Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 19/021,787

AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Jan 15, 2025
Priority
Jan 02, 2020 — RE 10-2020-0000387 +2 more
Examiner
MYERS, KEITH STANLEY
Art Unit
3663
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
53%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 5m
Est. Remaining
71%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 53% of resolved cases
53%
Career Allowance Rate
65 granted / 123 resolved
+0.8% vs TC avg
Strong +18% interview lift
Without
With
+18.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
31 currently pending
Career history
149
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
58.0%
+18.0% vs TC avg
§102
16.5%
-23.5% vs TC avg
§112
24.2%
-15.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 123 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/21/2025 and 01/15/2025 was filed on or after the mailing date of the Application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, as the necessary cited references appear to be provided in the parent application. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Specification Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract includes phrases which can be implied, such as “An air conditioner and a method for controlling the same are disclosed.” The phrase does not aid in understanding the invention and said phrasing is expressly discouraged in order to clearly and concisely describe the invention. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b). The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract exceeds either 15 lines of text or 150 words. Applicant should check and attempt to amend the abstract so that it is as concise as the disclosure permits in order to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b). The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. Claim Objections Claims 1 and 8 objected to because of the following informalities: The recitation “…an indoor unit comprising a indoor heat exchanger and a indoor fan…,” in claim 1 appears to contain a typographical error, or is a direct translation containing grammatical informalities. The recitation “…terminate operation according to the first freezing operation based on that an evaporation temperature…,” in claim 8 appears to contain a typographical error, or is a direct translation containing grammatical informalities. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 5-7 and 15-17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claim 5, the recitation of “...control the compressor to operate in a second freezing operation of the freezing process in which the compressor does not rotate or rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation…,” renders the claim unclear. Specifically, the organization of the optional language “or”, as well as the following limitations, makes the claim indefinite and difficult to interpret, as it is unclear if the following limitation “after operating in the first freezing operation” is intended to be grouped with only the second instance of the optional language (i.e. the compressor does not rotate OR rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation), or if the if the recited limitation is intended to be included with either instance of the optional language (i.e. the compressor does not rotate…after operating in the first freezing operation OR rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation). Therefore, the claim and all claims depending therefrom are indefinite and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. For the purposes of examination and in the interest of compact prosecution, the limitation will be interpreted as the former description, providing the recited limitation with the second optional language. Regarding Claim 15, the recitation of “...controlling the compressor to operate in a second freezing operation in which the compressor does not rotate or rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation…,” renders the claim unclear. Specifically, the organization of the optional language “or”, as well as the following limitations, makes the claim indefinite and difficult to interpret, as it is unclear if the following limitation “after operating in the first freezing operation” is intended to be grouped with only the second instance of the optional language (i.e. the compressor does not rotate OR rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation), or if the if the recited limitation is intended to be included with either instance of the optional language (i.e. the compressor does not rotate…after operating in the first freezing operation OR rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation). Therefore, the claim and all claims depending therefrom are indefinite and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. For the purposes of examination and in the interest of compact prosecution, the limitation will be interpreted as the former description, providing the recited limitation with the second optional language. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kezuka (JP 2020060362 A). Regarding Claim 1, Kezuka teaches an air conditioner [100] [Fig. 1] comprising: an indoor unit [60] comprising a indoor heat exchanger [64] and a indoor fan [66] [¶ 0008, 0011]; an outdoor unit [30] comprising a compressor [32] [¶ 0010]; at least one sensor [¶ 0004-0005, 0010; Kezuka discloses a plurality of known sensors for detecting states of an air-conditioner, including but not limited to temperature, humidity and pressure sensors]; and at least one processor [¶ 0008-0009; control device 20 comprises a plurality of computer media, such as a CPU, wherein the control device controls each part of the indoor and outdoor units based on control programs utilizing various data and the like; Note: Kezuka’s disclosure is important to consider the state of the prior art, wherein the capabilities of prestored control functions in ROM provide a means to execute any generic control function based upon stored control programs and/or signal input] configured to: control the indoor fan and the compressor to operate in a pre-freezing process to form dew on a surface of the indoor heat exchanger based on a user command for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger being received [¶ 0023, 0026; Kezuka discloses a configuration wherein the controller operates the system so that dew forms on the heat exchanger 64], control at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor differently from the pre-freezing process to operate in a freezing process to form ice-capsules on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger [¶ 0024; in a freeze-cleaning operation, control device 20 controls the rotation speed of the compressor and the indoor fan so that the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is below freezing], and control the indoor fan to operate in a thawing process to melt the formed ice-capsules after operating in the freezing process [¶ 0025; the controller switches the heat exchanger to function as a condenser, melting frost on the surface of the heat exchanger while continuing to drive the fan]. Regarding Claim 2, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 1 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the pre-freezing process is a process in which the indoor fan rotates at a first freezing revolution per minute (RPM), and the compressor rotates at a first compressor RPM [¶ 0036, 0040; Kezuka discloses a plurality of cleaning condensing and freezing operations (F1-3 and C1-3) wherein the compressor may operate at a plurality of different rates (NC1-3 and NF1-3) depending on the operation] [¶ 0044-0045; Kezuka discloses that the indoor fan may operate for different driving times and rotational speeds, and may have higher rotation speeds in the cleaning operation, different from processing]. Regarding Claim 3, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 2 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine the freezing process based on a relative humidity detected by the at least one sensor [¶ 0029; the control process may branch based on the relative humidity H detected by system sensors], and control at least one of the indoor fan or the compressor to operate in the determined freezing process after operating in the pre-freezing process [¶ 0029-0032; Kezuka discloses a variety of generic humidity thresholds (at least H10, H12, H14, etc.) wherein Kezuka further discloses that different humidity ranges are preferable for specific cleaning actions, wherein the control system branches to specific operations based on said measured relative humidity range, wherein different operations are disclosed to have different compressor speeds]. Regarding Claim 4, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 3 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: control the compressor to operate in a first freezing operation [¶ 0036; cleaning operations F1, F2, F3, C1, C2 and C3 assume compressor speeds NF1, NF2, NF3, NC1, NC2 and NC3 respectively] of the freezing process in which the compressor rotates at a second compressor RPM higher than the first compressor RPM [¶ 0036; the relationship may exist wherein NF1 < NF2 < NF3, thus providing different freezing operations at different compressor speeds] based on the relative humidity detected by the at least one sensor being less than or equal to a first threshold humidity and greater than or equal to a second threshold humidity, which is lower than the first threshold humidity [¶ 0029-0032; the control process may branch based on relative humidity H, wherein the system controls based on relations of relative humidity, such that certain freeze cleaning operations may operate at least when H12 ≤ H < H14]. Regarding Claim 5, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 4 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: control the compressor to operate in a second freezing operation of the freezing process [¶ 0036; the controller is capable of operating at least freeze cleaning operations F1, F2 and F3] in which the compressor does not rotate [¶ 0041; the system may proceed to a stop portion of the freezing process, stopping the refrigeration cycle, thus stopping the compressor] or rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation, based on the relative humidity detected by the at least one sensor being less than the second threshold humidity [at least Fig. 3; ¶ 0041, 0046, 0050; at least cleaning operations S122, S114 and S126 are determined from S106 to S120 at least based on measured relative humidity compared to constant humidity thresholds H10, H12, H14, H16, etc.]. Regarding Claim 6, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 5 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: control the compressor to operate in the first freezing operation after operating in the second freezing operation [Fig. 3; ¶ 0027-0028, 0036; Kezuka discloses that the controller may operate a plurality of different cleaning operations F1-3 and C1-3, based on measured values, including at least measured temperature and humidity; therefore, if the system arrives at measured values suitable for the first operation, after the implementation of another operation, the system commonsensically would perform the first operation]. Regarding Claim 7, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 6 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the first freezing operation is a freezing operation in which the compressor rotates at the second compressor RPM higher than the first compressor RPM [¶ 0040; in the prior art, the first freezing operation may be interpreted as either F1, F2, or F3 with respective compressor speeds NF1, NF2 and NF3, wherein the first compressor RPM may be NC1, NC2 or NC3 as part of respective cleaning operations C1, C2 and C3, wherein NC < FC because the condensing has a lower cooling capacity than freezing], and the indoor fan rotates at a second freezing RPM lower than or equal to the first freezing RPM [¶ 0024, 0028, 0041; the controller may control the rotation speed of the indoor fan; Kezuka discloses that the fan begins operation in at least step S102, wherein the fan operation may be stopped at S130; the fan is therefore capable of at least operating at the same RPM between said steps, as Kezuka does not explicitly disclose raising the fan RPM in said steps], and the second freezing operation is a freezing operation [¶ 0036; the second freezing operation may be any of F1, F2 or F3 not considered to be the first freezing operation] in which the compressor either does not rotate or rotates at the first compressor RPM [¶ 0041; the system may proceed to a stop portion of the freezing process, stopping the refrigeration cycle, thus stopping the compressor], and the indoor fan rotates at the second freezing RPM [¶ 0024, 0028, 0041; the controller may control the rotation speed of the indoor fan; the fan is capable of at least operating at the same RPM between steps S102 and S130, as Kezuka does not explicitly disclose raising the fan RPM in said steps]. Regarding Claim 8, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 4 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: terminate operation according to the first freezing operation based on that an evaporation temperature detected by the at least one sensor reaches a preset first target evaporation temperature [¶ 0034, 0038, 0041; Fig. 3; Upon determining to either step S110 or S120, the controller operates an appropriate cleaning process (S112, S114, S116, S122, S124, or S126) while the sensed temperature is within a given range (T10-T12, T12-T14, T20-T22, etc.), and continues to termination at S130 open the sensed temperature failing to be within the control range for each respective cleaning operation]. Regarding Claim 9, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 1 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the indoor fan and the compressor not to perform operations [S130; ¶ 0041; Fig. 3; control device 20 executes clean operation stop process at S130] according to the freezing process and the thawing process based on at least one of: an indoor temperature detected by the at least one sensor being less than a first threshold temperature [¶ 0034, 0038, 0041; Fig. 3; Upon determining to either step S110 or S120, the controller operates an appropriate cleaning process (S112, S114, S116, S122, S124, or S126) while the sensed temperature is within a given range (T10-T12, T12-T14, T20-T22, etc.), and continues to termination at S130 open the sensed temperature failing to be within the control range for each respective cleaning operation], or an outdoor temperature detected by the at least one sensor being less than a preset second threshold temperature [optional claim language]. Regarding Claim 10, Kezuka teaches the air conditioner according to claim 1 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the thawing process is an operation process in which the indoor fan rotates at a preset thawing RPM, and operation of the compressor is stopped [¶ 0036, 0040; at least cleaning operations F1, F2 and F3 comprise respective compressor rotational speeds NF1, NF2 and NF3, wherein the relationship exists such that NF1 < NF2 < NF3, wherein the compressor speed is proportional to the cooling capacity requirements of each respective operation F1, F2 and F3; therefore, under broadest reasonable interpretation, NF1 may be equivalent to 0 if the accompanying operation F1 is configured to have a cooling capacity such that the benefits of flowing refrigerant is not desired or utilized]. Regarding Claim 11, Kezuka teaches a control method [at least Figs. 3-5] for an air conditioner [100] [Fig. 1] including an indoor heat exchanger [64], an indoor fan [66], and a compressor [32] [¶ 0008-0011], the control method comprising: controlling [¶ 0008-0009; control device 20 comprises a plurality of computer media, such as a CPU, wherein the control device controls each part of the indoor and outdoor units based on control programs utilizing various data and the like; Note: Kezuka’s disclosure is important to consider the state of the prior art, wherein the capabilities of prestored control functions in ROM provide a means to execute any generic control function based upon stored control programs and/or signal input] the indoor fan and the compressor to operate in a pre-freezing process to form dew on a surface of the indoor heat exchanger based on a user command for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger being received [¶ 0023, 0026; Kezuka discloses a configuration wherein the controller operates the system so that dew forms on the heat exchanger 64]; controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor to operate in a freezing process to form ice-capsules on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger [¶ 0024; in a freeze-cleaning operation, control device 20 controls the rotation speed of the compressor and the indoor fan so that the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is below freezing]; and controlling the indoor fan to operate in a thawing process to melt the formed ice- capsules after operating in the freezing process [¶ 0025; the controller switches the heat exchanger to function as a condenser, melting frost on the surface of the heat exchanger while continuing to drive the fan]. Regarding Claim 12, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 11 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the pre-freezing process is an operation process in which the indoor fan rotates at a first freezing revolution per minute (RPM), and the compressor rotates at a first compressor RPM [¶ 0036, 0040; Kezuka discloses a plurality of cleaning condensing and freezing operations (F1-3 and C1-3) wherein the compressor may operate at a plurality of different rates (NC1-3 and NF1-3) depending on the operation] [¶ 0044-0045; Kezuka discloses that the indoor fan may operate for different driving times and rotational speeds, and may have higher rotation speeds in the cleaning operation, different from processing]. Regarding Claim 13, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 12 above and Kezuka teaches wherein controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor includes: determining the freezing process based on a relative humidity detected by at least one sensor [¶ 0029; the control process may branch based on the relative humidity H detected by system sensors], and controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor to operate in the determined freezing process after operating in the pre-freezing process [¶ 0029-0032; Kezuka discloses a variety of generic humidity thresholds (at least H10, H12, H14, etc.) wherein Kezuka further discloses that different humidity ranges are preferable for specific cleaning actions, wherein the control system branches to specific operations based on said measured relative humidity range, wherein different operations are disclosed to have different compressor speeds]. Regarding Claim 14, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor further includes: controlling the compressor to operate in a first freezing operation [¶ 0036; cleaning operations F1, F2, F3, C1, C2 and C3 assume compressor speeds NF1, NF2, NF3, NC1, NC2 and NC3 respectively] in which the compressor rotates at a second compressor RPM higher than the first compressor RPM [¶ 0036; the relationship may exist wherein NF1 < NF2 < NF3, thus providing different freezing operations at different compressor speeds] based on the detected relative humidity being less than or equal to a first threshold humidity and greater than or equal to a second threshold humidity, which is lower than the first threshold humidity [¶ 0029-0032; the control process may branch based on relative humidity H, wherein the system controls based on relations of relative humidity, such that certain freeze cleaning operations may operate at least when H12 ≤ H < H14]. Regarding Claim 15, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 14 above and Kezuka teaches wherein controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor further includes: controlling the compressor to operate in a second freezing operation [¶ 0036; the controller is capable of operating at least freeze cleaning operations F1, F2 and F3] in which the compressor does not rotate [¶ 0041; the system may proceed to a stop portion of the freezing process, stopping the refrigeration cycle, thus stopping the compressor] or rotates at the first compressor RPM after operating in the first freezing operation based on the detected relative humidity being less than the second threshold humidity [at least Fig. 3; ¶ 0041, 0046, 0050; at least cleaning operations S122, S114 and S126 are determined from S106 to S120 at least based on measured relative humidity compared to constant humidity thresholds H10, H12, H14, H16, etc.]. Regarding Claim 16, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 15 above and Kezuka teaches wherein controlling at least one of the indoor fan and the compressor further includes: controlling the compressor to operate in the first freezing operation after operating in the second freezing operation [Fig. 3; ¶ 0027-0028, 0036; Kezuka discloses that the controller may operate a plurality of different cleaning operations F1-3 and C1-3, based on measured values, including at least measured temperature and humidity; therefore, if the system arrives at measured values suitable for the first operation, after the implementation of another operation, the system commonsensically would perform the first operation]. Regarding Claim 17, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 16 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the first freezing operation is a freezing operation in which the compressor rotates at the second compressor RPM higher than the first compressor RPM [¶ 0040; in the prior art, the first freezing operation may be interpreted as either F1, F2, or F3 with respective compressor speeds NF1, NF2 and NF3, wherein the first compressor RPM may be NC1, NC2 or NC3 as part of respective cleaning operations C1, C2 and C3, wherein NC < FC because the condensing has a lower cooling capacity than freezing], and the indoor fan rotates at a second freezing RPM lower than or equal to the first freezing RPM [¶ 0024, 0028, 0041; the controller may control the rotation speed of the indoor fan; Kezuka discloses that the fan begins operation in at least step S102, wherein the fan operation may be stopped at S130; the fan is therefore capable of at least operating at the same RPM between said steps, as Kezuka does not explicitly disclose raising the fan RPM in said steps], and the second freezing operation is a freezing operation [¶ 0036; the second freezing operation may be any of F1, F2 or F3 not considered to be the first freezing operation] in which the compressor does not rotate or rotates at the first compressor RPM [¶ 0041; the system may proceed to a stop portion of the freezing process, stopping the refrigeration cycle, thus stopping the compressor], and the indoor fan rotates at the second freezing RPM [¶ 0024, 0028, 0041; the controller may control the rotation speed of the indoor fan; the fan is capable of at least operating at the same RPM between steps S102 and S130, as Kezuka does not explicitly disclose raising the fan RPM in said steps]. Regarding Claim 18, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 14 above and Kezuka further teaches comprising: terminating operation in the first freezing operation based on that an evaporation temperature detected by at least one sensor reaches a preset first target evaporation temperature [¶ 0034, 0038, 0041; Fig. 3; Upon determining to either step S110 or S120, the controller operates an appropriate cleaning process (S112, S114, S116, S122, S124, or S126) while the sensed temperature is within a given range (T10-T12, T12-T14, T20-T22, etc.), and continues to termination at S130 open the sensed temperature failing to be within the control range for each respective cleaning operation]. Regarding Claim 19, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 11 above and Kezuka further teaches comprising: controlling the indoor fan and the compressor not to perform operations [S130; ¶ 0041; Fig. 3; control device 20 executes clean operation stop process at S130] according to the freezing process and the thawing process based on at least one of: an indoor temperature detected by at least one sensor being less than a first threshold temperature [¶ 0034, 0038, 0041; Fig. 3; Upon determining to either step S110 or S120, the controller operates an appropriate cleaning process (S112, S114, S116, S122, S124, or S126) while the sensed temperature is within a given range (T10-T12, T12-T14, T20-T22, etc.), and continues to termination at S130 open the sensed temperature failing to be within the control range for each respective cleaning operation], or an outdoor temperature detected by at least one sensor being less than a preset second threshold temperature [optional claim language]. Regarding Claim 20, Kezuka teaches the control method for an air conditioner according to claim 1 above and Kezuka teaches wherein the thawing process is an operation process in which the indoor fan rotates at a preset thawing RPM, and operation of the compressor is stopped [¶ 0036, 0040; at least cleaning operations F1, F2 and F3 comprise respective compressor rotational speeds NF1, NF2 and NF3, wherein the relationship exists such that NF1 < NF2 < NF3, wherein the compressor speed is proportional to the cooling capacity requirements of each respective operation F1, F2 and F3; therefore, under broadest reasonable interpretation, NF1 may be equivalent to 0 if the accompanying operation F1 is configured to have a cooling capacity such that the benefits of flowing refrigerant is not desired or utilized]. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH S MYERS whose telephone number is (571)272-5102. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:00. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /KEITH STANLEY MYERS/Examiner, Art Unit 3763 /JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 15, 2025
Application Filed
Aug 24, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
53%
Grant Probability
71%
With Interview (+18.3%)
3y 2m (~1y 5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
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