USPTO Examiner HEINLE COURTNEY D - Art Unit 3745

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
16448668SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NAVIGATION USING BOUNDING AREASJune 2019May 2020Allow1120YesNo
16083659SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MOBILE BODIES, MOBILE BODY TRANSMISSION CONTROL DEVICE, AND MOBILE BODY RECEIVING CONTROL DEVICESeptember 2018May 2020Allow2010YesNo
15761901CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAMMarch 2018June 2020Allow2710NoNo
15896646AERIAL ROBOTICS NETWORK MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTUREFebruary 2018June 2020Allow2820YesNo
15749417METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SYNCING AN EMBEDDED SYSTEM WITH PLURALITY OF DEVICESJanuary 2018May 2020Allow2710NoNo
15878934CONTEXT-BASED TASK DISPLAY ON A MAPJanuary 2018April 2020Allow2720YesNo
15867348METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE MITIGATION OF VEHICLE TRAPPING ON RAILROAD CROSSINGSJanuary 2018May 2020Allow2810NoNo
15852297SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING MOVEMENT OF AN OCCUPANT SEATED IN A VEHICLEDecember 2017February 2020Allow2510NoNo
15847226DRIVING ASSISTANCE DEVICEDecember 2017April 2020Allow2710NoNo
15844713AUTOMATIC AND PERSONALIZED CONTROL OF DRIVER ASSISTANCE COMPONENTSDecember 2017April 2020Allow2810NoNo
15843223USING PREDICTION MODELS FOR SCENE DIFFICULTY IN VEHICLE ROUTINGDecember 2017February 2020Allow2610NoNo
15825583WORK SITE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHODNovember 2017February 2020Allow2710NoNo
15726330OBJECT AVOIDANCE METHODS FOR AUTOMATED AERIAL VEHICLESOctober 2017April 2020Allow3020YesNo
15368101FORCE SENSING HORN SYSTEMDecember 2016February 2020Allow3931YesNo
14946130SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETERMINING OCCUPANT LOCATION USING CONNECTED DEVICESNovember 2015May 2021Abandon6040NoYes
13916687OFFLINE CONFIGURATION OF VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMJune 2013September 2021Abandon6040NoYes
13821828VEHICLE TRAVEL CONTROL DEVICEMarch 2013July 2015Allow2830YesNo
13710950METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STREAMLINED REMOTE TELEMATICS AUTHORIZATIONDecember 2012October 2014Allow2210YesNo
13535227NAVIGATION SYSTEM EFFICIENTLY UTILIZES POWER BY PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DRIVER FOR ONLY THE DRIVER SELECTED PORTION(S) OF ROUTEJune 2012March 2015Allow3340YesNo
13419493ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WITH DIRECTIONAL CONTROLMarch 2012August 2015Allow4140YesNo

Appeals Overview

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

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
3
Examiner Affirmed
3
(100.0%)
Examiner Reversed
0
(0.0%)
Reversal Percentile
19.7%
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
0
(0.0%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
3
(100.0%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
10.6%
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, 0.0% 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 HEINLE, COURTNEY D - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner HEINLE, COURTNEY D works in Art Unit 3745 and has examined 20 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 90.0%, this examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 28 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner HEINLE, COURTNEY D's allowance rate of 90.0% places them in the 73% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by HEINLE, COURTNEY D receive 2.00 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 48% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by HEINLE, COURTNEY D is 28 months. This places the examiner in the 69% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +20.0% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by HEINLE, COURTNEY D. This interview benefit is in the 62% 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, 33.3% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 74% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. Consider whether your amendments or new arguments are strong enough to warrant an RCE versus filing a continuation.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 42.9% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 67% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows above-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. If your amendments clearly overcome the rejections and do not raise new issues, consider filing after-final amendments before resorting to an RCE.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 0.0% of appeals filed. This is in the 2% 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, 50.0% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 46% 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 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 43% 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 49% 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:

    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.