Technology areas: Communications • Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics
34 pending office actions • 17 art units • 24 examiners • 0 of 34 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 154 patents granted in the last 365 days
Western Digital Technologies Inc. has 31 pending office actions in Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics. The matters involve 24 distinct examiners across 17 distinct art units, showing a portfolio with repeated examiner and technical assignments rather than a single concentrated examination channel. Counsel should preserve consistency across related semiconductor and storage matters while tracking individual histories.
KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH is the busiest examiner, with 5 pending matters. That assignment is a useful focal point for examiner-specific preparation, but the broader distribution means it should not replace portfolio-level monitoring. Art-unit review can help identify recurring claim or prior-art issues across the remaining matters.
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 |
|---|---|
| §101 only | 1 (3%) |
| §101 + other | 2 (6%) |
| §103 only | 13 (38%) |
| §102 only | 5 (15%) |
| §112 only | 1 (3%) |
| Double-patenting only | 1 (3%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 11 (32%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 8 | 80.8% | +18.2% |
| RENNER, CRAIG A | 2 | 84.3% | +17.5% |
| KIM, MICHELLE JINJU | 2 | 70.0% | +50.0% |
| ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 2 | 44.4% | +52.9% |
| SPIELER, WILLIAM | 1 | 73.6% | +9.7% |
| MCDONALD, JASON ANDREW | 1 | 62.5% | +46.7% |
| CRITE, ANTONIO B | 1 | 81.6% | -13.0% |
| BLAIN, SHAWN MICHAEL | 1 | — | — |
| MEHTA, RATISHA | 1 | 89.7% | +5.6% |
| LOPEZ, JORGE ANDRES | 1 | 92.7% | +10.3% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18509051 | BONDING STRUCTURES FOR HIGH-DENSITY METAL-TO-METAL BONDING AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | MEHTA, RATISHA | 41d |
| 18890207 | Dual Free Layer TMR Reader With Shaped Rear Bias and Methods of Forming Thereof | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 46d |
| 19307611 | Notched Head Design For Tape Applications | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19293311 | Buffer Layers And Interlayers That Promote BiSbx (012) Alloy Orientation For SOT And MRAM Devices | RENNER, CRAIG A | — |
| 19244507 | Magnetic Recording Head with A Cross-Track Current Flow In A Low Resistance Path | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19227025 | HARD DISK DRIVE INTERPOSE SWAGE | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19201452 | Middle Shields Two-Dimensional Magnetic Recording Read Heads | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19041235 | Shunt Reducing Migration Barrier Layer Materials and Insertion Techniques for Epitaxial Topological Materials | RENNER, CRAIG 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18233697 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING A METAL OXIDE ETCH STOP LAYER AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | LI, MEIYA | 14d |
| 18343173 | REDUCING DATA COMMUNICATIONS IN DISTRIBUTED INFERENCE SCHEMES | PHAM, JESSICA THUY | 55d |
| 18499325 | CROSS-POINT OVONIC MEMORY DEVICE HAVING DIFFERENT SIZE ELECTRODES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME | ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 70d |
| 19359379 | Reduction Of High Tape Contact Pressure Points Against Head Assembly | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19042284 | MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA/DISKS AND METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA/DISKS SUITABLE FOR DATA STORAGE DEVICES | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 18822414 | RETRIEVAL-AUGMENTED GENERATION FOR LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS | SPIELER, WILLIAM | — |
| 18646016 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE WITH PILLAR SHAPED TRENCH BRIDGE STRUCTURES AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | MCDONALD, JASON ANDREW | — |
| 18523129 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE WITH VARIABLE WORD LINE VIA CONTACT DENSITY AS FUNCTION OF CONTACT DEPTH AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | CRITE, ANTONIO B | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18358768 | CROSS-POINT OVONIC FRUSTUM MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME | ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 4d overdue |
| 18890207 | Dual Free Layer TMR Reader With Shaped Rear Bias and Methods of Forming Thereof | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 46d |
| 18499325 | CROSS-POINT OVONIC MEMORY DEVICE HAVING DIFFERENT SIZE ELECTRODES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME | ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 70d |
| 19359379 | Reduction Of High Tape Contact Pressure Points Against Head Assembly | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19307611 | Notched Head Design For Tape Applications | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19293311 | Buffer Layers And Interlayers That Promote BiSbx (012) Alloy Orientation For SOT And MRAM Devices | RENNER, CRAIG A | — |
| 19244507 | Magnetic Recording Head with A Cross-Track Current Flow In A Low Resistance Path | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| 19227025 | HARD DISK DRIVE INTERPOSE SWAGE | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 2688 | 12 |
| 2898 | 3 |
| 2817 | 3 |
| 2897 | 3 |
| 2159 | 1 |
| 2143 | 1 |
| 3729 | 1 |
| 1737 | 1 |
| 2813 | 1 |
| 2811 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19359379 | Reduction Of High Tape Contact Pressure Points Against Head Assembly | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 15, 2025 |
| 19307611 | Notched Head Design For Tape Applications | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 22, 2025 |
| 19293311 | Buffer Layers And Interlayers That Promote BiSbx (012) Alloy Orientation For SOT And MRAM Devices | RENNER, CRAIG A | 2688 | §102Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 07, 2025 |
| 19244507 | Magnetic Recording Head with A Cross-Track Current Flow In A Low Resistance Path | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 20, 2025 |
| 19227025 | HARD DISK DRIVE INTERPOSE SWAGE | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 03, 2025 |
| 19201452 | Middle Shields Two-Dimensional Magnetic Recording Read Heads | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 07, 2025 |
| 19056508 | Low Magnetostriction Material For Read Sensors | KIM, MICHELLE JINJU | 2688 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 18, 2025 |
| 19042284 | MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA/DISKS AND METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA/DISKS SUITABLE FOR DATA STORAGE DEVICES | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 31, 2025 |
| 19041235 | Shunt Reducing Migration Barrier Layer Materials and Insertion Techniques for Epitaxial Topological Materials | RENNER, CRAIG A | 2688 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 30, 2025 |
| 18890207 | Dual Free Layer TMR Reader With Shaped Rear Bias and Methods of Forming Thereof | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §103 | Final Rejection | 46d | Pending | Sep 19, 2024 |
| 18830299 | INTER-COVER PLACEMENT OF GAS-PRODUCING SUBSTANCES IN DATA STORAGE DEVICES | KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH | 2688 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 10, 2024 |
| 18822414 | RETRIEVAL-AUGMENTED GENERATION FOR LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS | SPIELER, WILLIAM | 2159 | §101 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Sep 02, 2024 |
| 18646016 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE WITH PILLAR SHAPED TRENCH BRIDGE STRUCTURES AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | MCDONALD, JASON ANDREW | 2898 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 25, 2024 |
| 18523129 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE WITH VARIABLE WORD LINE VIA CONTACT DENSITY AS FUNCTION OF CONTACT DEPTH AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | CRITE, ANTONIO B | 2817 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 29, 2023 |
| 18513600 | STORAGE SYSTEMS FOR LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL FINE-TUNING | BLAIN, SHAWN MICHAEL | 2143 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 19, 2023 |
| 18509051 | BONDING STRUCTURES FOR HIGH-DENSITY METAL-TO-METAL BONDING AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | MEHTA, RATISHA | 2817 | §102Other | Final Rejection | 41d | Pending | Nov 14, 2023 |
| 18509010 | BONDING STRUCTURES FOR HIGH-DENSITY METAL-TO-METAL BONDING AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | LOPEZ, JORGE ANDRES | 2897 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2023 |
| 18499325 | CROSS-POINT OVONIC MEMORY DEVICE HAVING DIFFERENT SIZE ELECTRODES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME | ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 2898 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 70d | Pending | Nov 01, 2023 |
| 18238952 | INTERPOSER FOR TROUBLESHOOTING A BALL GRID ARRAY (BGA) DEVICE AND COUPLING THE BGA DEVICE TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WITH LIMITED HEAT EXPOSURE | CAZAN, LIVIUS RADU | 3729 | §103 | Final Rejection | 46d overdue | Pending | Aug 28, 2023 |
| 18451206 | PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY METHOD USING CASTELLATION SHAPED ASSIST FEATURES TO FORM A LINE-AND-SPACE PATTERN AND PHOTOMASK CONTAINING THE ASSIST FEATURES | LIN, ARIC | 1737 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 17, 2023 |
| 18450150 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING TRENCH BRIDGE STRUCTURES HAVING DIFFERENT VOLUMES AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | WEILAND, ADAM DAVID | 2813 | §102 | Final Rejection | 10d overdue | Pending | Aug 15, 2023 |
| 18233697 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING A METAL OXIDE ETCH STOP LAYER AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | LI, MEIYA | 2811 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 14d | Pending | Aug 14, 2023 |
| 18448398 | Exposed Physical Partitions in Solid-State Storage Devices | PATEL, KAUSHIKKUMAR M | 2138 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 11, 2023 |
| 18229489 | MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING HAFNIUM OR ZIRCONIUM OXIDE CONTAINING BLOCKING DIELECTRIC AND TUNGSTEN NITRIDE BARRIER AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME | VU, HUNG K | 2897 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 02, 2023 |
| 18361118 | Semiconductor Device Package with Coupled Substrates | BRASFIELD, QUINTON A | 2814 | §103 | Final Rejection | 30d | Pending | Jul 28, 2023 |
| 18226199 | FOCUSED TESTING AND VERIFICATION OF CIRCUIT DESIGNS USING HARDWARE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE SIMULATION | BOWERS, BRANDON | 2851 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 25, 2023 |
| 18358768 | CROSS-POINT OVONIC FRUSTUM MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME | ADROVEL, WILLIAM | 2898 | §103 | Final Rejection | 4d overdue | Pending | Jul 25, 2023 |
| 18357781 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE CONTAINING TRENCH SUPPORT BRIDGE STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | NEWTON, VALERIE N | 2897 | §103 | Final Rejection | 27d | Pending | Jul 24, 2023 |
| 18356110 | GENERATING AND UPDATING SOFT INFORMATION FOR DNA-BASED STORAGE SYSTEMS | SMITH, JENNIFER JOY | 1685 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 20, 2023 |
| 18347404 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING METAL INTERCONNECT STRUCTURES THAT CONTAIN SELECTIVELY-GROWN DIELECTRIC SPACERS AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME | LEE, DA WEI | 2817 | §103 | Final Rejection | 28d | Pending | Jul 05, 2023 |
| 18343173 | REDUCING DATA COMMUNICATIONS IN DISTRIBUTED INFERENCE SCHEMES | PHAM, JESSICA THUY | 2121 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 55d | Pending | Jun 28, 2023 |
| 18128862 | PIVOT-TO-ENCLOSURE FASTENING FOR REDUCING TORSIONAL VIBRATION OF ACTUATOR COIL IN HARD DISK DRIVE | KIM, MICHELLE JINJU | 2688 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 30, 2023 |
| 18161209 | Management of Storage Devices Utilizing Non-Fungible Tokens | WORKU, SARON MATTHEWOS | 2408 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 8d overdue | Pending | Jan 30, 2023 |
| 18160974 | Optimizing Chia Plotting Storage and Memory Space | DE LA GARZA, CARLOS HEBERTO | 2182 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2023 |
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Start Free TrialWestern Digital Technologies Inc. has 34 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 17 art units and 24 examiners.
William Joseph Klimowicz has the most, with 8 of Western Digital Technologies Inc.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics (USPTO Tech Center 2800), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
