USPTO Examiner SCHMUCKER MICHAEL W - Art Unit 3681

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
17130466RECONCILIATION OF DISJOINT USER IDENTIFER SPACESDecember 2020February 2023Allow2610YesNo
17123069COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR DELIVERY AND TRACKING ISSUANCE AND USE OF INDIVIDUALIZED INSTANCES OF CONTENTDecember 2020July 2023Allow3120YesNo
15734410INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM, TERMINAL DEVICE, INFORMATION DISTRIBUTING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAMDecember 2020December 2023Abandon3740YesNo
16929706MERCHANT ADVERTISEMENT INFORMED ITEM LEVEL DATA PREDICTIONSJuly 2020June 2022Allow2310YesNo
16920295SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR DECREASING LATENCY AND/OR PREVENTING DATA LEAKAGE DUE TO ADVERTISEMENT INSERTIONJuly 2020March 2023Allow3330YesNo
16916759METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VALIDATION OF TARGETED ADVERTISING DATAJune 2020May 2022Abandon2210NoNo
16901694SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AUTHENTICITY, INTEGRITY, AND NON-REPUDIATION TO ADVERTISING TECHNOLOGYJune 2020November 2020Allow510YesNo
16892274SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SUBSIDIZED DATA CONNECTIVITYJune 2020April 2023Abandon3420YesNo
16879743DATA PROCESSING METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER DEVICE BASED ON ELECTRONIC PAYMENT BEHAVIORSMay 2020July 2024Abandon5060YesNo
16849170ADVERTISEMENTS RESPONSIVE TO COUPON STATESApril 2020April 2024Allow4820YesYes
16747320ADVERTISEMENTS RESPONSIVE TO COUPON STATESJanuary 2020March 2023Allow3840YesNo
16740588MODIFICATION OF TRANSACTION FEESJanuary 2020May 2023Allow4030YesNo
16741374BANKING INTERFACEJanuary 2020February 2024Allow4950YesNo
15534492METHOD AND SYSTEM OF JACKPOT MARKETING ADVERTISEMENTDecember 2019June 2022Abandon6010NoNo
16717213RECONCILIATION OF DISJOINT USER IDENTIFER SPACESDecember 2019July 2022Allow3130YesNo
16698370SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATED MARKETINGNovember 2019January 2022Allow2650YesNo
16678952Scenario Gamification to Provide Improved Mortgage and SecuritizationNovember 2019September 2022Allow3420YesNo
16662198CONSOLIDATED DEFERRED FULFILLMENT WITH REDUCED SHIPPING RESOURCE CONSUMPTIONOctober 2019March 2022Abandon2960YesNo
16658198INDIVIDUALIZED INCENTIVES TO IMPROVE FINANCING OUTCOMESOctober 2019November 2021Allow2510NoNo
16657361Merchant Advertisement Informed Item Level Data PredictionsOctober 2019May 2020Allow600YesNo
16592375Method and System for Facilitating Access to a Promotional OfferOctober 2019June 2021Allow2000NoNo
16563777PRESENTING CONTENT ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH DYNAMICALLY-CREATED ADVERTISEMENTS TO USERS OF A SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMSeptember 2019August 2022Allow3530YesNo
16514889AUTOMATIC RECOMMENDATION OF DIGITAL OFFERS TO AN OFFER PROVIDER BASED ON HISTORICAL TRANSACTION DATAJuly 2019January 2021Allow1810NoNo
16454833PAYMENT DEVICE ENROLLMENT IN LINKED OFFERSJune 2019April 2021Allow2210NoNo
16455241SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO SEARCH WITH A MOBILE DEVICEJune 2019November 2021Abandon2820YesNo
16445458OPTIMIZING A DIGITAL DISPLAYJune 2019December 2021Allow3010YesNo
16435593Distribution of Promotional Content Based on Reaction CaptureJune 2019March 2022Allow3420YesNo
16429812METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MAKING A TARGETED OFFER TO AN AUDIENCEJune 2019October 2021Allow2930YesNo
16425502SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR DECREASING LATENCY AND/OR PREVENTING DATA LEAKAGE DUE TO ADVERTISEMENT INSERTIONMay 2019June 2020Allow1300YesNo
16414665CHECK-OUT BASED DISTRIBUTION AND REDEMPTION OF DIGITAL PROMOTIONSMay 2019May 2021Allow2430YesNo
16411493TRANSMITTING VALID COUPON OFFERS TO AN EMAIL RECIPIENTMay 2019October 2019Allow500NoNo
16411550DIGITAL MALL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMMay 2019March 2022Abandon3420NoNo
16408251NETWORK-ENABLED FUEL DISPENSING SYSTEMMay 2019March 2022Allow3440YesNo
16401055PACING OBJECTIVES OF AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THROUGHOUT A DURATION OF THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNMay 2019March 2020Allow1110YesNo
16386008METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING ACCESS TO A PROMOTIONAL OFFERApril 2019September 2019Allow500NoNo
16325191INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUMFebruary 2019December 2022Abandon4640YesNo
16271033AUDIENCE EXPANSION ACCORDING TO USER BEHAVIORSFebruary 2019June 2022Allow4030NoNo
16266222SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRIORITIZING CONTENT BASED ON AUTOMOBILE-USAGE PATTERNSFebruary 2019August 2021Allow3020YesNo
16266298METHODS FOR DELIVERING CONTENT USING AN ON-DEMAND ACCESS PLATFORMFebruary 2019May 2021Abandon2710NoNo
16208437METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING ACCESS TO A PROMOTIONAL OFFERDecember 2018March 2019Allow300YesNo
16130925TOOL FOR THIRD-PARTY CREATION OF ADVERTISEMENTS FOR A SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMSeptember 2018June 2021Allow3330YesNo
16115770SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BUYING GROUP PLATFORMAugust 2018July 2021Abandon3520NoNo
16109997LOCATION BASED CONSUMER INTERFACE FOR RETAIL ENVIRONMENTAugust 2018February 2021Abandon3011NoNo
16057134METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VALIDATION OF TARGETED ADVERTISING DATAAugust 2018March 2020Allow2030YesNo
16030750MEDIA INFORMATION PRESENTATION METHOD, SERVER, AND STORAGE MEDIUMJuly 2018March 2021Allow3320YesNo
16026117AUTOMATED CURATION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION AND USER INTERFACE FOR SAMEJuly 2018June 2022Allow4750YesNo
16023235INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, SERVER, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMJune 2018November 2022Abandon5260YesNo
16020424METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CUSTOMIZED ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONSJune 2018May 2022Abandon4740YesNo
16016038AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) INTERFACEJune 2018July 2020Allow2420YesNo
15997090METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING RECIPIENTS OF A REWARD ASSOCIATED WITH A CONVERSIONJune 2018March 2022Allow4540NoNo
15989573LOYALTY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHODMay 2018July 2022Abandon4950YesNo
15981401SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR DECREASING LATENCY AND/OR PREVENTING DATA LEAKAGE DUE TO ADVERTISEMENT INSERTIONMay 2018May 2019Allow1220YesNo
15974827INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAMMay 2018December 2020Allow3220YesNo
15961809Scenario Gamification To Provide Actionable Elements And Temporally Appropriate AdvertisingApril 2018October 2021Allow4240YesNo
15961524INTELLIGENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PAYMENT, FINANCE, AND SOCIAL COMMERCEApril 2018February 2022Allow4630YesNo
15936531MARKETING ENHANCEMENT METHODS AND SYSTEMSMarch 2018October 2020Abandon3010NoNo
15760718INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAMMarch 2018September 2021Abandon4240YesNo
15915050PROVIDING HANDS-FREE DATA FOR INTERACTIONSMarch 2018February 2021Allow3520YesNo
15812768METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ESTIMATE TOTAL AUDIENCE POPULATION DISTRIBUTIONSNovember 2017January 2024Abandon6040YesYes
15785591CONTENT SCHEDULING METHOD AND APPARATUSOctober 2017August 2020Allow3410YesNo
15783028METHOD FOR USING 3D POSITIONAL SPATIAL OLFACTION FOR VIRTUAL MARKETINGOctober 2017March 2021Allow4110YesNo
15695849METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE TO OUTDOOR DISPLAYSSeptember 2017February 2021Allow4140YesNo
15694730OPTIMIZATION OF CONTENT PLACEMENT ON CHANNELSSeptember 2017January 2021Abandon4020YesNo
15629441IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMJune 2017April 2021Allow4630YesNo
15489915USING THE UTILITY OF CONFIGURATIONS IN AD SERVING DECISIONSApril 2017June 2020Allow3720YesNo
15479726CUSTOMER-ASSISTED ITEM RETRIEVALApril 2017September 2020Allow4220YesNo
15471586OPTIMIZING PROFITABILITY IN FULFILLING WEBSITE-BASED ORDERMarch 2017March 2020Allow3510YesNo
15471940AWARE SIGNMarch 2017January 2021Abandon4620NoNo
15455908METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING ACCESS TO A PROMOTIONAL OFFERMarch 2017March 2019Allow2400YesNo
15417949TRANSACTION ACCOUNT CHARGE SPLITTINGJanuary 2017September 2020Allow4420YesNo
15363379SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DECODING SCANNED ABBREVIATION DATANovember 2016October 2020Abandon4620NoNo
15299630Presentation of Content Based on UtilityOctober 2016September 2020Abandon4730YesNo
15301359DATA PROCESSING METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER DEVICE BASED ON ELECTRONIC PAYMENT BEHAVIORSSeptember 2016June 2020Abandon4520NoNo
15282925SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROMOTING CONTENT ITEMSSeptember 2016March 2021Abandon5340YesNo
15269592Apparatus and System for a Universally Mountable Digit-Roll Display UnitSeptember 2016January 2020Abandon4030YesNo
15209023Social Network Driven Real-Time Multi-Payer, Multi-Merchant, Multi-Bucket Discounting Social Commerce System With Value Tracking, Multi-Layer Commission Forwarding And Discount Processing Systems And Related MethodsJuly 2016May 2022Abandon6021YesYes
15177135ENHANCED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED MULTI CHANNEL, MULTI-OPTION, HIGHLY TARGETED AUTOMATED CAMPAIGNS USING TEMPLATESJune 2016December 2020Abandon5440NoNo
15173911POINT SELLING SERVER, POINT SELLING METHODJune 2016November 2020Abandon5380NoNo
15163046SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING WIRELESS SERVICESMay 2016January 2019Abandon3110NoNo
15082790MERCHANT LOYALTY ACCOUNT ENROLLMENT THROUGH PAYMENT CHECKOUT PLATFORM SERVICESMarch 2016June 2021Abandon6040YesNo
15071204SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED MULTI-CHANNEL, MULTI-OPTION, HIGHLY TARGETED AUTOMATED CAMPAIGNSMarch 2016February 2020Abandon4730NoNo
15072068SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED MULTI-CHANNEL, MULTI-OPTION, HIGHLY TARGETED AUTOMATED CAMPAIGNSMarch 2016February 2020Abandon4730NoNo
15071993SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELF-OPTIMIZING, MULTI-CHANNEL, HIGHLY TARGETED, AUTOMATED CAMPAIGNSMarch 2016February 2020Abandon4730NoNo
15071353METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PURCHASE FROM POSTS IN SOCIAL MEDIA SITESMarch 2016September 2021Allow6040YesYes
15071471MARKETING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMMarch 2016May 2020Allow5040YesNo
15071378METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TOKENIZATION OF REWARD DATAMarch 2016September 2020Abandon5430YesNo
15071155SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED MULTI-CHANNEL, MULTI-OPTION, HIGHLY TARGETED AUTOMATED CAMPAIGNSMarch 2016February 2020Abandon4730NoNo
15056748SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE INDICATION OF MODIFICATION REGION BOUNDARIES ON FACIAL IMAGESFebruary 2016March 2018Allow2520NoNo
15041917PAYMENT DEVICE ENROLLMENT IN LINKED OFFERSFebruary 2016March 2019Allow3710YesNo
14974900IN-AISLE COMPETITIVE OFFER PUSH SYSTEM AND METHODDecember 2015September 2019Abandon4520NoNo
14939306SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ELECTRONICALLY INCENTIVIZING HEALTHY FOOD PURCHASINGNovember 2015September 2019Abandon4620NoNo
14877822Methods for Doing Business Using BiomarkersOctober 2015June 2019Abandon4420NoNo
14818304PROVIDING SOCIAL ENDORSEMENTS WITH ONLINE ADVERTISINGAugust 2015June 2020Allow5940YesYes
14808677SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ELECTRONICALLY VERIFYING REQUIRED PROOF-OF-PERFORMANCE TO SECURE PROMOTIONAL REWARDSJuly 2015May 2019Abandon4620NoNo
14788385Transmitting Valid Coupon Offers to an Email RecipientJune 2015February 2019Allow4310YesNo
14720294USING THE UTILITY OF CONFIGURATIONS IN AD SERVING DECISIONSMay 2015June 2019Allow4920YesNo
14606421Targeted Advertisement Selection for a Wireless Communication Device (WCD)January 2015March 2019Allow5020NoNo
14592199Notification Systems and Methods that Communicate Advertisements Based Upon Location and/or Personal ProfilesJanuary 2015November 2018Abandon4710NoNo
14590528Automated Notification Systems and Methods That Communicate Advertisement Related Information Based Upon Personal ProfilesJanuary 2015November 2018Abandon4710NoNo
14581177AUTOMATIC CUSTOMER ATTRIBUTE SNAPSHOT FOR PREDICTIVE ANALYSISDecember 2014October 2020Abandon6050NoYes

Appeals Overview

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

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
35
Examiner Affirmed
31
(88.6%)
Examiner Reversed
4
(11.4%)
Reversal Percentile
24.2%
Lower than average

What This Means

With a 11.4% reversal rate, the PTAB affirms the examiner's rejections in the vast majority of cases. This reversal rate is in the bottom 25% across the USPTO, indicating that appeals face significant challenges here.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
54
Allowed After Appeal Filing
10
(18.5%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
44
(81.5%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
24.0%
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, 18.5% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is in the bottom 25% across the USPTO, indicating that filing appeals is less effective here than in most other areas.

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 SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W works in Art Unit 3681 and has examined 166 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 50.6%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 47 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W's allowance rate of 50.6% places them in the 14% 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 SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W receive 3.31 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 89% 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 SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W is 47 months. This places the examiner in the 11% 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 +37.0% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by SCHMUCKER, MICHAEL W. This interview benefit is in the 84% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner and should be strongly considered as a prosecution strategy. Per MPEP § 713.10, interviews are available at any time before the Notice of Allowance is mailed or jurisdiction transfers to the PTAB.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 16.2% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 15% 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 12.9% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 15% 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, 50.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 46% 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.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 35.2% of appeals filed. This is in the 6% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 26.3% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner rarely withdraws rejections during the appeal process compared to other examiners. If you file an appeal, be prepared to fully prosecute it to a PTAB decision. Per MPEP § 1207, the examiner will prepare an Examiner's Answer maintaining the rejections.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 41.7% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 31% 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 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 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 44% 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.
  • Prioritize examiner interviews: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner. Request an interview after the first office action to clarify issues and potentially expedite allowance.
  • 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.
  • 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.