Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 19/094,388

SURFACING LOCAL MERCHANTS WITH ENHANCED REWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 28, 2025

Priority

Aug 11, 2021 — divisional of 17/399,412

Examiner

STROUD, CHRISTOPHER

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 28% of cases after interview

— +21.7% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 340 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

STROUD, CHRISTOPHER View full profile →

Grants only 28% of cases

Career Allowance Rate

97 granted / 340 resolved

-31.5% vs TC avg

Strong +22% interview lift

Without

With

+21.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 8m

Avg Prosecution

30 currently pending

Career history

372

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

20.5%

-19.5% vs TC avg

§103

69.7%

+29.7% vs TC avg

§102

6.6%

-33.4% vs TC avg

§112

1.9%

-38.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 340 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 28, 2025

Application Filed

Jun 05, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/372,080

Patent 12682370

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED MARKETING COMPENSATION BY RECOGNITION OF NATURAL PROMOTION ELEMENTS IN MEDIA CONTENT

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/371,674

Patent 12675798

SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR GREENHOUSE GAS MONITORING AND CONTROL

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/822,384

Patent 12652158

SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT OF REWARDABLE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED CONTENT BLOCKS DELIVERY AND CONSUMPTION

1y 9m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/132,721

Patent 12614209

METHODS AND SOFTWARE FOR PROVIDING TARGETED ADVERTISING TO A PRODUCT PROGRAM

3y 0m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026

18/469,284

Patent 12608724

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL REWARDS BETWEEN THIRD PARTIES

2y 7m to grant Granted Apr 21, 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

28%

Grant Probability

50%

With Interview (+21.7%)

3y 8m (~2y 4m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 340 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.