Last updated: July 12, 2026

Application No. 19/014,287

Untitled Application

Unknown

Filed

Examiner

MUELLER, SARAH ALEXANDRA

Art Unit

Tech Center

Caterpillar Inc.

Assignee

Caterpillar Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 58% of cases after interview

— +35.5% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 82 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MUELLER, SARAH ALEXANDRA View full profile →

Grants 58% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

48 granted / 82 resolved

-1.5% vs TC avg

Strong +36% interview lift

Without

With

+35.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

25 currently pending

Career history

115

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

7.9%

-32.1% vs TC avg

§103

83.2%

+43.2% vs TC avg

§102

0.3%

-39.7% vs TC avg

§112

8.6%

-31.4% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 82 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

May 28, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/687,389

Patent 12668956

Work Machine Diagnosis Device

2y 4m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/813,389

Patent 12654740

STATE ESTIMATION AND RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SCHOOL VEHICLES IN A SELF-DRIVING SYSTEM

3y 11m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/689,356

Patent 12630269

INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

2y 2m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/622,094

Patent 12623693

DETERMINING DYNAMIC ROUTE DATA

2y 1m to grant Granted May 12, 2026

18/522,792

Patent 12612158

CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 28, 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

58%

Grant Probability

94%

With Interview (+35.5%)

2y 9m

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 82 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.