Technology area: Chemistry & Materials
221 pending office actions • 90 art units • 185 examiners • 0 of 221 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 431 patents granted in the last 365 days
3M Innovative Properties Company has 218 pending office actions in Chemistry & Materials. The portfolio spans 184 distinct examiners and 85 distinct art units, indicating substantial workload with broad examiner distribution and repeated activity within technical groupings.
DUCHENEAUX, FRANK D is the busiest examiner, with 6 pending actions. The examiner is a coordination point, but the overall docket requires broader operational controls because many examiners and art units are involved. Counsel can use art-unit groupings to identify recurring technical issues while maintaining examiner-specific response planning.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 57 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 57 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 only | 2 (1%) |
| §101 + other | 7 (3%) |
| §103 only | 64 (29%) |
| §102 only | 10 (5%) |
| §112 only | 14 (6%) |
| Double-patenting only | 5 (2%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 6 (3%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 111 (50%) |
| No statute on record | 2 (1%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| DUCHENEAUX, FRANK D | 6 | 45.2% | -14.5% |
| TRAN, ZOE T | 4 | 57.9% | +46.6% |
| FREEMAN, JOHN D | 3 | 45.8% | +7.1% |
| PARBADIA, BALRAM T | 3 | 74.7% | +20.2% |
| BOOHER, ADAM W | 3 | 75.5% | +9.1% |
| MARKMAN, MAKENA | 3 | 59.9% | +38.3% |
| FEELY, MICHAEL J | 2 | 75.1% | +41.9% |
| PHILLIPS, FORREST M | 2 | 83.2% | +14.2% |
| WALSHON, SCOTT R | 2 | 51.6% | +20.6% |
| CHANG, AUDREY Y | 2 | 46.6% | +20.8% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 1 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18248618 | VENTILATION SYSTEM AND ACOUSTIC MEMBER | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | — |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17787370 | TENSION-ACTIVATED, EXPANDING ARTICLES WITH MULTIBEAM SLITS | TAWFIK, SAMEH | 215d overdue |
| 17796898 | GRANULAR CONTEXT AWARE AUTOSUGGESTION OF DOCUMENT CODES | LULTSCHIK, WILLIAM G | 120d overdue |
| 18837336 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF ROLL COATING | EMPIE, NATHAN H | 71d overdue |
| 18558421 | OPTICAL SYSTEMS WITH LIGHT CONTROL FILMS | HO, WAI-GA DAVID | 71d overdue |
| 18427104 | ADHESIVE SPRAY NOZZLE AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME | LIEUWEN, CODY J | 60d overdue |
| 18030224 | HIGH FREQUENCY POWER INDUCTOR MATERIAL INCLUDING MAGNETIC MULTILAYER FLAKES | HOBAN, MATTHEW E | 60d overdue |
| 18257676 | METHODS OF BONDING COPPER AND ARTICLES FORMED THEREBY | GULAKOWSKI, RANDY P | 43d overdue |
| 18694926 | PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPE INCLUDING SULFUR AND RELATED PROCESSES | GROSS, CARSON | 29d overdue |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18530473 | Fall Protection Device | TRAN, ZOE T | 4d overdue |
| 17906364 | ATTACHMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ABRASIVE DISCS | MARKMAN, MAKENA | 23d |
| 18265590 | SYSTEMS FOR ATTACHING OVERLAYS TO ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS | CHANG, AUDREY Y | 56d |
| 18998677 | Two-Part Compositions Including Self-Polymerizable Toughening Agent, and Methods of Using Same | FEELY, MICHAEL J | — |
| 18998701 | Curable Precursors of Structural Adhesive Compositions Including Self-Polymerizable Toughening Agent, and Methods of Using Same | FEELY, MICHAEL J | — |
| 19024636 | OPTICAL STACK AND DISPLAY SYSTEM | PARBADIA, BALRAM T | — |
| 18993607 | ACOUSTIC ARTICLE | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | — |
| 18973817 | PRIMER-INITIATED CURE OF STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE FILM | WALSHON, SCOTT R | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 2872 | 21 |
| 3723 | 12 |
| 1788 | 10 |
| 1789 | 10 |
| 1787 | 9 |
| 1766 | 7 |
| 1781 | 7 |
| 1763 | 7 |
| 1767 | 7 |
| 1765 | 5 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19565760 | Welding Protection Device with Haptic Sensing | MUROMOTO JR, ROBERT H | 3732 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 13, 2026 |
| 19163119 | Systems, Media, and Methods for Identifying and Correcting Retailer Phantom Inventory | MITCHELL, NATHAN A | 3627 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 08, 2025 |
| 19243213 | FALL-PROTECTION SYSTEM WITH MONITORING SYSTEM | WILSON, BRIAN P | 2689 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 19, 2025 |
| 19219245 | NANOSTRUCTURED OPTICAL FILMS AND INTERMEDIATES | POWERS, LAURA C | 1785 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 27, 2025 |
| 19132081 | ZERO BINDER POLYCRYSTALLINE MOUNTING MAT WITH IMPROVED PRODUCTION HANDLING | THOMPSON, CAMIE S | 1786 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 22, 2025 |
| 19211373 | METHOD OF OPTIMIZING CONTROL SIGNALS USED IN OPERATING VEHICLE | KATZ, DYLAN MICHAEL | 3657 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 19, 2025 |
| 19127504 | MULTILAYERED ARTICLES INCLUDING A UV BARRIER LAYER | FREEMAN, JOHN D | 1787 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 06, 2025 |
| 19124420 | DEVICES, MEDIA, AND METHODS FOR MURAL MAKER EXTENDED REALITY GUIDE | PRINGLE-PARKER, JASON A | 2617 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 25, 2025 |
| 19118500 | STRUCTURED ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SHIELDING ARTICLES AND SOLAR ARRAYS INCLUDING THE SAME | MALLEY JR., DANIEL PATRICK | 1726 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 04, 2025 |
| 19118577 | COMPOUNDS COMPRISING SULFUR AND (METH)ACRYLATE MOIETIES SUITABLE FOR BONDING ORGANIC POLYMERS TO METAL | RICE, STEVEN | 1787 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 04, 2025 |
| 19115000 | ADHESIVE FILM | DUCHENEAUX, FRANK D | 1788 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 25, 2025 |
| 19114318 | FLUID NOZZLE AND FLUID SYSTEM | BOECKMANN, JASON J | 3752 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 21, 2025 |
| 19114299 | FLUID NOZZLE AND FLUID SYSTEM | VALVIS, ALEXANDER M | 3791 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 21, 2025 |
| 19113646 | DISPENSER FOR EXPANDABLE SLIT SHEET MATERIAL | JEFFERSON, TIFFANY DOMONIQUE | 3654 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 20, 2025 |
| 19113082 | LENS AND ANTENNA ASSEMBLY | TRAN, HAI V | 2845 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 19, 2025 |
| 19050597 | OPTICAL FILM INCLUDING INFRARED REFLECTOR AND MULTILAYER REFLECTIVE POLARIZER WITH CRYSTALLINE LOW INDEX LAYERS | SIPES, JOHN CURTIS | 2872 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 11, 2025 |
| 19099679 | ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVES | NGUYEN, HAIDUNG D | 1761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 29, 2025 |
| 18998677 | Two-Part Compositions Including Self-Polymerizable Toughening Agent, and Methods of Using Same | FEELY, MICHAEL J | 1766 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 18998701 | Curable Precursors of Structural Adhesive Compositions Including Self-Polymerizable Toughening Agent, and Methods of Using Same | FEELY, MICHAEL J | 1766 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 19024636 | OPTICAL STACK AND DISPLAY SYSTEM | PARBADIA, BALRAM T | 2872 | §101§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 16, 2025 |
| 18993607 | ACOUSTIC ARTICLE | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | 2837 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2025 |
| 18993080 | Expandable Sheet with Shifted Arrangements of Slits | NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L | 1788 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 10, 2025 |
| 18992121 | LIGHT CONTROL FILM | LIN, CHUN-NAN | 2629 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 07, 2025 |
| 18987262 | DISPLAY OPTICAL FILM AND BACKLIGHT UNIT | PAN, JIA X | 2871 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18876827 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ABRADING A REFLECTIVE WORKSURFACE | FLORES SANCHEZ, OMAR | 3724 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18876363 | SOLID EFFERVESCENT COMPOSITIONS | OGDEN JR, NECHOLUS | 1761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 18, 2024 |
| 18875980 | ARTICLE WITH PRESSURE MANAGEMENT AND THERMAL INSULATION PROPERTIES | WHIPKEY, TARA NOELLE | 1781 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 17, 2024 |
| 18973817 | PRIMER-INITIATED CURE OF STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE FILM | WALSHON, SCOTT R | 1759 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 09, 2024 |
| 18960234 | MULTI-SLIT TENSION-ACTIVATED, EXPANDING SHEETS | VAN SELL, NATHAN L | 1783 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 26, 2024 |
| 18959919 | OPTICAL SYSTEM | GAGNON, GRANT A | 2872 | Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 26, 2024 |
| 18869140 | Fall-Protection Device | TRAN, ZOE T | 3647 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 25, 2024 |
| 18954641 | AUTOMATED VEHICLE REPAIR SYSTEM | HARTMAN JR, RONALD D | 2119 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 21, 2024 |
| 18950744 | DARKENING FILTER COMPRISING A NON-UNIFORM PATTERN OF SWITCHABLE SHUTTERS | QURESHI, MARIAM | 2871 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18950482 | POLARIZING BEAM SPLITTER PLATES PROVIDING HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES AND SYSTEMS UTILIZING SUCH POLARIZING BEAM SPLITTER PLATES | CHIEN, LUCY P | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18950497 | OPTICAL FILM, OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION, AND DISPLAY SYSTEM | BOOHER, ADAM W | 2872 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18866683 | System and Method for Detecting Fall Event | TRAN, ZOE T | 3647 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18944494 | LIGHT CONTROL FILM | BROOKS, JERRY L. | 2882 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 12, 2024 |
| 18941132 | SELF-FOLDING 3D FILM ASSEMBLIES | MCKINNON, LASHAWNDA T | 1789 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 08, 2024 |
| 18863377 | Optical Film and Optical Lens Including Same | HUANG, WEN | 2872 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 06, 2024 |
| 18927098 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING DIGITAL NOTES | NGUYEN, CAO H | 2171 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 25, 2024 |
| 18860058 | CONDUCTIVE FILM FOR ATTACHMENT TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS | NGUYEN, CHAU N | 2841 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 25, 2024 |
| 18857847 | RETROREFLECTIVE ARTICLE | CHERRY, EUNCHA P | 2872 | §102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 18, 2024 |
| 18857872 | Light Control Film and Method of Fabricating Same | CHANG, AUDREY Y | 2872 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 18, 2024 |
| 18920727 | SPRAY GUN AND NOZZLE ASSEMBLY ATTACHMENT | GORMAN, DARREN W | 3752 | §112Other | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 18, 2024 |
| 18916811 | Optical Stack Including Multilayer Optical Film and Radio-Wave Anti-Reflection Sheet | BOOHER, ADAM W | 2872 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 16, 2024 |
| 18855545 | MISCIBLE POLYESTER BLENDS SUITABLE FOR DENTAL APPLIANCES AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | BOSS, WENDY LYNN | 1749 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 09, 2024 |
| 18908156 | Decorative Vapor Deposition Sheet | FLORES JR, DONALD M | 1781 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 07, 2024 |
| 18854654 | Flexible Electronic Devices Including Internally Routed Channels | ONUTA, TIBERIU DAN | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 07, 2024 |
| 18853814 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION DEVICES | HO, DUC CHI | 2465 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 03, 2024 |
| 18852726 | CONDUIT ASSEMBLY FOR BRIMMED HARDHAT | DUCKWORTH, BRIANNA T | 3732 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 30, 2024 |
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Start Free Trial3M Innovative Properties Company has 221 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 90 art units and 185 examiners.
Frank D Ducheneaux has the most, with 6 of 3M Innovative Properties Company's pending office actions.
Mostly Chemistry & Materials (USPTO Tech Center 1700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
