USPTO Examiner SULLIVAN THOMAS J - Art Unit 3689

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18939666SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS TO IDENTIFY USABLE SALVAGE AUTO PARTS AND TO OPTIMIZE AUTOMOTIVE PARTS DISTRIBUTIONNovember 2024January 2026Abandon1521YesNo
18349914AUCTION SYSTEM AND METHODJuly 2023October 2025Abandon2730NoYes
18126271Systems, Methods, and Media for Managing the Obtaining of ServicesMarch 2023August 2025Abandon2910NoNo
18044537RIDER-ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD, INTERFACE DEVICE, AND CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL PROGRAM FOR THE SAMEMarch 2023December 2025Abandon3310NoNo
18179807GAMIFICATION OF DIGITAL GIFT GIVINGMarch 2023September 2025Abandon3011NoNo
18118618VISUAL CABLE BUILDERMarch 2023November 2024Allow2020YesNo
18159116DIGITAL SWAG PLATFORM FOR DYNAMIC REDEMPTIONJanuary 2023January 2026Abandon3660YesNo
18096841MODULAR MULTI-PARTY POINTS OF TRANSACTION FOR DIGITAL BUSINESSJanuary 2023September 2025Abandon3250YesNo
17989445SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION THROUGH MULTI-STAGE PROCESS MANAGEMENTNovember 2022February 2025Abandon2710NoNo
17977712SELECTING ORDER CHECKOUT OPTIONSOctober 2022October 2025Abandon3621YesNo
17802592SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING A PERSONALIZED ONLINE EXPERIENCEAugust 2022November 2025Abandon3921NoNo
17876829PRODUCT EXPOSURE METRICJuly 2022December 2024Abandon2830YesNo
17795690FASHION PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMJuly 2022February 2025Abandon3001NoNo
17873810Systems and Methods for Providing Responsive Interactive Checkout User InterfacesJuly 2022April 2025Abandon3320YesNo
17758687ONLINE RIDE-HAILING INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, DEVICE AND COMPUTER STORAGE MEDIUMJuly 2022April 2025Abandon3411NoNo
17751065PRODUCT INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, PRODUCT INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUMMay 2022October 2025Abandon4120YesNo
17686199METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION OF PRODUCT BRANDS AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS THEREFORMarch 2022September 2025Abandon4240NoNo
17613666METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CUSTOMIZATION OF COSMECEUTICALSNovember 2021February 2025Abandon3911NoNo
17606475SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING INFORMATIONOctober 2021April 2025Abandon4140NoNo
17503790Computer Systems and Stored Programs for Certifying Partially Certified ContractorsOctober 2021June 2025Abandon4430YesNo
17479310IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND METHOD TO PREVENT DUPLICATE ORDER FOR SUPPLIESSeptember 2021March 2025Allow4240YesNo
17382357DYNAMIC RECEIPT METHOD IN AN AUTONOMOUS STOREJuly 2021October 2023Abandon2730NoNo
17365516SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTRODUCTION OF A TRANSACTION MECHANISM TO AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE WITHOUT NECESSITATION OF MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONJuly 2021June 2025Allow4820YesNo
17358081SELECTING ITEMS FOR A RECEIVING USER TO INCLUDE IN AN ORDER FROM A LIST CREATED FROM A SENDING ENTITY AND TRANSMITTED TO THE RECEIVING USERJune 2021November 2025Abandon5360YesNo
17316910INTERACTIVE PRODUCT REVIEW INTERFACEMay 2021September 2024Allow4130YesNo
17316646SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRUSTED CONTACT, BUSINESS SELECTION WITH AUTOMATED MENUING USING TRUSTED FRIENDS' AND FAMILY'S RECOMMENDATIONSMay 2021February 2026Allow5840YesYes
17281577INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAMMarch 2021March 2025Abandon4740NoNo
17196365SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTRODUCTION OF A TRANSACTION MECHANISM TO AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE WITHOUT NECESSITATION OF MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONMarch 2021June 2025Allow5260YesNo
17089607Automated Web Content PublishingNovember 2020October 2021Abandon1282YesNo
17068406SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AN ENHANCED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE INCLUDING EXECUTABLE TRANSACTIONS AND CONTENT DELIVERYOctober 2020October 2024Abandon4830NoNo
17060444SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING ADVERTISING, UPSELLING, CROSS-SELLING, AND PURCHASING OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES VIA USER RECEIVING DEVICES AND MOBILE DEVICESOctober 2020April 2025Abandon5550YesNo
16836448SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING MACHINE LEARNING MODELS TO GENERATE CONTENT PACKAGE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERSMarch 2020December 2024Abandon5650YesNo
16573526AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION MARKETPLACESeptember 2019August 2025Abandon6080YesNo
16520287METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PART SELECTION AND ORDER MANAGEMENT IN AN ENERGY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMJuly 2019May 2025Abandon6070NoNo
16512663SYSTEM AND METHOD DETERMINING INDIVIDUAL STYLE PREFERENCE AND DELIVERING SAID STYLE PREFERENCESJuly 2019October 2025Abandon6080YesNo
16405635INTEGRATION OF THIRD PARTY DELIVERY SERVICE INTERFACE INTO ONLINE RETAIL PLATFORMMay 2019September 2025Abandon6070YesYes
16256472System, Platform and Method for Personalized Shopping Using a Virtual Shopping AssistantJanuary 2019June 2024Allow60100YesNo
16163899GROUP SHOPPING RULES ENGINEOctober 2018December 2024Abandon6080YesNo
15883618METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ONE-TAP MOBILE CHECK-INJanuary 2018March 2025Allow60120YesYes

Appeals Overview

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

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
1
Examiner Affirmed
1
(100.0%)
Examiner Reversed
0
(0.0%)
Reversal Percentile
18.3%
Lower than average

What This Means

With a 0.0% 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
3
Allowed After Appeal Filing
2
(66.7%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
1
(33.3%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
92.9%
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, 66.7% 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 face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.

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

Examiner SULLIVAN, THOMAS J - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner SULLIVAN, THOMAS J works in Art Unit 3689 and has examined 22 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 31.8%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 53 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner SULLIVAN, THOMAS J's allowance rate of 31.8% 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 SULLIVAN, THOMAS J receive 5.50 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 100% 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 SULLIVAN, THOMAS J is 53 months. This places the examiner in the 3% 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 +43.8% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by SULLIVAN, THOMAS J. This interview benefit is in the 90% 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, 8.1% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 4% 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 3.8% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 5% 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, 100.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 76% 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.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 66.7% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 74% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show above-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Petitionable matters include restriction requirements (MPEP § 1002.02(c)(2)) and various procedural issues.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 40% 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 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.
  • 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.