Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.
| Application Number | Title | Filing Date | Disposal Date | Disposition | Time (months) | Office Actions | Restrictions | Interview | Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18734215 | LENS MOUNT CALIBRATION MECHANISM FOR LARGE CAMERA | June 2024 | March 2025 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18709524 | DYNAMIC VISION SENSOR COLOR CAMERA | May 2024 | July 2024 | Allow | 3 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18631370 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT AND VIDEO RECORDING APPARATUS | April 2024 | June 2025 | Allow | 14 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18394687 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ACQUIRING IMAGE BY EMPLOYING COLOR SEPARATION LENS ARRAY | December 2023 | September 2024 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18392833 | FLARE COMPENSATION | December 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18521098 | LENS ASSEMBLY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING SAME | November 2023 | May 2025 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18477222 | ACTUATOR FOR CAMERA, AND CAMERA MODULE INCLUDING THE SAME | September 2023 | April 2025 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18466704 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | September 2023 | May 2025 | Allow | 20 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18464344 | CONTROL APPARATUS, LENS APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, CAMERA SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | September 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 21 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18262101 | Electronic Device and Method for Dynamically Adjusting Exposure Parameter of Spectral Sensor | July 2023 | April 2025 | Allow | 21 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18342871 | Camera Module and Electronic Device | June 2023 | November 2024 | Allow | 17 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18342866 | IMAGE SHAKE CORRECTION DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE | June 2023 | July 2024 | Allow | 12 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18323873 | IMAGING APPARATUS, ILLUMINATION APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD | May 2023 | March 2025 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18035308 | IMAGE DATA TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, IMAGE DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | May 2023 | March 2025 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18309220 | VEHICLE FRONT CAMERA HOUSING | April 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 26 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18302818 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE SENSING METHOD | April 2023 | February 2025 | Allow | 22 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18131582 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME | April 2023 | January 2025 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18187299 | PROCESSING CIRCUIT ANALYZING IMAGE DATA AND GENERATING FINAL IMAGE DATA | March 2023 | July 2024 | Allow | 16 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18185883 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING CONTROL METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM | March 2023 | February 2025 | Allow | 23 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18122415 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A PRIVACY PROTECTED IMAGE | March 2023 | December 2023 | Allow | 9 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 18114602 | LENS FLARE DETECTION CIRCUIT USING RAW IMAGE | February 2023 | December 2024 | Allow | 21 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18171014 | AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITION RECOMMENDATION | February 2023 | September 2024 | Allow | 19 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18169489 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR PROCESSING CONTINUOUS SHOOTING INPUT AND METHOD THEREOF | February 2023 | August 2024 | Allow | 18 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18166579 | PERSON IDENTIFICATION METHOD, PERSON IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM | February 2023 | March 2025 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18163182 | POST AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE CONTROL (AEC) AND AUTOMATIC WHITE BALANCE (AWB) PROCESSING TO IMPROVE VIDEO QUALITY | February 2023 | December 2024 | Abandon | 22 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18104018 | PORTABLE INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM DISPLAY HAVING A MAGNETICALLY ATTACHED CAMERA | January 2023 | February 2025 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18162006 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS THAT DETERMINES IMAGE CAPTURING MODE ACCORDING TO INSTALLATION PLACE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | January 2023 | March 2025 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18099196 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN APPLICATION EMPLOYING IDENTIFICATION OF A DISPLAYED IMAGE | January 2023 | April 2024 | Allow | 15 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18152592 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING REFLECTOR AND LENS ASSEMBLY | January 2023 | March 2025 | Allow | 26 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18093118 | CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND CONTROL PROGRAM | January 2023 | November 2024 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 18148384 | VIDEO PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS | December 2022 | October 2023 | Allow | 9 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18068646 | EVALUATION METHOD FOR IMAGE STABILIZATION EFFECT OF IMAGING APPARATUS, EVALUATION DEVICE, AND PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM | December 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 28 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18079982 | PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD THEREOF | December 2022 | May 2025 | Abandon | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18079561 | IMAGE GENERATING DEVICE USING LIGHTING CONTROL | December 2022 | September 2023 | Allow | 9 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18079178 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR | December 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18070454 | DECORATION AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | November 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17994141 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING UNDER DISPLAY CAMERA AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF | November 2022 | August 2023 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18057870 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGING SYSTEM, MOBILE BODY, AND EQUIPMENT | November 2022 | December 2024 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18057312 | LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEMBER, TRANSPARENT PROTECTIVE COVER, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM | November 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 22 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18056638 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME | November 2022 | May 2024 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17998554 | Image Display Method and Apparatus, Terminal Device, Storage Medium, and Program Product | November 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 24 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17998555 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, PIXEL DRIVING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS | November 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 21 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17982494 | METHOD FOR PERFORMING LIGHT SHAPING WITH AID OF ADAPTIVE PROJECTOR, AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS | November 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 16 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17980117 | CAMERA DEVICE | November 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 23 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17980194 | COLUMN SHARING ADC FOR IMAGE SENSORS AND METHOD OF OPERATION | November 2022 | April 2024 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17980046 | ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL CONVERTER FOR IMAGE SENSOR READOUT | November 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 27 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17976109 | METHOD, DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM TO PROVIDE BODY EFFECT FOR VIDEO CALL | October 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 29 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17973270 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | October 2022 | May 2024 | Allow | 19 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17968771 | NETWORK ACCESSORIES FOR DIGITAL IMAGE MANIPULATION, COLOR TRANSFORM SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF USE | October 2022 | June 2025 | Abandon | 32 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 18047057 | DISPLAY SCREEN FLICKER DETECTION | October 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17963272 | ELECTRONIC APPARATUS | October 2022 | April 2025 | Abandon | 30 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 17957619 | TAG ASSISTED IMAGE CAPTURE PARAMETER GENERATION | September 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 20 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17956187 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING IMAGE | September 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17954315 | ELECTRIC QUANTITY INDICATING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | September 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 23 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 17948803 | HAT HAVING REAR-VIEW CAMERA | September 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 23 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17946278 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT COMPENSATES FOR LIGHT PASSING THROUGH A DISPLAY | September 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 28 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17911531 | IMAGING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS | September 2022 | May 2025 | Abandon | 32 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17899476 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | August 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 27 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17898286 | POWER REDUCTION FOR LEDS BASED ON INFRARED PULSING | August 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17887307 | LENS MOUNT CALIBRATION MECHANISM FOR LARGE CAMERA | August 2022 | April 2024 | Allow | 20 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17798842 | METHOD FOR GENERATING IMAGE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREFOR | August 2022 | April 2024 | Allow | 20 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17884381 | IMAGE ACQUISITION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING FOCUS POSITION THEREOF | August 2022 | July 2024 | Allow | 24 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17798212 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT | August 2022 | September 2023 | Allow | 13 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17817530 | LOCAL COMPUTE CAMERA CALIBRATION | August 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 22 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17832467 | CONTROL APPARATUS, LENS APPARATUS, AND IMAGING APPARATUS | June 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 35 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17805056 | Compensating for Optical Change in Image Capture Device Components Over Time | June 2022 | August 2023 | Allow | 15 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17828695 | APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | May 2022 | July 2023 | Allow | 14 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17826906 | METHOD AND APPARATUS WITH COLOR CONVERSION | May 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 21 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17752872 | IMAGING SUPPORT DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, IMAGING SUPPORT METHOD, AND PROGRAM | May 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17741702 | IMAGE SENSING DEVICE | May 2022 | August 2023 | Allow | 15 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17710702 | Circular Image File | March 2022 | November 2023 | Allow | 19 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17704275 | Methods and Systems for User Adjustable Region based Brightness Settings | March 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 31 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17702328 | CAMERA MODULE | March 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 32 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17698790 | PROCESSING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM | March 2022 | December 2023 | Allow | 21 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17696699 | SHOOTING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | March 2022 | April 2024 | Allow | 25 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17680458 | CAMERA ASSEMBLY AND DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING THE SAME | February 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 25 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 17677537 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS INCLUDING PLURALITY OF SOUND INPUT UNITS, CONTROL METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM | February 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 24 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17675694 | IMAGE DEVICE, IMAGE SENSOR, AND OPERATION METHOD OF IMAGE SENSOR | February 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 24 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17635375 | COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RETRIEVAL OF MULTI SPECTRAL BRDF PARAMETERS | February 2022 | December 2023 | Allow | 22 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17591425 | NEURAL NETWORK PROCESSING OF REORDERED COLOR FILTER ARRAY FORMATTED IMAGE DATA | February 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 32 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17588482 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | January 2022 | December 2022 | Allow | 10 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17631560 | PHOTOSENSITIVE ASSEMBLY, CAMERA MODULE AND MANUFACTURING METHODS THEREFOR | January 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 38 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17648277 | FLEXIBLE REGION OF INTEREST COLOR PROCESSING FOR CAMERAS | January 2022 | November 2023 | Allow | 22 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17627261 | AUTOMATIC FOCUS DISTANCE EXTENSION | January 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 25 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17575932 | LIGHT SHIELDING PLATE, CAMERA UNIT, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS | January 2022 | November 2023 | Allow | 22 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17574859 | LIGHT SHIELDING PLATE, CAMERA UNIT, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | January 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17566123 | IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING PLANAR NANO-PHOTONIC MICROLENS ARRAY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE IMAGE SENSOR | December 2021 | May 2025 | Allow | 41 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17562179 | ACTUATOR, CAMERA UNIT AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | December 2021 | December 2023 | Allow | 24 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17555800 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING EVENT DATA FLOW AND COMPUTING DEVICE | December 2021 | March 2024 | Allow | 27 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17554618 | CAMERA MODULE AND MOBILE DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME | December 2021 | March 2025 | Allow | 39 | 4 | 0 | No | No |
| 17645028 | Methods and Systems for Image Correction and Processing in High-Magnification Photography exploiting Partial Reflectors | December 2021 | June 2024 | Allow | 30 | 2 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 17546697 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE | December 2021 | October 2023 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17545102 | MICROPHONE STRUCTURE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME | December 2021 | April 2024 | Allow | 28 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17541395 | Glass Rear Cover, Electronic Device and Method of Manufacturing Glass Rear Cover | December 2021 | September 2023 | Allow | 21 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17538049 | DEVICE PROVIDING STABILIZATION IN THE CAPTURE OF IMAGES | November 2021 | October 2023 | Abandon | 23 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17523361 | ACTUATOR FOR CAMERA, AND CAMERA MODULE INCLUDING THE SAME | November 2021 | June 2023 | Allow | 19 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17520314 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE | November 2021 | September 2023 | Allow | 23 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17518181 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ACQUIRING IMAGE BY EMPLOYING COLOR SEPARATION LENS ARRAY | November 2021 | September 2023 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 17606734 | METHOD, DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR SETTING PARAMETERS VALUES OF A VIDEO SOURCE DEVICE | October 2021 | November 2023 | Allow | 24 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17498998 | Color Night Vision Through the Spatial Filtering of TOLED Technology | October 2021 | March 2023 | Allow | 17 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner DANIELS, ANTHONY J.
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, 100.0% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is in the top 25% across the USPTO, indicating that filing appeals is particularly effective here. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.
✓ Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.
Examiner DANIELS, ANTHONY J works in Art Unit 2637 and has examined 142 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 92.3%, this examiner allows applications at a higher rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 25 months.
Examiner DANIELS, ANTHONY J's allowance rate of 92.3% places them in the 78% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is more likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.
On average, applications examined by DANIELS, ANTHONY J receive 1.42 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 31% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.
The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by DANIELS, ANTHONY J is 25 months. This places the examiner in the 66% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.
Conducting an examiner interview provides a +5.2% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by DANIELS, ANTHONY J. This interview benefit is in the 30% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide a below-average benefit with this examiner.
When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 31.9% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 58% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. Consider whether your amendments or new arguments are strong enough to warrant an RCE versus filing a continuation.
This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 38.5% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 51% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows above-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. If your amendments clearly overcome the rejections and do not raise new issues, consider filing after-final amendments before resorting to an RCE.
When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 0.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 9% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show limited success with this examiner compared to others. While still worth considering, be prepared to proceed with a full appeal brief if the PAC does not result in favorable action.
This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 100.0% of appeals filed. This is in the 90% 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 frequently reconsiders rejections during the appeal process compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 1207.01, all appeals must go through a mandatory appeal conference. Filing a Notice of Appeal may prompt favorable reconsideration even before you file an Appeal Brief.
When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 18.2% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 9% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions are rarely granted regarding this examiner's actions compared to other examiners. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing a petition, as the Technology Center Director typically upholds this examiner's decisions.
Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 18% 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 23% percentile). This examiner rarely issues Quayle actions compared to other examiners. Allowances typically come directly without a separate action for formal matters.
Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:
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.