USPTO Examiner ALVESTEFFER STEPHEN D - Art Unit 3715

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18888073DIGITAL TRAINING SYSTEM AND METHODSeptember 2024March 2026Abandon1821NoNo
18679065FLOORING PANEL SAMPLE MODULE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTUREMay 2024January 2026Allow2010NoNo
18586815System for Teaching Grammatical Structure of SentencesFebruary 2024March 2025Allow1320YesNo
18520973SIMULATED ABDOMINAL WALLNovember 2023July 2025Allow2020NoNo
18475569EMOTIONAL EVOLUTION METHOD AND TERMINAL FOR VIRTUAL AVATAR IN EDUCATIONAL METAVERSESeptember 2023December 2024Allow1420YesNo
18259692FLOORING PANEL SAMPLE MODULE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTUREJune 2023February 2024Allow800NoNo
18343209TUTORIAL-BASED MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE EDITING METHOD AND APPARATUS, DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUMJune 2023September 2024Abandon1520NoNo
18310776Polyhedral Optical ConduitMay 2023July 2025Allow2710YesNo
18131698APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING DATA FOR EXTERNAL USERSApril 2023September 2024Abandon1810NoNo
18122340APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AN EDUCATIONAL ACTION DATUM USING MACHINE-LEARNINGMarch 2023November 2025Allow3260YesNo
18116575DENTISTRY TRAINING APPARATUSMarch 2023May 2023Allow300NoNo
18098159ANGLE-ADJUSTABLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL PHYSICAL SIMULATION DEVICE FOR EQUIVALENT COAL SEAM MININGJanuary 2023January 2026Allow3610NoNo
18094816GAMING DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ENRICHING SUBSEQUENT GAMING ACTIVITY BASED ON CURRENT GAMING ACTIVITYJanuary 2023March 2024Allow1420YesNo
18076271Systems and Methods For Cognitively Enhanced Repetitive Combinatorial Learning Activities For MathematicsDecember 2022March 2026Abandon3910NoNo
17979663HAIR CUT TRAINING DEVICENovember 2022March 2026Abandon4110NoNo
17963193EDUCATION DEVICE TEACHING HOW TO BRUSH TEETH AND CLEAN HANDSOctober 2022March 2023Allow500NoNo
17995946DEVICE FOR ASSISTING WITH IMPROVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVINGOctober 2022November 2025Abandon3770YesNo
17961563WEARABLE MEDICAL TRAINEROctober 2022April 2023Allow610NoNo
17860313Howitzer Training GunJuly 2022December 2025Allow4110NoNo
17855666PERSONALIZING FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE GLYCEMIC RESPONSEJune 2022June 2025Allow3530YesNo
17853659System, Media, and Method for Training Machine Learning Algorithms to Identify Characteristics Within Test ResponsesJune 2022April 2023Allow910YesNo
17846824SIMULATED TORSO FOR AN OPEN SURGERY SIMULATORJune 2022December 2022Allow610NoNo
17839819METHOD FOR ADJUSTING DRIVING TRAINING COURSE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUMJune 2022January 2026Abandon4310NoNo
17834503System and Method of Marksmanship Training Utilizing a Drone and an Optical SystemJune 2022January 2023Allow810NoNo
17748836AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF LECTURES DERIVED FROM GENERIC, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC CONTENTS, FITTING SPECIFIED PARAMETERSMay 2022March 2024Abandon2221YesNo
17723512WEARABLE DEVICE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GUIDING PHYSICAL MOVEMENTSApril 2022June 2023Allow1310NoNo
17700566INFANT FEEDING SYSTEMMarch 2022August 2023Allow1720NoNo
17640085IMAGING SYSTEM FOR FIREARMMarch 2022November 2023Abandon2110NoNo
17586627PERCUSSIVE METHOD FOR CAPTURING DATA FROM SIMULATED INDIRECT FIRE AND DIRECT FIRE MUNITIONS FOR BATTLE EFFECTS IN LIVE AND/OR MIXED REALITY TRAINING SIMULATIONSJanuary 2022August 2025Abandon4330NoNo
17566532Aversion therapy device and methodDecember 2021March 2025Allow3910NoNo
17550517MOTOR SKILL TRAINING DEVICEDecember 2021April 2025Allow4010YesNo
17544752CORRELATING INTERACTION EFFECTIVENESS TO CONTACT TIME USING SMART FLOOR TILESDecember 2021May 2025Abandon4110NoNo
17543137SYSTEM FOR SIMULATION TRAINING OF EXTRA CORPOREAL LIFE SUPPORT THERAPIESDecember 2021December 2024Allow3610YesNo
17540681THREE-DIMENSIONAL TACTILE MAP SYSTEMDecember 2021February 2026Allow5020NoNo
17539309SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SHOOTING SIMULATION AND TRAININGDecember 2021January 2026Allow5050NoNo
17540145SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DRY FIREARM TRAININGDecember 2021January 2025Allow3810NoNo
17538261Anatomy Education AssemblyNovember 2021January 2025Allow3810YesNo
17613663VIDEO REPLAYNovember 2021February 2025Abandon3830YesNo
17530280WORKBOOKNovember 2021June 2024Allow3110NoNo
17516156ENHANCED TESTING AND CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOTHERAPEUTIC LIGHT TREATMENTSNovember 2021February 2025Allow6010NoNo
17607629SYSTEM FOR MEASURING BREATH AND FOR ADAPTING BREATH EXERCISESOctober 2021March 2026Allow5230NoNo
17510439METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING EXERCISE POSTURE CORRECTION USING WORKING MUSCLE INFORMATION DEPENDING ON MOTIONOctober 2021October 2025Abandon4820NoNo
17602386VIRTUAL FAB AND LAB SYSTEM AND METHODOctober 2021March 2025Abandon4110NoNo
17489151PROSTHETIC INTERNAL ORGAN MODULESeptember 2021March 2025Allow4210NoNo
17598492INTELLIGENT TEACHING AID CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD USED FOR BUILDING BLOCK PROGRAMMING LEARNINGSeptember 2021February 2025Abandon4110NoNo
17484023SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEM FOR TEACHING ASSISTANCESeptember 2021February 2025Abandon4110NoNo
17476713In-Cinema And/Or Online Edutainment SystemSeptember 2021April 2025Abandon4310NoNo
17475497Apparatus, System and Method for the Self-Loading of a Car in a CarwashSeptember 2021April 2025Abandon4310NoNo
17474534SIMULATED ABDOMINAL WALLSeptember 2021July 2023Allow2211NoNo
17460418ORGANIZATION SYSTEM, ORGANIZATION PROCESS, LEARNING SYSTEM, MEMORIZATION PROCESS, CONCEPT INCORPORATION SYSTEM, CONCEPT INCORPORATION PROCESS, AND METHODS OF USE FOR UNDERSTANDING GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF IMPORTANT AND DIFFICULT INFORMATIONAugust 2021April 2025Abandon4310NoNo
17411055ATTACHABLE INTERACTIVE MODULAR SHOOTING SYSTEMAugust 2021September 2023Abandon2510NoNo
17410219Experiment device for Spudcan Penetration and Pullout of Jack-up RigAugust 2021October 2025Allow5010NoNo
17393861SURGICAL INSTRUMENTATION EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PLATFORMAugust 2021May 2025Abandon4530YesYes
17334257TRAINING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM THROUGH NEURO-CHEMICAL AND NEURO-CIRCUITRY CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR VR VISION, AND RELATED SYSTEMMay 2021February 2025Abandon4510NoNo
17331542Electronic Flashcards for Reading InstructionMay 2021October 2023Abandon2810NoNo
17296686PRACTICE AMMUNITION AND TRAINING SYSTEM USING THE PRACTICE AMMUNITIONMay 2021October 2024Abandon4130NoNo
17323937Training device with laser-assisted weaponMay 2021May 2024Allow3620NoNo
17321509VASCULAR MODEL AND ORGAN SIMULATORMay 2021January 2025Abandon4410NoNo
17241622Shooting Competition System and Methods of Making and Using SameApril 2021March 2025Allow4630YesNo
17236947ADVANCED SURGICAL SIMULATION CONSTRUCTIONS AND METHODSApril 2021November 2023Abandon3121YesNo
17226392SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING WELLNESS USING A MOBILE APPLICATIONApril 2021December 2024Abandon4510NoNo
17204868ABACUS AND MATHEMATICAL CALCULATING METHODMarch 2021October 2024Allow4311NoNo
17201858Information Processing Device and MethodMarch 2021May 2025Abandon5020NoNo
17189850Enhanced Human Joint Simulation ModelMarch 2021December 2024Allow4520YesNo
17181544THERAPEUTIC TRAINING DEVICE FOR AUTISMFebruary 2021February 2025Allow4820NoNo
16965300APPARATUS FOR BRAILLE INPUT AND METHOD THEREOFFebruary 2021December 2024Allow5220YesNo
17266619UPPER LIMB REHABILITATION TRAINING SYSTEM IN TWO-PERSON STANDING TYPE AND APPLICATION METHOD THEREOFFebruary 2021January 2024Allow3500NoNo
17155025BLANK AMMUNITION ATTACHMENTJanuary 2021May 2024Abandon4010NoNo
17151140EMERGENCY CASUALTY CARE TRAINERJanuary 2021July 2022Allow1710NoNo
17148055Lumbar Spine Stretch Limiter AssemblyJanuary 2021October 2024Allow4511NoNo
17257515FIREARM SIMULATION ARRANGEMENT FOR A VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEMDecember 2020December 2023Abandon3520NoNo
17257243ANALYSIS OF SKEET TARGET BREAKAGEDecember 2020December 2024Allow4730YesNo
17134474MODULAR PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUSDecember 2020July 2024Abandon4210NoNo
17255841METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SHARING PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGEDecember 2020April 2024Abandon3910NoNo
17254653METHOD FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE IN AN ACCELERATED MANNER OF SPORT OR GAME INTELLIGENCEDecember 2020February 2025Abandon5021NoNo
17127950METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING PERSONALITY BASED ON ANIMAL SYMBOLSDecember 2020December 2024Abandon4820NoNo
17103824SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCREASING PERFORMANCE OF SHOOTER AND FIREARMNovember 2020March 2024Allow3911NoNo
17093701ELECTRONIC GUNFIRE SIMULATION DEVICENovember 2020May 2024Allow4220YesNo
17053813AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZED HAIRSTYLE GUIDE GENERATIONNovember 2020January 2025Allow5040YesNo
17070746GAIT FEEDBACK SYSTEMOctober 2020April 2024Abandon4201NoNo
17037132TARGET TRAINING SYSTEM WITH SIMULATED MUZZLE FLASH ELEMENTSSeptember 2020December 2023Allow3911NoNo
17031578AIRWAY SIMULATORSeptember 2020March 2024Allow4230YesNo
17019989EARLY CHILDHOOD TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT GAMESeptember 2020April 2024Abandon4320NoNo
16997876SIGHT APPARATUS FOR FIREARMS INSTRUCTION AND RELATED METHODS OF USEAugust 2020July 2023Allow3510YesNo
16994345UNIVERSAL LASERLESS TRAINING ARCHITECTUREAugust 2020April 2024Allow4420YesNo
16992777SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DETERMINING A READING ERROR DISTANCE METRICAugust 2020April 2024Abandon4410NoNo
16988288MOVABLE SIGHT FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR A WEAPON SIMULATORAugust 2020May 2023Allow3310YesNo
16987759APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR PRACTICING A REDUCTION PROCEDURE FOR TREATING RADIAL HEAD SUBLUXATIONAugust 2020May 2024Allow4510NoNo
16947032SHOT TRACKING AND FEEDBACK SYSTEMJuly 2020August 2023Abandon3710NoNo
16920166MARKSMAN TRAINING TOOL AND TRAINING METHODS EMPLOYING THE TOOLJuly 2020July 2023Abandon3620YesNo
16913192APPARATUS, SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM TO RETRIEVE JOB INFORMATION APPROPRIATE FOR A DISABLED PERSONJune 2020July 2023Abandon3720YesNo
16911164PROJECTILE TARGET WITH HIT INDICATORJune 2020August 2022Allow2520YesNo
16905642PISTOL HAVING A RIGID BARREL, IN PARTICULAR TRAINING WEAPONJune 2020September 2022Allow2610NoNo
16885735FIREARM TRAINING SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING DISTRIBUTED STIMULUS PROJECTIONMay 2020April 2023Allow3430NoNo
15930479STATE DETERMINATION APPARATUS, STATE DETERMINATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAMMay 2020August 2023Abandon3940YesNo
15930521REHABILITATION SUPPORT SYSTEM, REHABILITATION SUPPORT METHOD, AND REHABILITATION SUPPORT PROGRAMMay 2020August 2021Allow1510YesNo
16867388METHODS AND DEVICES FOR PROVIDING DYSLEXIC READABLE IMAGESMay 2020December 2023Abandon4370YesNo
16865441SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING WHETHER AN OBJECT HIT OR MISSED A TARGETMay 2020February 2022Abandon2110NoNo
16864572INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUMMay 2020November 2024Abandon5520NoNo
16860117Beamless Firearm Training And Entertainment SystemApril 2020July 2023Abandon3920NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
3
Examiner Affirmed
2
(66.7%)
Examiner Reversed
1
(33.3%)
Reversal Percentile
54.7%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 33.3% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is above the USPTO average, indicating that appeals have better success here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
7
Allowed After Appeal Filing
3
(42.9%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
4
(57.1%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
71.5%
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, 42.9% 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.

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 ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D works in Art Unit 3715 and has examined 145 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 44.1%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 41 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D's allowance rate of 44.1% places them in the 9% 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 ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D receive 2.14 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 58% 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 ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D is 41 months. This places the examiner in the 22% 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 +13.3% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D. This interview benefit is in the 50% 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, 17.6% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 16% 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 30.6% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 44% 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, 0.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 21% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show limited success with this examiner compared to others. While still worth considering, be prepared to proceed with a full appeal brief if the PAC does not result in favorable action.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 50.0% of appeals filed. This is in the 20% percentile among all examiners. 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, 100.0% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 93% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions are frequently granted regarding this examiner's actions compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 1002.02(c), various examiner actions are petitionable to the Technology Center Director, including prematureness of final rejection, refusal to enter amendments, and requirement for information. If you believe an examiner action is improper, consider filing a petition.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 41% 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 45% 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.
  • 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.