USPTO Examiner SHEN SAMUEL - Art Unit 2179

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18626408Implicitly Annotating Textual Data in Conversational MessagingApril 2024June 2025Allow1510NoNo
18244428THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AUDIO DATA BY RECOGNIZING USER GESTURE AND POSITION USING MULTIPLE MOBILE DEVICESSeptember 2023June 2025Allow2110NoNo
18103571Implicitly Annotating Textual Data in Conversational MessagingJanuary 2023March 2024Allow1420YesNo
18047202MULTI-LEVEL MENU DISPLAY METHOD OF ELECTRONIC INTERATIVE TABLET, AND ELECTRONIC INTERACTIVE TABLETOctober 2022February 2025Allow2830NoNo
17961814MEETING TRANSCRIPTION USING CUSTOM LEXICONS BASED ON DOCUMENT HISTORYOctober 2022June 2024Abandon2020YesNo
17858395METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR CONFIGURING USER INTERFACE BASED ON INPUT FIELDJuly 2022March 2025Abandon3340YesNo
17847151Method and System for Gesture and Displaying Sideline OperationJune 2022January 2025Allow3030NoNo
17833340METHOD AND SYSTEM OF INTELLIGENTLY GENERATING HELP DOCUMENTATIONJune 2022June 2025Abandon3640YesNo
17573842METHOD, APPARATUS, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR AUGMENTING DEFECT SAMPLE DATAJanuary 2022June 2025Abandon4120NoNo
17565261DYNAMIC VISUALIZATION OF AN OBJECT TRACKED BY AN OBJECT TRACKING SYSTEM IN A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACEDecember 2021May 2025Allow4160YesYes
17558104APPARATUS FOR RECOGNIZING USER COMMAND USING NON-CONTACT GAZE-BASED HEAD MOTION INFORMATION AND METHOD USING THE SAMEDecember 2021March 2024Abandon2730NoNo
17557178METHOD OF OPERATING AND CONFIGURING A PUMP WITH A FUNCTION MODULEDecember 2021September 2023Abandon2140NoNo
17543050Wireless Earpiece with a Passive Virtual AssistantDecember 2021August 2024Allow3230YesNo
17514439VOICE NOTES WITH CHANGING EFFECTSOctober 2021January 2024Allow2710YesNo
17452094UNIFIED USER INTERFACE FOR MONITORING HYBRID DEPLOYMENT OF COMPUTING SYSTEMSOctober 2021December 2024Allow3750YesNo
17489508METHODS AND USER INTERFACES FOR HANDLING USER REQUESTSSeptember 2021March 2025Allow4280YesNo
17347089COMPANION DEVICES AS PRODUCTIVITY TOOLSJune 2021May 2025Allow4740YesYes
17339872MULTI-INSTANCE, MULTI-USER VIRTUAL REALITY SPACESJune 2021October 2021Allow560YesNo
17331969IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AUTOMATICALLY CREATING LAYOUT OF COMBINATION IMAGE FROM IMAGE GROUP, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUMMay 2021December 2024Allow4240YesNo
17240485DIGITAL ASSISTANT USER INTERFACES AND RESPONSE MODESApril 2021May 2024Abandon3660YesYes
17286612USER INPUT MODULE FOR AN AUTOMATION ENGINEERING FIELD DEVICE, AND SAME FIELD DEVICEApril 2021April 2024Abandon3630NoNo
17227012DIGITAL ASSISTANT USER INTERFACES AND RESPONSE MODESApril 2021December 2023Allow3260YesYes
17105610Multi-Optotype, Computerized Visual Acuity Examination with Voice AssistanceNovember 2020March 2024Abandon4010NoNo
17038867MEDIA CONTENT TRANSMISSION AND MANAGEMENTSeptember 2020May 2021Allow790YesNo
17008493PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY AND METHOD OF NAVIGATING DISPLAYED INFORMATIONAugust 2020February 2024Allow4130YesNo
16847495COLUMN FIT DOCUMENT TRAVERSAL FOR READER APPLICATIONApril 2020February 2025Abandon5860YesNo
16680431Using Refinement Widgets for Data Fields Referenced by Natural Language Expressions in a Data Visualization User InterfaceNovember 2019October 2023Allow4730YesYes
16105671MAPPING ACTIONS AND OBJECTS TO TASKSAugust 2018June 2024Abandon6080YesNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner SHEN, SAMUEL.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
3
Examiner Affirmed
2
(66.7%)
Examiner Reversed
1
(33.3%)
Reversal Percentile
50.1%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 33.3% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is above the USPTO average, indicating that appeals have better success here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
6
Allowed After Appeal Filing
2
(33.3%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
4
(66.7%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
49.1%
Lower than average

Understanding Appeal Filing Strategy

Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.

In this dataset, 33.3% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is below the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal has limited effectiveness in prompting favorable reconsideration.

Strategic Recommendations

Appeals to PTAB show good success rates. If you have a strong case on the merits, consider fully prosecuting the appeal to a Board decision.

Filing a Notice of Appeal shows limited benefit. Consider other strategies like interviews or amendments before appealing.

Examiner SHEN, SAMUEL - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner SHEN, SAMUEL works in Art Unit 2179 and has examined 27 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 59.3%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 36 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner SHEN, SAMUEL's allowance rate of 59.3% places them in the 13% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is less likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by SHEN, SAMUEL receive 4.07 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 100% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues more office actions than most examiners, which may indicate thorough examination or difficulty in reaching agreement with applicants.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by SHEN, SAMUEL is 36 months. This places the examiner in the 17% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications take longer to reach final disposition with this examiner compared to most others.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +30.9% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by SHEN, SAMUEL. This interview benefit is in the 82% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner and should be strongly considered as a prosecution strategy. Per MPEP § 713.10, interviews are available at any time before the Notice of Allowance is mailed or jurisdiction transfers to the PTAB.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 12.8% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 4% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show lower effectiveness with this examiner compared to others. Consider whether a continuation application might be more strategic, especially if you need to add new matter or significantly broaden claims.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 18.2% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 14% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments compared to other examiners. You should generally plan to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry. Per MPEP § 714.12, primary examiners have discretion in entering after-final amendments, and this examiner exercises that discretion conservatively.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 100.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 70% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. If you have strong arguments, a PAC request may result in favorable reconsideration.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 57.1% of appeals filed. This is in the 24% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 25.0% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner rarely withdraws rejections during the appeal process compared to other examiners. If you file an appeal, be prepared to fully prosecute it to a PTAB decision. Per MPEP § 1207, the examiner will prepare an Examiner's Answer maintaining the rejections.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 66.7% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 83% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions are frequently granted regarding this examiner's actions compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 1002.02(c), various examiner actions are petitionable to the Technology Center Director, including prematureness of final rejection, refusal to enter amendments, and requirement for information. If you believe an examiner action is improper, consider filing a petition.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 11% percentile). This examiner rarely makes examiner's amendments compared to other examiners. You should expect to make all necessary claim amendments yourself through formal amendment practice.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 12% percentile). This examiner rarely issues Quayle actions compared to other examiners. Allowances typically come directly without a separate action for formal matters.

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

  • Prepare for rigorous examination: With a below-average allowance rate, ensure your application has strong written description and enablement support. Consider filing a continuation if you need to add new matter.
  • Expect multiple rounds of prosecution: This examiner issues more office actions than average. Address potential issues proactively in your initial response and consider requesting an interview early in prosecution.
  • Prioritize examiner interviews: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner. Request an interview after the first office action to clarify issues and potentially expedite allowance.
  • Plan for RCE after final rejection: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments. Budget for an RCE in your prosecution strategy if you receive a final rejection.
  • Plan for extended prosecution: Applications take longer than average with this examiner. Factor this into your continuation strategy and client communications.

Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

  • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
  • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
  • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
  • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
  • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
  • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

Important Disclaimer

Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.