USPTO Examiner ALUNKAL THOMAS D - Art Unit 2686

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18874087CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL SYSTEMDecember 2024January 2026Allow1420YesNo
18853147AUTHORIZABLE INDUSTRIAL CONTROL HANDLE WITH OPERATOR FEEDBACK FEATUREOctober 2024February 2026Allow1700NoNo
18804138INITIATING UWB COMMUNICATION BETWEEN VEHICLE SYSTEM AND PORTABLE IDENTIFIERAugust 2024January 2026Allow1710NoNo
18799175GESTURE INTERFACE CONTROL OF A MOBILE STORAGE SYSTEMAugust 2024February 2026Allow1810NoNo
18766446ULTRA WIDE BAND (UWB) BASED AUTOMATIC TRUNK ADJUSTMENTJuly 2024January 2026Allow1810YesNo
18747246POSITION DETERMINATION DEVICE, POSITION DETERMINATION METHOD, AND VEHICULAR ELECTRONIC KEY SYSTEMJune 2024November 2025Allow1700NoNo
18718775METHOD FOR A CONTROLLER OF A VEHICLE FOR OPERATING A MOVABLE COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE, CONTROLLER, VEHICLE AND COMPUTER PROGRAMJune 2024January 2026Allow1910NoNo
18659697SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADAPTIVE TRANSMITTER FOR AN OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEMMay 2024December 2025Allow1910NoNo
18633093Configurable Radio-Frequency Identification ReaderApril 2024March 2026Allow2301NoNo
18620633SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED VIDEO DOORBELL EXPERIENCESMarch 2024February 2026Allow2310NoNo
18695122KEY FOR A VEHICLEMarch 2024February 2026Abandon2310NoNo
18612711SECURITY SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLEMarch 2024November 2025Allow1910NoNo
18606456HOUSING DEVICEMarch 2024January 2026Abandon2210NoNo
18603449System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Identifying Device ConnectionsMarch 2024May 2025Abandon1410NoNo
18690429WORK MACHINE ACTIVATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ACTIVATING WORK MACHINEMarch 2024October 2025Allow1910YesNo
18442006NOISE-SHAPING ADC WITH OVERLOAD RECOVERYFebruary 2024November 2025Allow2110NoNo
18290742METHODS AND DEVICES FOR PRIORITIZING AN IN PARTICULAR UWB-BASED DISTANCE DETERMINATIONJanuary 2024January 2026Allow2410NoNo
18399177WIRELESS TAG LOCATIONDecember 2023October 2025Allow2110NoNo
18398111Method for correcting analog-to-digital converterDecember 2023October 2025Allow2210NoNo
18539963VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD OF VEHICLE, AND STORAGE MEDIUMDecember 2023October 2025Allow2210NoNo
18387330DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE BY RECOGNIZING DIGITAL KEYNovember 2023January 2026Allow2620NoNo
18287667METHOD AND MOTOR VEHICLEOctober 2023October 2025Allow2420NoNo
18489698SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUP PROBABILITY-BASED PREFIX MODIFICATION OF UNKNOWN SYMBOL PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONSOctober 2023October 2025Allow2310YesNo
18478407METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AREA-BASED ACCESS CONTROLSeptember 2023February 2026Abandon2920NoNo
18478712POWER MANAGEMENT BASED ON FRAME SLICINGSeptember 2023December 2025Allow2710NoNo
18472752CONTINUOUS-TIME DATA CONVERTER WITH DIGITAL MULTI-STAGE NOISE SHAPING SUBCONVERTERSeptember 2023August 2025Allow2210NoNo
18283135OPERATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, OPERATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, OPERATION MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUMSeptember 2023December 2025Allow2720YesNo
18546471AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM, AUTHENTICATION DEVICE, AND AUTHENTICATION METHODAugust 2023December 2025Abandon2820NoNo
18362394Asset Management and IOT Device for Refrigerated AppliancesJuly 2023July 2025Allow2400NoNo
18354016SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING USER INTERACTION AND MAINTAINING INTEREST OF A USERJuly 2023February 2026Allow3120NoNo
18341351SYSTEM FOR DETECTING OBSCURANTS ON A VEHICLE LAMPJune 2023March 2025Allow2010NoNo
18324061FLEET-CONNECTED VEHICLE IDENTIFICATIONMay 2023November 2025Allow3010YesNo
18314800SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOBILE FOB OR KEY BRIDGE, VERSATILE SMART KEY, AND SMART DEVICE INTERFACEMay 2023February 2026Allow3411NoNo
18295075Differentiated and Modulated Spectrum Power Radiation Via MIMO and Beamforming Imposed Upon Ambient Electromagnetic Power Harvesting ChipsApril 2023October 2025Allow3011YesNo
17691427WIRELESS DEVICE, CONTROL SYSTEM, WIRELESS TRANSMISSION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUMMarch 2022October 2025Allow4330NoNo
16577116BIDIRECTIONAL TRACKING SYSTEM AND BIDIRECTIONAL TRACKING METHODSeptember 2019November 2020Allow1420NoNo
16501708Collective objects management system with receptacle for random deposit of addressable objectsMay 2019February 2020Allow900NoNo
16402501APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DOOR UNLOCKING OF AUTOMOBILEMay 2019July 2020Allow1410NoNo
16291730INTERNET OF THINGS SMART ENTRYMarch 2019May 2021Allow2611NoNo
16271862WIRELESSLY-CONTROLLED FINGERPRINT LOCKING DEVICE AND METHOD OF USEFebruary 2019March 2021Allow2540NoNo
16146939GEOFENCE TRANSPORT SEALINGSeptember 2018March 2020Allow1801YesNo
16087150CONTROLLERSeptember 2018August 2020Allow2310NoNo
15769188METHOD FOR ESTIMATING A DISTANCE AND ELECTRONIC UNIT FOR A VEHICLESeptember 2018March 2020Allow2320NoYes
16136052HYBRID USER RECOGNITION SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLE ACCESS AND CONTROLSeptember 2018December 2019Allow1510NoNo
14567154DYNAMIC ADJUSTMENTS OF TAPE HEAD WRAP ANGLESDecember 2014August 2015Allow810NoNo
14382332SAFE CARDSeptember 2014October 2020Allow6010NoNo
14312514DATA STORAGE DEVICE ERASING MULTIPLE ADJACENT DATA TRACKS TO RECOVER FROM INTER-TRACK INTERFERENCEJune 2014April 2015Allow1020YesNo
14223942Minimization of VCM-resolution switching induced position error transientsMarch 2014September 2015Allow1810YesNo
14197627MAGNETIC DISK DEVICE AND METHOD FOR READ/WRITE OFFSET ERROR CORRECTIONMarch 2014October 2014Allow710NoNo
14241931SERVO CONTROLFebruary 2014September 2015Allow1930YesNo
14188853OPTICAL PICKUP AND OPTICAL INFORMATION STORAGE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAMEFebruary 2014May 2015Allow1520YesNo
14187579OPTICAL PICKUP AND OPTICAL INFORMATION STORAGE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAMEFebruary 2014May 2015Allow1420NoNo
14186111DISK STORAGE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING HEAD DISK INTERFERENCE SENSOR THRESHOLDFebruary 2014November 2014Allow810NoNo
14099886DISK DRIVE USING TIMING LOOP CONTROL SIGNAL FOR VIBRATION COMPENSATION IN SERVO LOOPDecember 2013May 2015Allow1710NoNo
14098699STORAGE DEVICE, SWEEP OPERATION CONTROL METHOD AND SWEEP OPERATION CONTROL PROGRAMDecember 2013October 2014Allow1010NoNo
13954074OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR THE SAMEJuly 2013December 2013Allow410NoNo
13863681OPTICAL DISK RECORDING DEVICE AND OPTICAL DISK RECORDING METHODApril 2013July 2014Allow1510NoNo
13764734COPY-PROTECTED OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM, METHOD FOR DRIVING THEREOF AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEREOFFebruary 2013May 2014Allow1520NoNo
13712837DISK DRIVE ADAPTING FEED-FORWARD COMPENSATION USING ITERATIVE LEARNING CONTROL OVER SEGMENTS OF SEEK LENGTHDecember 2012July 2014Allow1910NoNo
13666118Data Storage System and a Method for Measuring a Change in a Spacing Between a Head and a Storage Medium of a Data Storage SystemNovember 2012April 2015Allow3030NoNo
13628800NRZI PROCESSING METHODS AND DEVICES TO CORRECT FOR SYNC DETECTION FAILURESSeptember 2012March 2014Allow1820YesYes
13583883MULTILAYER OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUMSeptember 2012June 2013Allow910NoNo
13528892TAPE DRIVE DEVICE, TAPE LIBRARY DEVICE, AND DATA STORING METHODJune 2012June 2014Allow2411NoNo
13473762TAPE STORAGE DEVICE, DATA WRITING METHOD, AND PROGRAMMay 2012September 2014Allow2830YesNo
13473365MAGNETIC DISK DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING HEAD POSITIONMay 2012March 2014Allow2210NoNo
13433823DATA STORAGEMarch 2012September 2012Allow510YesNo
13433142DISK DRIVE TUNING SPEED CONTROL LOOP FOR A SPINDLE MOTORMarch 2012October 2013Allow1910NoNo
13430360RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEVICEMarch 2012January 2014Allow2211NoNo
13412657METHOD FOR DETERMINING PHASE DIFFERENCE OF TRACKING ERROR SIGNAL IN OPTICAL DISC DRIVEMarch 2012January 2013Allow1110NoNo
13411975MASTER STRATEGY ADJUSTMENT METHOD AND DISC MANUFACTURING METHODMarch 2012July 2013Allow1610NoNo
13410409METHOD AND DEVICE FOR RETRIEVING INFORMATION FROM AN OPTICAL RECORD CARRIER AT VARIOUS READING SPEEDSMarch 2012August 2012Allow510NoNo
13299172METHOD OF GENERATING TRACKING ERROR SIGNAL, OPTICAL PICKUP DEVICE, AND OPTICAL DISC DRIVE DEVICE ADOPTING THE METHODNovember 2011June 2013Allow1910NoNo
13276506RECORDING DEVICE AND SPOT POSITION CONTROL METHODOctober 2011April 2013Allow1810NoNo
13260969OPTICAL PICKUP DEVICEOctober 2011December 2012Allow1410NoNo
13251874OPTICAL DISC REPRODUCTION APPARATUSOctober 2011January 2013Allow1510NoNo
13050146OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR THE SAMEMarch 2011April 2013Allow2510NoNo
13047772OPTICAL DISC DRIVE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING VERTICAL DEVIATION THEREONMarch 2011February 2013Allow2330NoNo
12963785OPTICAL PICKUP, PHOTODETECTOR, AND DRIVE ADOPTING THE OPTICAL PICKUPDecember 2010November 2012Allow2410NoNo
12949839RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUSNovember 2010October 2013Allow3510NoNo
12893332OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUSSeptember 2010June 2013Allow3210NoNo
12873469PHASE ERROR DETECTION APPARATUS, PHASE ERROR DETECTION METHOD, AND REPRODUCTION APPARATUSSeptember 2010February 2013Allow2910NoNo
12873522REPRODUCING DEVICE AND REPRODUCING METHODSeptember 2010August 2013Allow3530NoNo
12872276OPTICAL PICKUP DEVICEAugust 2010October 2012Allow2620NoNo
12869140RECORDING APPARATUS AND RECORDING METHODAugust 2010July 2012Allow2320NoNo
12858565OPTICAL PICKUP DEVICEAugust 2010January 2014Allow4150NoYes
12858520OPTICAL PICKUP AND OPTICAL DISC APPARATUSAugust 2010December 2012Allow2810NoNo
12856762METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ZERO OFFSET AND GAIN STARTAugust 2010May 2014Allow4530YesNo
12823162LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENT, OPTICAL HEAD DEVICE, AND VARIABLE OPTICAL MODULATION ELEMENTJune 2010July 2012Allow2530NoNo
12519691PLL CIRCUIT AND DISK DRIVEJune 2009November 2013Allow5340NoNo
12339522PATTERN AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAMEDecember 2008July 2012Allow4330NoNo
12337457METHOD FOR FORMATTING AND READING DATA DISKSDecember 2008July 2014Allow6060NoYes
10797128INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM EVALUATION METHOD, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM EVALUATION APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM, INFORMATION REPRODUCTION APPARATUS, INFORMATION REPRODUCTION METHOD, AND INFORMATION RECORDING METHODMarch 2004October 2007Allow4420NoNo
10786617INFORMATION RECORDING APPARATUSFebruary 2004May 2008Allow5030NoNo
10751729DISC WITH TEMPORARY DEFECT MANAGEMENT AREA, AND DISC DEFECT MANAGEMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFORJanuary 2004October 2007Allow4511NoNo
10699150STORAGE DEVICE BASED ON PHASE-CHANGE MODULATED LUMINESCENCEOctober 2003April 2007Allow4120NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner ALUNKAL, THOMAS D.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
4
Allowed After Appeal Filing
1
(25.0%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
3
(75.0%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
35.1%
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, 25.0% 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

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

Examiner ALUNKAL, THOMAS D - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner ALUNKAL, THOMAS D works in Art Unit 2686 and has examined 60 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 100.0%, this examiner allows applications at a higher rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 22 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner ALUNKAL, THOMAS D's allowance rate of 100.0% places them in the 96% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is more likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by ALUNKAL, THOMAS D receive 1.70 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 35% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by ALUNKAL, THOMAS D is 22 months. This places the examiner in the 89% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications move through prosecution relatively quickly with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +0.0% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by ALUNKAL, THOMAS D. This interview benefit is in the 15% percentile among all examiners. Note: Interviews show limited statistical benefit with this examiner compared to others, though they may still be valuable for clarifying issues.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 39.5% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 90% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs are highly effective with this examiner compared to others. If you receive a final rejection, filing an RCE with substantive amendments or arguments has a strong likelihood of success.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 42.1% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 64% 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.

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 73% 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 100.0% of appeals filed. This is in the 92% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 100.0% 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.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 133.3% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 96% 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 23% 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 29% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions less often than average. Allowances may 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:

  • RCEs are effective: This examiner has a high allowance rate after RCE compared to others. If you receive a final rejection and have substantive amendments or arguments, an RCE is likely to be successful.
  • Appeal filing as negotiation tool: This examiner frequently reconsiders rejections during the appeal process. Filing a Notice of Appeal may prompt favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

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.