Technology areas: Chemistry & Materials • Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering
31 pending office actions • 15 art units • 28 examiners • 0 of 31 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 55 patents granted in the last 365 days
Kobe Steel Ltd. currently manages 29 pending office actions within the Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering technology area. The prosecution effort is distributed among 26 distinct examiners. These examiners are located across 14 distinct art units, which highlights the breadth of the company's technical focus. This decentralized structure suggests that the company must navigate a wide variety of individual examiner styles.
MICHAEL EUGENE LA VILLA is the busiest examiner for the portfolio, yet he is responsible for only 2 pending office actions. This indicates that most examiners are only handling a single pending action for the company. The high ratio of 26 distinct examiners to 29 pending actions suggests that prosecution outcomes are subject to a wide variety of individual perspectives. Practitioners must prepare for diverse examiner interactions across the 14 different art units represented in the current data.
With 26 distinct examiners involved, there is very little concentration of influence by any single individual. The 14 distinct art units further suggest that the portfolio spans multiple specialized groups at the patent office, requiring a versatile strategy. The fact that the busiest examiner, Michael Eugene La Villa, only has 2 pending office actions reinforces the distributed nature of this portfolio's prosecution. This lack of concentration means that practitioners cannot rely on a single examiner's history to predict the outcomes for the majority of the 29 pending office actions.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 5 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. 5 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 | 1 (3%) |
| §101 + other | 3 (10%) |
| §103 only | 14 (45%) |
| §102 only | 1 (3%) |
| §112 only | 2 (6%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 1 (3%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 9 (29%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | 2 | 75.7% | +18.1% |
| HILL, STEPHANI A | 2 | 29.2% | +44.0% |
| KHLOK, BONITA | 2 | 48.8% | +47.2% |
| KATCOFF, MATTHEW GORDON | 1 | 69.6% | +15.6% |
| NELSON, FREDA ANN | 1 | 42.8% | +7.7% |
| KASENGE, CHARLES R | 1 | 83.9% | +13.9% |
| HUSON, MONICA ANNE | 1 | 79.6% | +13.5% |
| ROJAS, BERNARD | 1 | 82.9% | +8.0% |
| PAPE, JOSEPH | 1 | 88.3% | +3.7% |
| LE, JOHN H | 1 | 87.7% | +7.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18836839 | BUMPER REINFORCEMENT MEMBER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | PAPE, JOSEPH | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18548127 | HIGH-STRENGTH ALUMINUM ALLOY EXTRUDED MATERIAL AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR | SU, XIAOWEI | 16d overdue |
| 17996042 | WELDING-INFORMATION LEARNING-MODEL GENERATION METHOD, LEARNING MODEL, PROGRAM, AND WELDING SYSTEM | JENNISON, BRIAN W | 33d |
| 19145966 | WELDING-WIRE-STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS | KATCOFF, MATTHEW GORDON | — |
| 19117858 | CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS CALCULATION SYSTEM AND METHOD | NELSON, FREDA ANN | — |
| 18992091 | CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING DEVICE, CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM | KASENGE, CHARLES R | — |
| 18853188 | AUTOMOBILE DOOR BEAM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | — |
| 18841710 | SOFT-MAGNETIC WIRE, SOFT-MAGNETIC STEEL BAR, AND SOFT-MAGNETIC COMPONENT | ROJAS, BERNARD | — |
| 18707821 | METHOD FOR CALCULATING FILM THICKNESS OF GRAIN BOUNDARY OXIDE LAYER, METHOD FOR DETERMINING PLATING PROPERTIES, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PLATED STEEL SHEET, AND FILM THICKNESS CALCULATION DEVICE | LE, JOHN H | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19145966 | WELDING-WIRE-STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS | KATCOFF, MATTHEW GORDON | — |
| 19104742 | CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | — |
| 18992091 | CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING DEVICE, CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM | KASENGE, CHARLES R | — |
| 18870147 | FILAMENT AND MANUFACTURED OBJECT MANUFACTURING METHOD | HUSON, MONICA ANNE | — |
| 18853188 | AUTOMOBILE DOOR BEAM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | — |
| 18558949 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING STEEL SHEET FOR COLD ROLLING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING COLD-ROLLED STEEL SHEET | HILL, STEPHANI A | — |
| 18552755 | STEEL WIRE FOR MACHINE STRUCTURAL PARTS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | HILL, STEPHANI A | — |
| 18253839 | WELD JOINT AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR | KHLOK, BONITA | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3761 | 11 |
| 1735 | 4 |
| 1784 | 2 |
| 1733 | 2 |
| 3725 | 1 |
| 3628 | 1 |
| 2116 | 1 |
| 1742 | 1 |
| 2837 | 1 |
| 3612 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19145966 | WELDING-WIRE-STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS | KATCOFF, MATTHEW GORDON | 3725 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 07, 2025 |
| 19117858 | CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS CALCULATION SYSTEM AND METHOD | NELSON, FREDA ANN | 3628 | §101 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 02, 2025 |
| 19104742 | CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | 1784 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 19, 2025 |
| 18992091 | CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING DEVICE, CONTROL INFORMATION GENERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM | KASENGE, CHARLES R | 2116 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 07, 2025 |
| 18870147 | FILAMENT AND MANUFACTURED OBJECT MANUFACTURING METHOD | HUSON, MONICA ANNE | 1742 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 27, 2024 |
| 18853188 | AUTOMOBILE DOOR BEAM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE | 1784 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 01, 2024 |
| 18841710 | SOFT-MAGNETIC WIRE, SOFT-MAGNETIC STEEL BAR, AND SOFT-MAGNETIC COMPONENT | ROJAS, BERNARD | 2837 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 27, 2024 |
| 18836839 | BUMPER REINFORCEMENT MEMBER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | PAPE, JOSEPH | 3612 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 08, 2024 |
| 18707821 | METHOD FOR CALCULATING FILM THICKNESS OF GRAIN BOUNDARY OXIDE LAYER, METHOD FOR DETERMINING PLATING PROPERTIES, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PLATED STEEL SHEET, AND FILM THICKNESS CALCULATION DEVICE | LE, JOHN H | 2857 | §101§102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 06, 2024 |
| 18702107 | SEMI-HARD MAGNETIC STEEL COMPONENT | LUK, VANESSA TIBAY | 1733 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 17, 2024 |
| 18294562 | ARC SPOT WELDING METHOD FOR JOINING DISSIMILAR MATERIALS, AND DISSIMILAR MATERIAL WELDED JOINT | ECKARDT, ADAM MICHAEL | 3761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 02, 2024 |
| 18291556 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MODELING DEVICE, MODELING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM | NGUYEN, PHUONG T | 3761 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 23, 2024 |
| 18577813 | METHOD FOR DISPLAYING WELDING-RELATED INFORMATION, DISPLAY APPARATUS, WELDING SYSTEM, PROGRAM, AND DISPLAY SCREEN FOR WELDING-RELATED INFORMATION | BOSS, MARISSA RAE | 3761 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 09, 2024 |
| 18577795 | WELDING PHENOMENON BEHAVIOR MEASURING METHOD, MEASURING DEVICE, WELDING SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM | ZHAO, CHRISTINE NMN | 2677 | §103 | Final Rejection | 15d | Pending | Jan 09, 2024 |
| 18564852 | FAULT-MONITORING DEVICE, FAULT-MONITORING METHOD, WELDING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM, AND WELDING SYSTEM | WANG, FRANKLIN JEFFERSON | 3761 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 28, 2023 |
| 18559427 | PIG IRON-PRODUCING METHOD AND IRON ORE MATERIAL | WANG, NICHOLAS A | 1734 | §103§112DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Nov 07, 2023 |
| 18558949 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING STEEL SHEET FOR COLD ROLLING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING COLD-ROLLED STEEL SHEET | HILL, STEPHANI A | 1735 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Nov 03, 2023 |
| 18556285 | WELDING APPARATUS AND TEMPERATURE MEASURING APPARATUS | LIU, CHRIS Q | 3761 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 19, 2023 |
| 18555210 | ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING METHOD, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR MANUFACTURING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED ARTICLE | ELLIOTT, TOPAZ L | 3761 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 12, 2023 |
| 18552755 | STEEL WIRE FOR MACHINE STRUCTURAL PARTS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | HILL, STEPHANI A | 1735 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 27, 2023 |
| 18551436 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING PIG IRON | SMITH, CATHERINE P | 1735 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 20, 2023 |
| 18551378 | RESISTANCE WELDING METHOD | HEMMINGS, HUNTER GARRETT | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 19, 2023 |
| 18548127 | HIGH-STRENGTH ALUMINUM ALLOY EXTRUDED MATERIAL AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR | SU, XIAOWEI | 1733 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 16d overdue | Pending | Aug 28, 2023 |
| 18330773 | WELDING-WIRE-STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS | TEKA, ABIY | 3745 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 07, 2023 |
| 18253839 | WELD JOINT AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR | KHLOK, BONITA | 3761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 22, 2023 |
| 18252127 | FLUX-CORED WIRE AND GAS-SHIELDED ARC WELDING METHOD | WEN, KEVIN GUANHUA | 3761 | §103 | Final Rejection | 8d | Pending | May 08, 2023 |
| 18164882 | WORKPIECE MEASUREMENT METHOD, WORKPIECE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM | KUDO, KEN | 2671 | §101§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 06, 2023 |
| 18006140 | BUILD PLAN ASSISTANCE METHOD AND BUILD PLAN ASSISTANCE DEVICE | FERDOUSI, FAHMIDA NMN | 3761 | §103 | Final Rejection | 14d | Pending | Jan 19, 2023 |
| 17996042 | WELDING-INFORMATION LEARNING-MODEL GENERATION METHOD, LEARNING MODEL, PROGRAM, AND WELDING SYSTEM | JENNISON, BRIAN W | 3761 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 33d | Pending | Oct 12, 2022 |
| 17636803 | LOW-STRENGTH STEEL SHEET FOR HOT STAMPING, HOT-STAMPED COMPONENT, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING HOT-STAMPED COMPONENT | HEVEY, JOHN A | 1735 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 18, 2022 |
| 17441889 | Ni-BASED ALLOY FLUX-CORED WIRE | KHLOK, BONITA | 3761 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 22, 2021 |
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Start Free TrialKobe Steel Ltd. has 31 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 15 art units and 28 examiners.
Michael Eugene La Villa has the most, with 2 of Kobe Steel Ltd.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Medical Devices & Mechanical Engineering (USPTO Tech Center 3700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
