USPTO Examiner SILVA MICHAEL THOMAS - Art Unit 3663

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
17117571LANDING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN AIRCRAFT UPON TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINES OF THE AIRCRAFTDecember 2020July 2024Abandon4340YesNo
17116725SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN INITIAL ORBIT OF SATELLITES POST DEPLOYMENTDecember 2020June 2023Abandon3010NoNo
17115109HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAMEDecember 2020April 2024Abandon4030NoNo
17099911SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING CONTROLLER-PILOT REJECTION RATIOSNovember 2020April 2023Abandon2910NoNo
17056390APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM RELATING TO AIRCRAFT SYSTEMSNovember 2020June 2024Allow4350YesNo
17098624SYSTEMS AND METHODS THAT OPTIMIZE SPEED BRAKE OPERATIONSNovember 2020December 2023Abandon3720NoNo
17083778MIXED ASPECT GRAPHIC FOR NEIGHBORING FIELDS OF VIEWOctober 2020July 2024Allow4550NoNo
17082728METHOD AND SYSTEM TO ABSTRACT DATA FROM AN AVIONICS DEVICEOctober 2020June 2024Abandon4440NoNo
17062742DISPLAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING GROUND TRAFFIC COLLISON THREAT AWARENESSOctober 2020July 2023Abandon3420YesNo
17061060SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VISUALIZING AN ASSUMED LATERAL AND VERTICAL FLIGHT PATH ON AN AVIONIC DISPLAYOctober 2020April 2024Abandon4240YesNo
17041647ELECTRONIC CONTROL DEVICESeptember 2020March 2024Abandon4240YesNo
17032290METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A DESCENT PROFILESeptember 2020January 2025Abandon5260YesNo
17030972METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING LOCALIZATION OF A VEHICLE ON A ROADSeptember 2020July 2024Abandon4550NoNo
17030919TASK SCHEDULING METHOD, APPARATUS, DEVICE, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUMSeptember 2020August 2023Abandon3520NoNo
17028036SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPLAYING TERMINAL AREA PROCEDURE CHARTSSeptember 2020April 2024Allow4340YesNo
17023306METHOD OF ASSISTING A MOTOR VEHICLESeptember 2020June 2023Abandon3340YesNo
17016791INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHODSeptember 2020July 2024Allow4640YesNo
17011360Drift-Based Rendezvous ControlSeptember 2020July 2023Allow3430YesYes
16976870SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE BETWEEN AIRCRAFT OR SHIPSAugust 2020November 2023Allow3940YesNo
16999490SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING IMAGE PROCESSING TO DETERMINE AT LEAST ONE KINEMATIC STATE OF A VEHICLEAugust 2020February 2024Allow4230NoNo
16969444VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLE CONTROL METHODAugust 2020March 2023Abandon3120NoNo
16990405DRIVING ASSISTANCE DEVICEAugust 2020January 2023Abandon2920NoNo
16938530SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING SOURCE-AGNOSTIC TRAJECTORIESJuly 2020March 2024Allow4410YesNo
16917002VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAMEJune 2020December 2022Abandon3020NoNo
16957613TRAFFIC-FLOW CONTROL DEVICE AND DATA STRUCTURE OF TRAVELING SCENARIOJune 2020October 2023Abandon4040YesNo
16884349TERRAIN AWARENESS AND WARNING (TAW) SYSTEMS AND METHODS ADAPTED FOR AN URBAN AIR MOBILITY VEHICLE (UAMV)May 2020April 2024Abandon4750YesNo
16764133SADDLED VEHICLEMay 2020June 2023Abandon3720YesNo
16760756VEHICLE BRAKE DEVICEApril 2020April 2024Abandon4830YesNo
16757603CONTROL OF DIVERSE TYPES OF CREW INTERFACE FOR FLIGHT CONTROLApril 2020November 2023Allow4350YesNo
16756549RAILWAY AUTOMATION NETWORK AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES IN A RAILWAY AUTOMATION NETWORKApril 2020March 2024Allow4740NoNo
16831289SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTED DATA ACQUISITIONMarch 2020September 2024Allow5470YesNo
16649631ELECTRICAL DEVICE FOR CONNECTION TO A HIGH-VOLTAGE SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A FAULT OF A COMPONENT OF THE ELECTRICAL DEVICEMarch 2020December 2023Abandon4520NoYes
16807617SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSISTING A MANEUVER OF A MOVING OBJECTMarch 2020February 2024Allow4750YesNo
16800470SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RENDERING DYNAMIC DATA AND CONTROLLING THE VISUAL FORM OF THE DATA ON A COCKPIT DISPLAY WITHOUT ALTERING THE CERTIFIED SOFTWAREFebruary 2020March 2024Abandon4940NoNo
16793514METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY UPDATING A CURRENT FLIGHT PLAN OF AN AIRCRAFTFebruary 2020October 2023Abandon4440YesNo
16637835SENSOR-CONTROLLED ADJUSTMENT OF ODOMETRIC MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS TO WEATHER CONDITIONSFebruary 2020September 2024Abandon5650NoNo
16783159ALTERNATING BRAKING METHOD FOR SMOOTH STOPPING FROM ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROLFebruary 2020June 2024Abandon5360YesNo
16775382DETERMINATION OF VEHICLE COLLISION POTENTIAL BASED ON INTERSECTION SCENEJanuary 2020May 2024Abandon5140YesNo
16775084Systems and Methods for Adjusting the Orbit of a PayloadJanuary 2020July 2022Abandon2910NoNo
16738773AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CONTROL WITH WHEEL DEPTH WATER CAPACITIVE FENDER MOLDINGJanuary 2020August 2023Abandon4340NoNo
16734055Tracking Neighboring Quasi-Satellite Orbits Around Mars's Moon PhobosJanuary 2020March 2023Allow3830YesNo
16722116VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODDecember 2019May 2024Allow5330NoYes
16703565UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD AND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLEDecember 2019October 2022Abandon3520NoNo
16687946MODULAR TRAIN SYSTEMNovember 2019February 2024Abandon5140YesNo
16601425Trusted Train Derailment Avoidance Control System and MethodOctober 2019June 2023Abandon4420YesNo
16497848ON VEHICLE COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM LEAK DETECTIONSeptember 2019February 2025Abandon6060YesNo
16580214MODULAR TRAIN SYSTEMSeptember 2019March 2024Abandon5440YesNo
16563900Providing Navigable Environment PlotsSeptember 2019May 2022Abandon3210NoNo
16550610EMERGENCY BRAKING DEVICE FOR VEHICLEAugust 2019August 2024Abandon5960YesNo
16522010VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICEJuly 2019July 2023Abandon4840YesNo
16474696COMFORT-BASED SELF-DRIVING PLANNING METHODJune 2019July 2022Allow3730NoNo
16450034SYSTEM, VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING A DRIVING CONDITION OF A VEHICLE UPON DETECTING AN EVENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF THE VEHICLEJune 2019July 2022Allow3720YesNo
16466269STATE MONITORING DEVICE OF RAILCARJune 2019August 2023Abandon5050YesNo
16402033METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING STICKING OF LUBRICATION CONTROL VALVE OF HYBRID VEHICLEMay 2019December 2022Abandon4330NoNo

Appeals Overview

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

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
1
Examiner Affirmed
0
(0.0%)
Examiner Reversed
1
(100.0%)
Reversal Percentile
98.1%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 100.0% 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.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
4
Allowed After Appeal Filing
2
(50.0%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
2
(50.0%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
82.3%
Higher 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, 50.0% 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.

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 is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

Examiner SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS works in Art Unit 3663 and has examined 54 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 29.6%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 43 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS's allowance rate of 29.6% places them in the 5% 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 SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS receive 3.52 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 92% 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 SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS is 43 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 +13.7% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by SILVA, MICHAEL THOMAS. This interview benefit is in the 51% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide an above-average benefit with this examiner and are worth considering.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 10.4% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 6% 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 8.0% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 9% 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, 200.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 98% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences are highly effective with this examiner compared to others. Before filing a full appeal brief, strongly consider requesting a PAC. The PAC provides an opportunity for the examiner and supervisory personnel to reconsider the rejection before the case proceeds to the PTAB.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 66.7% of appeals filed. This is in the 51% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 50.0% 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.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 36% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments less often than average. You may need to make most claim amendments yourself.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 41% 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:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Request pre-appeal conferences: PACs are highly effective with this examiner. Before filing a full appeal brief, request a PAC to potentially resolve issues without full PTAB review.
  • 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.