USPTO Examiner MERLINO DAVID P - Art Unit 3669

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
17958944SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING FLEXIBLE CONTROL OF VEHICLES BY DIVERSE AGENTS IN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SIMULATIONOctober 2022August 2024Abandon6010NoNo
17129802VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUSDecember 2020November 2023Allow3411YesNo
17253945Longitudinal Driver Assistance System in a Motor VehicleDecember 2020April 2024Allow4030YesNo
17122563METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR COMPUTING DATA FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF SELF DRIVING CAR (SDC)December 2020November 2022Allow2310NoNo
17114977SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREDICTIVE NAVIGATION CONTROLDecember 2020July 2022Allow2000NoNo
17100623BLACK BOX DATA RECORDER FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING VEHICLENovember 2020February 2023Allow2710NoNo
16950085AERIAL DRONE-BASED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVELY PROVIDING AN AERIAL RELOCATABLE COMMUNICATION HUB WITHIN A DELIVERY VEHICLENovember 2020August 2023Allow3320NoNo
16950023AERIAL DRONE-BASED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVELY PROVIDING AN AERIAL RELOCATABLE COMMUNICATION HUB WITHIN A DELIVERY VEHICLENovember 2020May 2023Allow3020NoNo
17089055HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MECHANISMS ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETYNovember 2020October 2022Allow2410YesNo
17089443TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING A DISTANCE BETWEEN A POINT AND A SPIRAL LINE SEGMENTNovember 2020February 2023Allow2711YesNo
17079902SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND OFFLOADING DIFFERENT INFORMATION BASED ON EVENT TRIGGER TYPEOctober 2020October 2022Allow2410NoNo
17073141MOVEMENT CONTROLOctober 2020November 2023Abandon3730NoNo
17046841RECOMMENDED LANE DETERMINATION DEVICEOctober 2020April 2023Abandon3020NoNo
17063403SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATING DRIVERS TO PASSENGERS BASED ON START TIMES OF EVENTSOctober 2020March 2023Allow2910YesNo
17035313PATH PROVIDING DEVICE AND PATH PROVIDING METHOD THEREOFSeptember 2020February 2023Allow2820NoNo
17021963DETECTING A ROAD STRUCTURE CHANGE BY A LEAD AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE (AV) AND UPDATING ROUTING PLANS FOR THE LEAD AV AND FOLLOWING AVsSeptember 2020October 2023Allow3740YesNo
16980801LANE INFORMATION GENERATING METHODSeptember 2020August 2023Allow3510NoNo
17007409VEHICLE-INSTALLED SENSOR CLEANING APPARATUSAugust 2020February 2023Abandon3020NoNo
17006623DYNAMIC STOP TIME THRESHOLD SELECTION FOR HANDS-FREE DRIVINGAugust 2020April 2022Allow1900NoNo
16976686METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ASSISTING THE AUTOMATED DRIVING OF A VEHICLE CLOSE TO A RESTRICTED AREA(S)August 2020July 2022Allow2320NoNo
17003827AUTONOMOUS DRIVING WITH SURFEL MAPSAugust 2020March 2024Abandon4330YesNo
16995627AUTONOMOUS DRIVING USING LOCAL DRIVING PATTERNSAugust 2020August 2024Abandon4850YesNo
16989776SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING FLEXIBLE CONTROL OF VEHICLES BY DIVERSE AGENTS IN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SIMULATIONAugust 2020May 2022Allow2110NoNo
16988384IN-VEHICLE COMPONENT USER INTERFACEAugust 2020May 2022Allow2210NoNo
16984307METHOD FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING OF A VEHICLEAugust 2020February 2022Allow1810NoNo
16941505SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING FLEXIBLE CONTROL OF VEHICLES BY DIVERSE AGENTS IN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SIMULATIONJuly 2020July 2022Abandon2310NoNo
16929437TERRAIN-SENSITIVE ROUTE PLANNINGJuly 2020December 2022Abandon2911NoNo
16906736SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PATH PLANNING IN VEHICLESJune 2020August 2022Allow2630YesNo
16904209APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING HANDS-ON BASED ON MOTION RECOGNITION, SYTEM INCLUDING THE SAME, AND VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD THEREOFJune 2020February 2023Allow3230YesNo
16954859Parking Control Method and Parking Control ApparatusJune 2020February 2022Allow2010NoNo
16770053CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR CONTROLLING BEHAVIOR OF MOTORCYCLEJune 2020October 2022Allow2930YesNo
16769040METHOD TO MEASURE ROAD ROUGHNESS CHARACTERISTICS AND PAVEMENT INDUCED VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTIONJune 2020February 2022Allow2010NoNo
16884791VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMMay 2020April 2022Allow2310YesNo
16874978Communication System, Transmitter, Receiver, and Communication MethodMay 2020January 2022Allow2010NoNo
16763546METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF THE LONGITUDINAL DYNAMICS OF A VEHICLEMay 2020August 2022Allow2730YesNo
16761535SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING VEHICLE FUNCTIONSMay 2020July 2022Allow2640YesNo
16866574VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUMMay 2020March 2022Allow2210NoNo
16867203COURTEOUS TRAJECTORY PLANNING FOR AUTOMATED VEHICLESMay 2020October 2021Allow1700NoNo
16760794ADJUSTING THE LONGITUDINAL MOTION CONTROL OF A HOST MOTOR VEHICLE BASED ON THE ESTIMATION OF THE TRAVEL TRAJECTORY OF A LEADING MOTOR VEHICLEApril 2020July 2022Abandon2720YesNo
16839134METHOD AND CONTROL UNIT FOR DETECTING DROWSINESS OF A DRIVER FOR A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLEApril 2020January 2022Allow2110NoNo
16836167METHOD FOR HANDLING BRAKE FAILURE OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND DEVICE AND SYSTEM THEREFORMarch 2020November 2021Allow1910NoNo
16832925VEHICLE WITH SUSPENSION DEVICE AND DETECTORS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAMEMarch 2020November 2023Abandon4421NoNo
16831980SPEED PLANNING FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLESMarch 2020November 2022Allow3230NoNo
16829938SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN A PRIMARY DRIVER AND A SECONDARY DRIVER FOR A VEHICLEMarch 2020March 2022Allow2420YesNo
16825406ADAPTIVE SENSOR ARRAY SYSTEM AND METHODMarch 2020March 2022Allow2410NoNo
16808641ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLEMarch 2020March 2022Abandon2510NoNo
16803772LANE BASED ROUTING SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING VEHICLESFebruary 2020February 2023Allow3630YesNo
16800963METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE CURVE OF A ROADFebruary 2020December 2021Allow2210NoNo
16798804Server and Vehicle Control SystemFebruary 2020January 2022Allow2310NoNo
16796719SURFACE COVERAGE OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR MOBILE ROBOTIC DEVICESFebruary 2020February 2022Allow2420NoNo
16627904A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND METHODDecember 2019May 2022Allow2820YesNo
16617001TARGET VEHICLE SPEED GENERATION METHOD AND TARGET VEHICLE SPEED GENERATION DEVICE FOR DRIVING-ASSISTED VEHICLENovember 2019February 2021Allow1410NoNo
16570878METHOD FOR AUTONOMOUSLY WEEDING CROPS IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELDSeptember 2019October 2022Allow3710NoNo
16493417CONTROL APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO A VEHICLE DRIVERSeptember 2019April 2023Allow4330NoNo
16554361DRIVER DRIVING STYLE DETECTION AND APPLICATION SYSTEMAugust 2019March 2024Abandon5560YesNo
16548128APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING START OF ENGINE FOR MILD HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLEAugust 2019July 2022Abandon3520NoNo
16483236VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLE CONTROL METHODAugust 2019September 2022Abandon3810NoNo
16528100SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE SYSTEMS AND METHODSJuly 2019July 2020Allow1130YesNo
16509975BIG TELEMATICS DATA NETWORK COMMUNICATION FAULT IDENTIFICATION DEVICEJuly 2019August 2021Allow2510YesNo
16436714COMBINATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AND THE METHOD AND SYSTEM TO ENGAGE IN MULTIPLE APPLICATIONSJune 2019December 2021Abandon3010NoNo
16410188Excavator Control Architecture For Generating Sensor Location And Offset AngleMay 2019May 2021Allow2400NoNo
16372121BIG TELEMATICS DATA NETWORK COMMUNICATION FAULT IDENTIFICATION METHODApril 2019August 2021Allow2810YesNo
16333476NAVIGATION BASED ON VEHICLE DIMENSIONSMarch 2019June 2022Abandon3920NoNo
16213396METHOD FOR ADVANCED INERTIA DRIVE CONTROL OF VEHICLEDecember 2018January 2023Allow4931NoNo
16201406ELECTRIC POWER STEERING APPARATUS AND METHOD CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING ASSIST TORQUE BASED ON POSSIBILITY OF HEAD-ON COLLISION AND SIDE COLLISIONNovember 2018July 2023Allow5550YesNo
16189180GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATE BASED SETTING ADJUSTMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTSNovember 2018September 2022Abandon4730YesNo
16183012Map Automation - Lane ClassificationNovember 2018August 2021Allow3310YesNo
16158570VARIABLE RATE DISCHARGE SYSTEM FOR CROP ACCUMULATOROctober 2018March 2021Allow2900NoNo
16114965Method For Assisting A Driver Of A Motor Vehicle During A Turning Manoeuvre, Driver Assistance System And Motor VehicleAugust 2018June 2023Abandon5770YesNo
16114382PLAN FOR GUIDING A MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVERLESSLY ON AN INCLINED RAMP OF A PARKING LOTAugust 2018August 2022Abandon4761YesNo
16114832VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICEAugust 2018February 2021Abandon2920YesNo
16114173SELF-DRIVING METHOD, AND APPARATUSAugust 2018April 2022Allow4421NoNo
16103643UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE SYSTEM FOR INSPECTING RAILROAD ASSETSAugust 2018July 2024Abandon6090YesNo
16102482BIG TELEMATICS DATA CONSTRUCTING SYSTEMAugust 2018June 2021Allow3410NoNo
16101139SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVELY CAPTURING SENSOR DATA OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE USING A SENSOR GUIDE RAILAugust 2018August 2020Allow2420YesNo
16054048CONFLICT RESOLVER FOR A LIDAR DATA SEGMENTATION SYSTEM OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLEAugust 2018May 2022Allow4550YesYes
16075465IMPROVEMENTS IN VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLAugust 2018December 2020Allow2820NoNo
16050635APPARATUS FOR LIMITING VEHICLE SPEED AND METHOD THEREOFJuly 2018June 2021Abandon3430YesNo
16048560BIG TELEMATICS DATA NETWORK COMMUNICATION FAULT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMJuly 2018May 2021Allow3310YesNo
16048797HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MECHANISMS ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETYJuly 2018August 2020Allow2531YesNo
16048158BIG TELEMATICS DATA NETWORK COMMUNICATION FAULT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM METHODJuly 2018May 2021Allow3310YesNo
16042767System and Method for Rotorcraft Flight ControlJuly 2018June 2023Abandon5880NoNo
16040090INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MAP INCLUDING CONTEXT-BASED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGERYJuly 2018May 2022Allow4540YesNo
16040111INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MAP INCLUDING CONTEXT-BASED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGERYJuly 2018March 2022Allow4440YesNo
16026939INDOOR WAYFINDING TO EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTUREJuly 2018August 2021Abandon3740NoNo
15991352Method For Assisting A User Of A Motor Vehicle When Driving The Motor Vehicle, Navigation Apparatus And Motor VehicleMay 2018May 2021Allow3510NoNo
15982363Autonomous Vehicle Parking SystemMay 2018December 2021Allow4310NoNo
15981876SMART PARKING ASSIST SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOFMay 2018January 2022Allow4530NoYes
15972634DETERMINING AIRCRAFT ORIENTATIONMay 2018June 2021Allow3711YesNo
15972013AUTONOMOUS WORKING SYSTEM, AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND A TURNING METHOD THEREOFMay 2018November 2021Allow4321YesNo
15969947DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLEMay 2018January 2022Abandon4421YesNo
15968902NAVIGATION WITH SUN GLARE INFORMATIONMay 2018April 2021Allow3611YesNo
15965182METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVELY CONTROLLING OBJECT SPACINGApril 2018July 2022Allow5031YesNo
15964611Driving PatternsApril 2018March 2021Allow3410YesNo
15960754METHOD, DEVICE AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING WINDSCREEN WIPER, AND VEHICLEApril 2018September 2021Abandon4120NoNo
15957577ELECTRICAL LOAD MANAGEMENT IN A VEHICLEApril 2018April 2022Allow4841YesNo
15957216INVERTED PENDULUM TYPE VEHICLEApril 2018January 2021Allow3310NoNo
15955258TRANSPORT COMMUNICATIONApril 2018October 2020Allow3010NoNo
15943791ROAD-CONDITION BASED ROUTING SYSTEMApril 2018November 2020Allow3110YesNo
15923820Black Box Data Recorder for Autonomous Driving VehicleMarch 2018July 2020Allow2820NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner MERLINO, DAVID P.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
10
Examiner Affirmed
7
(70.0%)
Examiner Reversed
3
(30.0%)
Reversal Percentile
47.9%
Lower than average

What This Means

With a 30.0% reversal rate, the PTAB affirms the examiner's rejections in the vast majority of cases. This reversal rate is below the USPTO average, indicating that appeals face more challenges here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
23
Allowed After Appeal Filing
7
(30.4%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
16
(69.6%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
47.6%
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, 30.4% 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 face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.

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

Examiner MERLINO, DAVID P - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner MERLINO, DAVID P works in Art Unit 3669 and has examined 338 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 69.5%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 31 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner MERLINO, DAVID P's allowance rate of 69.5% places them in the 33% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by MERLINO, DAVID P receive 2.44 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 67% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues a slightly above-average number of office actions.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by MERLINO, DAVID P is 31 months. This places the examiner in the 57% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +9.7% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by MERLINO, DAVID P. This interview benefit is in the 42% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide a below-average benefit with this examiner.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 22.0% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 30% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show below-average effectiveness with this examiner. Carefully evaluate whether an RCE or continuation is the better strategy.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 28.0% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 41% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows below-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. You may need to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 111.1% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 80% 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 58.3% of appeals filed. This is in the 33% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 42.9% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows below-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. Be prepared to fully prosecute appeals if filed.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 19.4% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 10% 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 Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.6% of allowed cases (in the 61% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments more often than average to place applications in condition for allowance (MPEP § 1302.04).

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.9% of allowed cases (in the 61% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions more often than average when claims are allowable but formal matters remain (MPEP § 714.14).

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

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

  • 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.

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.