Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 19/236,818

PLANARIZATION PROCESS, APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AN ARTICLE

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 12, 2025

Priority

Oct 24, 2022 — continuation of 18/049,128

Examiner

SONG, INJA

Art Unit

1744

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Canon Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +48.7% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (66%); +48.7% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 211 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

SONG, INJA View full profile →

Grants 66% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

140 granted / 211 resolved

+1.4% vs TC avg

Strong +49% interview lift

Without

With

+48.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 10m

Avg Prosecution

35 currently pending

Career history

244

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

1.0%

-39.0% vs TC avg

§103

83.0%

+43.0% vs TC avg

§102

3.6%

-36.4% vs TC avg

§112

8.4%

-31.6% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 211 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 12, 2025

Application Filed

May 13, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/339,133

Patent 12617716

VISIBLE LIGHT-CATALYZED TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE, AND PREPARATION METHOD AND USE THEREOF

2y 10m to grant Granted May 05, 2026

17/845,600

Patent 12605884

HYBRID ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING WITH DUAL PHASE-CHANGE MATERIALS

3y 10m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026

18/498,636

Patent 12600094

PREFABRICATED SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND/OR OVERLAYS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026

18/449,589

Patent 12583194

METHODS FOR PRODUCING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED OBJECTS WITH HETEROGENEOUS PROPERTIES

2y 7m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026

18/024,814

Patent 12576570

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS

3y 0m to grant Granted Mar 17, 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

66%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+48.7%)

2y 10m (~1y 9m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 211 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.