Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.
| Application Number | Title | Filing Date | Disposal Date | Disposition | Time (months) | Office Actions | Restrictions | Interview | Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18656783 | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR ROAD AND RAIL | May 2024 | August 2024 | Allow | 4 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18388474 | MODULAR SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC TOW AND REGENERATIVE BRAKING OF A TRAILER | November 2023 | July 2024 | Allow | 9 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18221363 | Turn and Brake Action Prediction Using Vehicle Light Detection | July 2023 | March 2024 | Allow | 8 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18220294 | TRANSPORTATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES | July 2023 | April 2024 | Allow | 9 | 1 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 18208257 | LOCALIZATION PROCESSING SERVICE AND OBSERVED SCENE RECONSTRUCTION SERVICE | June 2023 | April 2025 | Allow | 22 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18152138 | HYDROGEN-TO-POWER ASSISTED-DRIVE INTEGRATING SYSTEM AND DRIVING METHOD | January 2023 | August 2023 | Allow | 8 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17892905 | TURBINE POWERED ELECTRIC OR HYBRID VEHICLE | August 2022 | November 2023 | Allow | 15 | 3 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 17882486 | FLIGHT PUSHBACK STATE MONITORING METHOD BASED ON MULTI-MODAL DATA FUSION | August 2022 | February 2023 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17793761 | METHOD AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH CO2 WARNING SYSTEM, AND USE OF A SENSOR SYSTEM THEREFORE | July 2022 | June 2023 | Allow | 11 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17718186 | ANIMAL FECES COLLECTING ROBOT | April 2022 | May 2025 | Allow | 37 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17634046 | VISUAL LOGIN | February 2022 | February 2024 | Allow | 24 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17628035 | REFUSE DISTRIBUTION AND COMPACTION DEVICES AND METHODS | January 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 36 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17549721 | Automated Cargo Selection For Transport System | December 2021 | December 2024 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17547999 | MAILPIECE REJECT PROCESSING OF FIRST PASS DPS REJECTS | December 2021 | December 2024 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17599622 | COMPACT AUTONOMOUS OMNIDIRECTIONAL DRIVE UNIT | September 2021 | November 2024 | Allow | 38 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17460250 | Battery and Motor Systems for Electric-Powered Vehicles | August 2021 | July 2025 | Abandon | 46 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17404039 | AUTOMATIC SORTING OF WASTE | August 2021 | December 2024 | Abandon | 40 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17393287 | Small Object Sorting System And Method | August 2021 | September 2023 | Allow | 26 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17389728 | WASTE RECEPTACLE WITH SENSING AND INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION SYSTEM | July 2021 | January 2025 | Abandon | 41 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17354375 | ARTICLE PROCESSING APPARATUS | June 2021 | September 2024 | Allow | 39 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17353227 | WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM | June 2021 | May 2025 | Abandon | 46 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17201536 | INTELLIGENT VEHICLES AND CONTROL LOGIC FOR MANAGING FAULTS FOR DUAL-INDEPENDENT DRIVE UNIT AXLE POWERTRAINS | March 2021 | August 2024 | Allow | 41 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17172393 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC VEHICLES | February 2021 | September 2024 | Allow | 43 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17172438 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC VEHICLES | February 2021 | March 2025 | Abandon | 49 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17159224 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESOLVING HILL START CONDITIONS | January 2021 | March 2025 | Allow | 49 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17152077 | OPEN-LOOP VEHICLE PROPULSION CONTROL | January 2021 | February 2024 | Allow | 37 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17152126 | REGENERATIVE BRAKING DURING COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTIONS | January 2021 | July 2024 | Allow | 42 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17150055 | ELECTRIC VEHICLE POWER DISTRIBUTION AND DRIVE CONTROL MODULES | January 2021 | January 2022 | Allow | 12 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17254349 | CONTAINER STRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED ASSEMBLY, METHOD AND ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM | December 2020 | February 2025 | Allow | 50 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 15734868 | A METHOD OF OPERATING AN AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM | December 2020 | January 2024 | Allow | 38 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 15734431 | SYSTEM AND APPLICABLE METHODS OF COLLECTING ITEMS FROM STORAGE CONTAINERS USING ROBOTIC OPERATOR | December 2020 | March 2024 | Allow | 39 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16951804 | GOODS PICKING TASK ALLOCATION METHOD AND DEVICE | November 2020 | November 2023 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17084652 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING TRAFFIC ESTIMATION USING TOP VIEW SENSOR DATA | October 2020 | January 2024 | Allow | 38 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17034734 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING AND MANAGING THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT | September 2020 | June 2023 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17034590 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC POWER OF FUEL CELL VEHICLE AND METHOD THEREFOR | September 2020 | October 2023 | Allow | 37 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17032456 | TORQUE CONTROL FOR A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE | September 2020 | January 2024 | Allow | 40 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17023575 | VEHICLE WITH DRIFT MODE | September 2020 | July 2023 | Allow | 34 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17003910 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING REGENERATIVE BRAKING ENERGY RECOVERY DEVICES IN URBAN RAIL TRANSIT | August 2020 | April 2021 | Allow | 8 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16985841 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVE OPTIMIZATION FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET CHARGING | August 2020 | October 2021 | Allow | 15 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16944208 | HYBRID POWERTRAIN WITH A GEARBOX AND METHOD TO CONTROL THE HYBRID POWERTRAIN | July 2020 | May 2022 | Allow | 21 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16906594 | DETECTING AND RESPONDING TO MALFUNCTIONING TRAFFIC SIGNALS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES | June 2020 | August 2023 | Allow | 38 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16772898 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A VOLTAGE CONVERTER | June 2020 | July 2023 | Allow | 37 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 15929799 | MANAGED ACCESS SYSTEM FOR TRAFFIC FLOW OPTIMIZATION | May 2020 | December 2021 | Allow | 18 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16834530 | DRIVE UNIT | March 2020 | June 2023 | Abandon | 39 | 2 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 16814450 | Vehicle Inspection | March 2020 | July 2021 | Allow | 16 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16802108 | APPARATUS FOR MANAGING POWER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND METHOD THEREOF | February 2020 | October 2023 | Allow | 44 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16788666 | VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME | February 2020 | August 2023 | Allow | 42 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16750600 | UTILITY VEHICLE | January 2020 | April 2024 | Allow | 50 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16631490 | A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE | January 2020 | May 2023 | Abandon | 40 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16729868 | ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD | December 2019 | November 2023 | Allow | 46 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16625275 | VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR A RAIL VEHICLE, METHOD FOR OPERATING THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND RAIL VEHICLE | December 2019 | November 2024 | Abandon | 59 | 4 | 0 | No | No |
| 16694527 | Information Providing Apparatus and Vehicle | November 2019 | April 2023 | Allow | 40 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16689061 | VEHICLE TRAILER WITH PARASITIC CHARGING | November 2019 | February 2023 | Allow | 39 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16663823 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TRANSMISSION OF VEHICLE | October 2019 | November 2023 | Allow | 49 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16660062 | METHOD AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE HAVING AN ELECTRIC OR A FUEL-CELL DRIVE | October 2019 | June 2023 | Abandon | 44 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16593680 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING HEATING OF HYBRID VEHICLE | October 2019 | April 2023 | Allow | 43 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16564820 | REPLENISHING STATION ASSIGNMENT | September 2019 | April 2023 | Allow | 43 | 2 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 16563506 | BICYCLE DERAILLEUR | September 2019 | May 2022 | Allow | 33 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16543898 | VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME | August 2019 | June 2023 | Allow | 46 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16539936 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MOBILE CHARGING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES | August 2019 | October 2022 | Allow | 38 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16479505 | Control Method for Electric Vehicle and Control Device for Electric Vehicle | July 2019 | November 2023 | Allow | 52 | 4 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 16509639 | ELECTRONIC ANOMALY DETECTION UNIT FOR USE IN A VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AN ANOMALY IN A COMPONENT OF A VEHICLE | July 2019 | December 2023 | Allow | 53 | 5 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16443532 | METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL VEHICLE | June 2019 | November 2023 | Allow | 53 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 16439030 | Motor Vehicle with an Electric Motor, in Particular a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle | June 2019 | February 2023 | Allow | 44 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16425966 | Automatic Magnetic Core Sorting System Based on Machine Vision | May 2019 | September 2021 | Allow | 28 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16423486 | GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR EFFICIENTLY VIEWING VEHICLE TELEMATICS DATA TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF FLEET OPERATIONS | May 2019 | March 2020 | Abandon | 9 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16349240 | SEPARATOR APPARATUS AND METHOD | May 2019 | September 2021 | Abandon | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16344696 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A TRACTION OF A VEHICLE | April 2019 | April 2023 | Allow | 48 | 5 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16342643 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE | April 2019 | August 2022 | Allow | 40 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 16368885 | VEHICLE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM | March 2019 | September 2022 | Abandon | 42 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16365162 | REGENERATIVE BRAKING CONTROL SYSTEM | March 2019 | September 2021 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16259003 | CONTROL UNIT FOR CONTROLLING TRAVELING STATE AND AIR CONDITIONING STATE | January 2019 | July 2022 | Allow | 42 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16257258 | AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER | January 2019 | January 2023 | Abandon | 48 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 16249237 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EMPLOYING GASOLINE COMPRESSION IGNITION IN A HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE | January 2019 | August 2023 | Allow | 55 | 5 | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| 16248224 | MOTOR VEHICLE | January 2019 | June 2022 | Allow | 41 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 16238559 | VEHICLE POWER UNIT | January 2019 | November 2020 | Abandon | 23 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16206210 | TRANSMISSION GRADE SENSOR RATIONALITY AND TRIM ALGORITHM | November 2018 | September 2021 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16199881 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING AND MANAGING THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT | November 2018 | May 2020 | Allow | 18 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 16185775 | Method and Apparatus for the Alloy-Dependent Sorting of Scrap Metal, in Particular Aluminum Scrap | November 2018 | February 2022 | Abandon | 39 | 4 | 0 | No | No |
| 16095473 | DENSE MEDIUM CYCLONE SEPARATOR | October 2018 | October 2021 | Abandon | 36 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 16160018 | DRIVELINE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING TORQUE VECTORING SYSTEM | October 2018 | April 2022 | Allow | 42 | 3 | 0 | No | No |
| 16082144 | MALFUNCTION LOCATION DETECTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROVIDED WITH SAME | September 2018 | August 2022 | Allow | 48 | 4 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 15995228 | ACTUATION OF A CLUTCH OF A MOTOR VEHICLE | June 2018 | September 2021 | Abandon | 39 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 15774326 | ELECTROHYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION CLUTCH OF A MOTOR VEHICLE | May 2018 | March 2022 | Allow | 46 | 5 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 15773469 | SUBMODULE AND ASSOCIATED DEVICE FOR VARYING/ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF A PLATE SUPPORTING VACCINE/NUTRIENT INJECTORS FOR ADAPTING THE RATIO BETWEEN THE PATH OF THE NEEDLE AND EGG SIZE, USED IN SUBSTANCE APPLICATION MODULE OF AN EGG VACCINATION/NUTRITION SYSTEM AND EQUIPMENT | May 2018 | August 2021 | Abandon | 39 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 15649988 | AUTOMATIC SORTING OF WASTE | July 2017 | April 2021 | Allow | 45 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 15622189 | AGGREGATE WASHING SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS | June 2017 | September 2022 | Allow | 60 | 5 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 15612554 | PAN AND METHOD OF PANNING | June 2017 | July 2021 | Allow | 50 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 15531823 | EJECTOR FOR GRANULAR MATTER COLOR SORTER | May 2017 | March 2021 | Abandon | 46 | 4 | 0 | No | No |
| 15602625 | VIBRATORY MATERIAL CLASSIFIER | May 2017 | October 2020 | Allow | 41 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 15599642 | CASH PROCESSING APPARATUS | May 2017 | December 2020 | Allow | 42 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 15586204 | MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SORTING ITEMS USING A DYNAMICALLY CONFIGURABLE SORTING ARRAY | May 2017 | November 2022 | Allow | 60 | 4 | 1 | No | No |
| 15584457 | HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROL THEREOF | May 2017 | December 2020 | Abandon | 43 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 15423175 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REGULATING CONTROL OF A VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM | February 2017 | July 2022 | Allow | 60 | 1 | 0 | No | Yes |
| 15364308 | FLY-BY-WIRE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD | November 2016 | December 2019 | Abandon | 37 | 4 | 0 | No | No |
| 15342796 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR A REMOVABLE SCREENING PLATE ASSEMBLY | November 2016 | July 2021 | Abandon | 57 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 15340754 | NUT SORTER | November 2016 | January 2021 | Allow | 51 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 15307656 | DEVICE FOR UNILATERAL ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTS BY TURNING AND AUTOMATIC SORTING AND CONVEYING DEVICE INCORPORATING SAME | October 2016 | August 2021 | Abandon | 58 | 5 | 0 | No | No |
| 15307323 | HIGH SPEED ROTARY SORTER | October 2016 | June 2020 | Allow | 44 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 15286709 | Filtering Screen | October 2016 | April 2018 | Abandon | 18 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner BUTLER, MICHAEL E.
With a 57.1% reversal rate, the PTAB has reversed the examiner's rejections more often than affirming them. This reversal rate is in the top 25% across the USPTO, indicating that appeals are more successful here than in most other areas.
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, 41.7% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.
✓ 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 is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.
Examiner BUTLER, MICHAEL E works in Art Unit 3655 and has examined 212 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 74.1%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 42 months.
Examiner BUTLER, MICHAEL E's allowance rate of 74.1% places them in the 31% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.
On average, applications examined by BUTLER, MICHAEL E receive 2.60 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 88% 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.
The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by BUTLER, MICHAEL E is 42 months. This places the examiner in the 5% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications take longer to reach final disposition with this examiner compared to most others.
Conducting an examiner interview provides a +19.2% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by BUTLER, MICHAEL E. This interview benefit is in the 66% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide an above-average benefit with this examiner and are worth considering.
When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 23.4% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 23% 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.
This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 23.1% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 22% 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.
When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 54.5% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 45% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show below-average success with this examiner. Consider whether your arguments are strong enough to warrant a PAC request.
This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 69.6% of appeals filed. This is in the 51% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 56.2% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows above-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. The mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) provides an opportunity for reconsideration.
When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 39.4% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 37% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.
Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 3.3% of allowed cases (in the 84% percentile). Per MPEP § 1302.04, examiner's amendments are used to place applications in condition for allowance when only minor changes are needed. This examiner frequently uses this tool compared to other examiners, indicating a cooperative approach to getting applications allowed. Strategic Insight: If you are close to allowance but minor claim amendments are needed, this examiner may be willing to make an examiner's amendment rather than requiring another round of prosecution.
Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 1.3% of allowed cases (in the 59% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions more often than average when claims are allowable but formal matters remain (MPEP § 714.14).
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.