Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 19/217,086

DEVELOPING DEVICE

Non-Final OA §DP
Filed
May 23, 2025
Priority
Feb 13, 2023 — JP 2023-020080 +2 more
Examiner
GRAINGER, QUANA MASHELLE
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Canon Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
11m
Est. Remaining
85%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allowance Rate
1030 granted / 1160 resolved
+28.8% vs TC avg
Minimal -4% lift
Without
With
+-3.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 0m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
1190
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
60.6%
+20.6% vs TC avg
§102
32.4%
-7.6% vs TC avg
§112
4.7%
-35.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1160 resolved cases

Office Action

§DP
CTNF 19/217,086 CTNF 72641 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/23/2025 was considered by the examiner. Drawings The drawings filed on 5/23/2025 are acceptable for examination by the examiner. Title 06-11 AIA The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Double Patenting 08-33 AIA The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg , 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman , 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi , 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum , 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel , 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington , 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b). The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13. The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA/25, or PTO/AIA/26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer. Claims 21-45 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1-28 of copending Application No. 18418,570. Claims 21 is equivalent to claims 1 and 19 combined. Claims 23-38 is the same as claims 3-18, 20, and 26-28. This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 21-45 contain allowable subject matter. Prior Art 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Fujimoto (US 2002/0071697 A1) and ITAGARI et al. (US 2013/0330107 A1) teach dual developing rollers for use in an image forming apparatus . Contact Information Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5. 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, Walter Lindsay can be reached on 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 QG Application/Control Number: 19/217,086 Page 2 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/217,086 Page 3 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/217,086 Page 4 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/217,086 Page 5 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/217,086 Page 6 Art Unit: 2852
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

May 23, 2025
Application Filed
Jun 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §DP (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12681412
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM THAT MANUFACTURES BOOKLETS BY HEATING MULTIPLE SHEETS
2y 0m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Patent 12675066
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
1y 5m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026
Patent 12663751
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
1y 7m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026
Patent 12656705
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
2y 0m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026
Patent 12656702
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
1y 6m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
89%
Grant Probability
85%
With Interview (-3.8%)
2y 0m (~11m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1160 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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