Technology area: Chemistry & Materials
90 pending office actions • 23 art units • 55 examiners • 0 of 90 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 34 patents granted in the last 365 days
Japan Tobacco Inc. has 94 pending office actions in Chemistry & Materials. The docket spans 55 distinct examiners and 23 distinct art units, creating a large prosecution operation with repeated assignments across both examiners and art units. The art-unit concentration is especially relevant for coordinating technical positions and recurring examination issues.
KESSIE, JENNIFER A is the busiest examiner, with 6 pending matters. This examiner represents a meaningful focal point for docket review, although the broader portfolio requires management beyond any single examiner. Counsel should combine examiner-specific tracking with art-unit analysis, common claim-language review, and coordinated response planning.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 14 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. 14 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 + other | 2 (2%) |
| §103 only | 35 (39%) |
| §102 only | 5 (6%) |
| §112 only | 1 (1%) |
| Double-patenting only | 2 (2%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 6 (7%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 39 (43%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KESSIE, JENNIFER A | 6 | 65.2% | +20.2% |
| BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | 5 | 62.3% | +40.5% |
| VAKILI, DANIEL EDWARD | 4 | 64.4% | +13.8% |
| SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 3 | 64.1% | +14.0% |
| SCHNEIDER, THOMAS FRANK | 3 | 47.4% | +37.2% |
| EFTA, ALEX B | 3 | 59.9% | +25.3% |
| DIYAN, OLUWATOSIN OLUWATUMININ | 3 | 27.3% | +54.2% |
| MOORE, STEPHANIE LYNN | 3 | 60.9% | +38.9% |
| WILL, KATHERINE A | 2 | 67.4% | +20.1% |
| MARTIN, JOHN MITCHELL | 2 | 24.2% | +8.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18233211 | HEAT-NOT-BURN TOBACCO PRODUCT AND HEAT-NOT-BURN TOBACCO STICK | MARTIN, JOHN MITCHELL | 78d overdue |
| 18810602 | NICOTIANA PLANT BODY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME | ORDAZ, CHRISTIAN JOSE | 13d |
| 18492393 | SMOKING SYSTEM, DEVICE KIT, CONSUMABLE, COMBINED ARTICLE, AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SENSATION OF REACHING TERMINAL END AND PREDICTIVE SENSATION OF REACHING TERMINAL END | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | 23d |
| 18521520 | FLAVOR MOLDED ARTICLE AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR, TOBACCO MATERIAL PRODUCTION METHOD, AND TOBACCO PRODUCT PRODUCTION METHOD | JORDAN, RONNIE KIRBY | 27d |
| 18496310 | NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE TOBACCO AND ELECTRICALLY-HEATED TOBACCO PRODUCT | YAARY, ERIC | 34d |
| 18493248 | NON-COMBUSTION-HEATING FLAVOR INHALATION ARTICLE AND NON-COMBUSTION-HEATING FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | LE, TOBEY CHOU | 56d |
| 18705065 | PYRAZOLOPYRIMIDINE COMPOUND AND PHARMACEUTICAL USE THEREOF | OTTON, ALICIA L | — |
| 18806736 | METHOD FOR AUGMENTING AMOUNT OF SOLANONE IN LEAF TOBACCO, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TOBACCO RAW MATERIAL, AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING SOLANONE | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18492393 | SMOKING SYSTEM, DEVICE KIT, CONSUMABLE, COMBINED ARTICLE, AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SENSATION OF REACHING TERMINAL END AND PREDICTIVE SENSATION OF REACHING TERMINAL END | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | 23d |
| 18493519 | TOBACCO SHEET FOR NON-COMBUSTION HEATING TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, NON-COMBUSTION HEATING TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, AND NON-COMBUSTION HEATING TYPE FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | VAKILI, DANIEL EDWARD | 29d |
| 18493400 | FLAVOR INHALER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLAVOR INHALER | KESSIE, JENNIFER A | 71d |
| 18806736 | METHOD FOR AUGMENTING AMOUNT OF SOLANONE IN LEAF TOBACCO, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TOBACCO RAW MATERIAL, AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING SOLANONE | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | — |
| 18767997 | PRODUCTION METHOD FOR TOBACCO FLAVORED LIQUID, TOBACCO FLAVORED LIQUID, RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO MATERIAL, AND FLAVOR INHALER | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | — |
| 18757675 | NON-COMBUSTION FLAVOR INHALER | WILL, KATHERINE A | — |
| 18752822 | AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE AND AEROSOL GENERATION SYSTEM | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | — |
| 18743146 | NON-COMBUSTION-HEATING-TYPE STICK | SCHNEIDER, THOMAS FRANK | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1747 | 26 |
| 1755 | 21 |
| 1749 | 6 |
| 3761 | 6 |
| 2118 | 3 |
| 1745 | 3 |
| 3785 | 3 |
| 2859 | 3 |
| 1741 | 2 |
| 2847 | 2 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19020193 | SUCTION DEVICE, INFORMATION TRANSMISSION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM | WU, ZHEN Y | 2685 | §102Other | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 14, 2025 |
| 19010273 | PACKAGING AND PACKAGING PRODUCTION METHOD | ORTIZ, RAFAEL ALFREDO | 3736 | §103 | Final Rejection | 57d | Pending | Jan 06, 2025 |
| 18705065 | PYRAZOLOPYRIMIDINE COMPOUND AND PHARMACEUTICAL USE THEREOF | OTTON, ALICIA L | 1629 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 12, 2024 |
| 18886021 | SMOKING DEVICE | DINH, PHUONG K | 2831 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 16, 2024 |
| 18810602 | NICOTIANA PLANT BODY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME | ORDAZ, CHRISTIAN JOSE | 1663 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 13d | Pending | Aug 21, 2024 |
| 18806736 | METHOD FOR AUGMENTING AMOUNT OF SOLANONE IN LEAF TOBACCO, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TOBACCO RAW MATERIAL, AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING SOLANONE | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | 1755 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 16, 2024 |
| 18780655 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM | YOON, ERIC | 2118 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 23, 2024 |
| 18767997 | PRODUCTION METHOD FOR TOBACCO FLAVORED LIQUID, TOBACCO FLAVORED LIQUID, RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO MATERIAL, AND FLAVOR INHALER | BUCKMAN, JEFFREY ALAN | 1755 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 10, 2024 |
| 18757675 | NON-COMBUSTION FLAVOR INHALER | WILL, KATHERINE A | 1747 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18752822 | AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE AND AEROSOL GENERATION SYSTEM | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 1747 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 18745626 | METHOD OF TREATING PAIN OR INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS USING INDOLE COMPOUND | HOWELL, THEODORE R | 1628 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 17, 2024 |
| 18743146 | NON-COMBUSTION-HEATING-TYPE STICK | SCHNEIDER, THOMAS FRANK | 1749 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18743587 | AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 1755 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18743139 | FLAVOUR INHALER, AND SMOKING SYSTEM | CEFARATTI, JOSEPH ARTHUR | 1749 | §102§103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18735439 | POWER SOURCE UNIT FOR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE, AND AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | EFTA, ALEX B | 1745 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 06, 2024 |
| 18679465 | TOBACCO MATERIAL, PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR, AND TOBACCO PRODUCT | EFTA, ALEX B | 1745 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 31, 2024 |
| 18666861 | AEROSOL GENERATION SYSTEM | WILLIAMS, CEDRICK S | 1749 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 17, 2024 |
| 18665622 | AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE | MARTIN, JOHN MITCHELL | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 16, 2024 |
| 18664317 | CIRCUIT UNIT FOR AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE, AND DEVICE AND PROGRAM FOR AEROSOL GENERATION | BABAA, NAEL N | 3763 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 15, 2024 |
| 18664619 | CIRCUIT UNIT FOR AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE, AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM | DIYAN, OLUWATOSIN OLUWATUMININ | 1755 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 15, 2024 |
| 18655628 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, HEATING PROFILE CHANGING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | LU, HUA | 2118 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 06, 2024 |
| 18655377 | FLAVOR INHALER AND FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | FIGG, LAURA B | 1781 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 06, 2024 |
| 18650133 | NON-COMBUSTION-HEATING-TYPE STICK | DELACRUZ, MADELEINE PAULINA | 1755 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 30, 2024 |
| 18648516 | NOTIFICATION CONTROL DEVICE, NOTIFICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | LU, HUA | 2118 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 29, 2024 |
| 18645466 | FLAVOR INHALER OR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR AND PROGRAM THEREFOR | GONG, KRIS HANYU | 3785 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 25, 2024 |
| 18644193 | FLAVOR INHALER, FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR DEFORMING CONSUMABLE MATERIAL | MOORE, STEPHANIE LYNN | 1747 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 24, 2024 |
| 18639966 | AEROSOL GENERATION SYSTEM | FULTON, MICHAEL TIMOTHY | 1747 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 19, 2024 |
| 18636284 | MATERIAL FOR FLAVOR INHALATION ARTICLE, HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALATION ARTICLE, AND PRODUCTION METHOD FOR MATERIAL FOR FLAVOR INHALATION ARTICLE | YAARY, ERIC | 1755 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 16, 2024 |
| 18627477 | FRAGRANCE INHALER OR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND PROGRAM THEREOF | NGUYEN, SONNY V | 1755 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 05, 2024 |
| 18627654 | FRAGRANCE INHALER OR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND PROGRAM THEREOF | SPARKS, RUSSELL E | 1755 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 05, 2024 |
| 18627473 | INHALER DEVICE, AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR OPERATING THE SAME | DIXON, ANNETTE FREDRICKA | 3785 | §112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 05, 2024 |
| 18624232 | FLAVOR INHALER AND FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | MOORE, STEPHANIE LYNN | 1747 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 02, 2024 |
| 18621155 | TOBACCO SHEET FOR NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, AND NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | MOORE, STEPHANIE LYNN | 1747 | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 29, 2024 |
| 18621151 | TOBACCO SHEET FOR NON-COMBUSTION HEATING FLAVOR INHALER, NON-COMBUSTION HEATING FLAVOR INHALER, AND NON-COMBUSTION HEATING FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | WILL, KATHERINE A | 1747 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 29, 2024 |
| 18591757 | TOBACCO SHEET FOR NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FRAGRANCE INHALER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME, NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FRAGRANCE INHALER, AND NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FRAGRANCE INHALING SYSTEM | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 1747 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 29, 2024 |
| 18591667 | TOBACCO SHEET FOR NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER, AND NON-COMBUSTION HEATING-TYPE FLAVOR INHALATION SYSTEM | FELTON, MICHAEL J | 1747 | §102§103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 29, 2024 |
| 18425591 | FLAVOR INHALER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLAVOR INHALER | SZEWCZYK, CYNTHIA | 1741 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 29, 2024 |
| 18424061 | CARTRIDGE AND NONCOMBUSTION-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER | SCHNEIDER, THOMAS FRANK | 1749 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 26, 2024 |
| 18424118 | CARTRIDGE AND NONCOMBUSTION-TYPE FLAVOR INHALER | SCHNEIDER, THOMAS FRANK | 1749 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 26, 2024 |
| 18408241 | INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AEROSOL GENERATION SYSTEM, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM | CORUM JR, WILLIAM A | 2433 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 28d | Pending | Jan 09, 2024 |
| 18407128 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | CHOU, JIMMY | 1747 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 08, 2024 |
| 18406811 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | ALONZO MILLER, RHADAMES J | 2847 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 08, 2024 |
| 18405598 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | ALONZO MILLER, RHADAMES J | 2847 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 05, 2024 |
| 18405644 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | PACHECO, ALEXIS BOATENG | 2859 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 05, 2024 |
| 18405684 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE | DANG, KET D | 3761 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 05, 2024 |
| 18393498 | FLAVOR INHALATION ARTICLE | CULBERT, COURTNEY GUENTHER | 1747 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 21, 2023 |
| 18540342 | FLAVORING-LOADED COMPONENT FOR TOBACCO PRODUCT AND PRODUCTION METHOD FOR SAME | MCKANE, ELIZABETH L | 3991 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 14, 2023 |
| 18537402 | INHALATION DEVICE, BASE MATERIAL, AND CONTROL METHOD | MURPHY, VICTORIA | 3785 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 12, 2023 |
| 18530277 | CONTROLLER FOR INHALATION APPARATUS | DYE, ROBERT C | 3619 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 06, 2023 |
| 18530324 | POWER SUPPLY UNIT OF AEROSOL GENERATION APPARATUS | DIYAN, OLUWATOSIN OLUWATUMININ | 1755 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 06, 2023 |
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Start Free TrialJapan Tobacco Inc. has 90 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 23 art units and 55 examiners.
Jennifer A Kessie has the most, with 6 of Japan Tobacco Inc.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Chemistry & Materials (USPTO Tech Center 1700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
