Last updated: July 12, 2026

Application No. 19/014,437

Untitled Application

Unknown

Filed

3600

Priority

Sep 03, 2024 — provisional 63/690,134

Examiner

MERLINO, DAVID P

Art Unit

3665

Tech Center

Waymo LLC

Assignee

Waymo LLC

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +11.1% interview lift. Interview lift (+11.1%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 455 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MERLINO, DAVID P View full profile →

Grants 71% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

324 granted / 455 resolved

+11.2% vs TC avg

Moderate +11% lift

Without

With

+11.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 7m

Avg Prosecution

16 currently pending

Career history

475

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

4.0%

-36.0% vs TC avg

§103

63.1%

+23.1% vs TC avg

§102

19.4%

-20.6% vs TC avg

§112

12.7%

-27.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 455 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

3600

Application Filed

May 13, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/092,811

Patent 12668268

MULTISENSORY GESTURAL-AUDIO INTERFACE TO PROMOTE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR IMPROVED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CONTROL

3y 5m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/133,030

Patent 12662120

DRIVE ASSIST APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

3y 2m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/731,586

Patent 12649473

LANE CHANGE SUPPORT DEVICE

2y 0m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/987,672

Patent 12649573

CONTROL DEVICE

1y 5m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/465,132

Patent 12630184

Multistage Autonomous Vehicle Motion Planning

2y 8m to grant Granted May 19, 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

71%

Grant Probability

82%

With Interview (+11.1%)

2y 7m

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 455 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.