Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology area: Transportation, E-Commerce & Mechanical Systems
40 pending office actions • 27 art units • 37 examiners • 0 of 40 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 77 patents granted in the last 365 days
Nissan North America Inc. maintains a robust prosecution pipeline with 39 pending office actions. These filings are primarily situated within the Transportation, E-Commerce & Mechanical Systems technology area, reflecting the company's core business interests. The portfolio is distributed across 27 distinct art units, which indicates that the company's research and development efforts cover a wide variety of specialized mechanical and electronic systems.
The prosecution of these 39 pending office actions involves 37 distinct examiners, suggesting a highly decentralized examination process. GREGORY A BLANKENSHIP is the busiest examiner for the portfolio, yet he is responsible for only 2 pending office actions. This low concentration of work among 37 distinct examiners means that the company must navigate a vast array of individual examination styles and interpretations of patent law across the USPTO.
With 27 distinct art units involved, the legal strategy must be highly adaptable to ensure consistency across different administrative divisions. The fact that the busiest examiner handles only 2 pending office actions underscores the breadth of the portfolio and the lack of any particular dominant examiner. This distribution requires the company to maintain a versatile approach to responding to office actions, as the outcomes are determined by a large and diverse group of officials.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 12 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. 12 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 |
|---|---|
| §103 only | 15 (38%) |
| §102 only | 3 (8%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 22 (55%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A | 2 | 85.1% | +3.5% |
| AKAKPO, DANY E | 2 | 86.7% | +13.4% |
| ALKIRSH, AHMED | 2 | 47.7% | +32.9% |
| AKARAGWE, YANICK A | 1 | 83.4% | +12.1% |
| KARWAN, SIHAR A | 1 | 56.5% | +26.9% |
| ACOSTA, ERIC LAZARUS | 1 | 87.0% | +8.7% |
| PANG, ROGER L | 1 | 89.2% | +7.1% |
| NGUYEN, TRI V | 1 | 67.6% | +57.2% |
| THEIS, MATTHEW T | 1 | 42.1% | +32.5% |
| PHILLIPS, FORREST M | 1 | 83.2% | +14.2% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 3 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18912336 | SOUND INSULATOR FORMED OF MODIFIED KELVIN-14 MATERIAL | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | — |
| 18908770 | VEHICLE REAR CARGO STRUCTURE | AKAKPO, DANY E | — |
| 18818067 | Dual-Function Jack Brackets in Vehicles | BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18521487 | BRACKET MEMBER FOR A VEHICLE LOCK HOUSING ASSEMBLY | BROWN, EMILY GAIL | 58d overdue |
| 17682698 | AUTOMATIC DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE | ALKIRSH, AHMED | 30d overdue |
| 18295070 | SOLID OXIDE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE AND UNIT CELL THEREOF | GARCIA, BETHANY CLAIRE | 14d |
| 18341401 | Electrolyte Formulation for Lithium-Ion Batteries | CLAUDIO VAZQUEZ, ADRIANA PAOLA | 22d |
| 18194351 | Transmitting Information to Cause a Vehicle to Follow a Projected Path | LAMBERT, GABRIEL JOSEPH RENE | 40d |
| 18145680 | Vision-Based Road Feel Enhancement in Vehicles | TSENG, KYLE HWA-KAI | 41d |
| 19066769 | Splash Shields for Use in Protecting Air Conditioning Modules in Vehicles | AKARAGWE, YANICK A | — |
| 19004738 | Precise Control For An Autonomous Vehicle | KARWAN, SIHAR A | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17682698 | AUTOMATIC DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE | ALKIRSH, AHMED | 30d overdue |
| 19066769 | Splash Shields for Use in Protecting Air Conditioning Modules in Vehicles | AKARAGWE, YANICK A | — |
| 19004738 | Precise Control For An Autonomous Vehicle | KARWAN, SIHAR A | — |
| 18977359 | High-Capacity Disordered Lithium Manganese Oxide Cathodes Stabilized by Elemental Substitution | NGUYEN, TRI V | — |
| 18934155 | SPARE TIRE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME | THEIS, MATTHEW T | — |
| 18912336 | SOUND INSULATOR FORMED OF MODIFIED KELVIN-14 MATERIAL | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | — |
| 18908770 | VEHICLE REAR CARGO STRUCTURE | AKAKPO, DANY E | — |
| 18816847 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETERMINING DIFFERENTIAL STATE OF A VEHICLE | ALKIRSH, AHMED | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 3672 | 3 |
| 3612 | 3 |
| 3668 | 3 |
| 3644 | 2 |
| 3655 | 2 |
| 3675 | 2 |
| 3665 | 2 |
| 1721 | 2 |
| 3658 | 1 |
| 1764 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19066769 | Splash Shields for Use in Protecting Air Conditioning Modules in Vehicles | AKARAGWE, YANICK A | 3672 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 28, 2025 |
| 19004738 | Precise Control For An Autonomous Vehicle | KARWAN, SIHAR A | 3658 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 30, 2024 |
| 18988732 | GATE FOR A VEHCILE | ACOSTA, ERIC LAZARUS | 3644 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18988736 | GATE FOR A VEHCILE | BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A | 3612 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18986522 | VEHICLES AND SEAT ASSEMBLIES HAVING A MOVABLE TRAY | PANG, ROGER L | 3655 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 18, 2024 |
| 18977359 | High-Capacity Disordered Lithium Manganese Oxide Cathodes Stabilized by Elemental Substitution | NGUYEN, TRI V | 1764 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 11, 2024 |
| 18934155 | SPARE TIRE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME | THEIS, MATTHEW T | 3734 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 31, 2024 |
| 18912336 | SOUND INSULATOR FORMED OF MODIFIED KELVIN-14 MATERIAL | PHILLIPS, FORREST M | 2837 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 10, 2024 |
| 18911227 | BUMPER ASSEMBLY | MCFALL, NICHOLAS A | 3644 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 09, 2024 |
| 18908770 | VEHICLE REAR CARGO STRUCTURE | AKAKPO, DANY E | 3672 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 07, 2024 |
| 18908774 | VEHICLE REAR CARGO STRUCTURE | FULLER, ROBERT EDWARD | 3676 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 07, 2024 |
| 18902783 | VEHICLE BODY STRUCTURE | FREEDMAN, LAURA | 3614 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 30, 2024 |
| 18818067 | Dual-Function Jack Brackets in Vehicles | BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A | 3612 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 28, 2024 |
| 18816847 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETERMINING DIFFERENTIAL STATE OF A VEHICLE | ALKIRSH, AHMED | 3668 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 27, 2024 |
| 18759453 | VEHICLE | HANNON, TIMOTHY | 3655 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18757180 | VEHICLE STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY | PRICE, MITCHELL JAMES | 3611 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 27, 2024 |
| 18753851 | Vehicle Seat Massage System Including Noise Reduction | RAUBENSTRAW, TYLER ALLEN | 3785 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 18633065 | VEHICLE SUNVISOR ASSEMBLY | AKAKPO, DANY E | 3672 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 11, 2024 |
| 18608447 | Lithium Metal Oxide Based Cathode Chemistries for Lithium Batteries | HORNSBY, BARTHOLOMEW ANDREW | — | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 18, 2024 |
| 18603524 | Inhibiting Debris Accumulation on Vehicles | EBNER, KATY MEYER | 3613 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 13, 2024 |
| 18590728 | DUAL-METAL ELECTRODE FOR METAL-AIR BATTERY | LOVASZ, MYLES ALAN | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 28, 2024 |
| 18428974 | Driving Behavior Analysis and Correction | EUSTAQUIO, CAL J | 2686 | §102 | Final Rejection | 21d | Pending | Jan 31, 2024 |
| 18521487 | BRACKET MEMBER FOR A VEHICLE LOCK HOUSING ASSEMBLY | BROWN, EMILY GAIL | 3675 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 58d overdue | Pending | Nov 28, 2023 |
| 18520476 | REAR DOOR ASSEMBLY | STRIMBU, GREGORY J | 3634 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 27, 2023 |
| 18470322 | SOLID OXIDE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE UNIT CELL | RIDLEY, BASIA ANNA | 4100 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 19, 2023 |
| 18237509 | ASSB Composite Cathode Having a Halide-Based and a Sulfide-Based Material | CHAU, LISA N | 1785 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 24, 2023 |
| 18447271 | DATA LOGGING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE | GRIFFIN, ALEX BROCK | 3665 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 09, 2023 |
| 18229045 | Friction Reduction in Hood Latch Mechanisms for Vehicles | MERLINO, ALYSON MARIE | 3675 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 01, 2023 |
| 18362502 | CURRENT COLLECTOR WITH ANCHORING INTERFACE LAYER | TRAN, UYEN M | 1726 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 31, 2023 |
| 18228553 | Map and Kinematic Prediction | BRADY III, PATRICK MICHAEL | 3665 | §103 | Final Rejection | 8d | Pending | Jul 31, 2023 |
| 18341401 | Electrolyte Formulation for Lithium-Ion Batteries | CLAUDIO VAZQUEZ, ADRIANA PAOLA | 1717 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Jun 26, 2023 |
| 18319863 | Modified Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Batteries | IANNUCCI, LOUISE JAMES | 1721 | §103 | Final Rejection | 26d | Pending | May 18, 2023 |
| 18308627 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF TRANSITIONING VEHICLE CONTROL | MUSTAFA, IMRAN K | 3668 | §103 | Final Rejection | 12d | Pending | Apr 27, 2023 |
| 18295070 | SOLID OXIDE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE AND UNIT CELL THEREOF | GARCIA, BETHANY CLAIRE | 1721 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 14d | Pending | Apr 03, 2023 |
| 18194351 | Transmitting Information to Cause a Vehicle to Follow a Projected Path | LAMBERT, GABRIEL JOSEPH RENE | 3669 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 40d | Pending | Mar 31, 2023 |
| 18161644 | VEHICLE DOOR ASSEMBLY | GUTMAN, HILARY L | 3612 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 30, 2023 |
| 18145680 | Vision-Based Road Feel Enhancement in Vehicles | TSENG, KYLE HWA-KAI | 2189 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 41d | Pending | Dec 22, 2022 |
| 17900778 | PEDAL CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE | MOSCOLA, MATTHEW JOHN | 3663 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 13d | Pending | Aug 31, 2022 |
| 17877873 | NAVIGATION DISPLAY SYSTEM | WEISFELD, MATTHIAS S | 3661 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 28d | Pending | Jul 29, 2022 |
| 17682698 | AUTOMATIC DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE | ALKIRSH, AHMED | 3668 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 30d overdue | Pending | Feb 28, 2022 |
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