT AND LIGHT DETECTING UNIT

1y 11m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/644,569

Patent 12663297

OPTICAL SENSING ASSEMBLY AND ENCODER

2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/700,730

Patent 12659438

OPTICAL LOCALIZATION SYSTEM

2y 2m to grant Granted Jun 16, 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

90%

With Interview (+2.4%)

2y 5m (~10m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 888 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.