u.s. patent and trademark of˜ce rce inventory by art...

1600

1

16393

1628

683

1611

587

1612

563

1613

497

1615

545

1618

546

1619

421 1621256

1622

166

1627

560

1634

556

1616

426

1617

391

1623

350

1629

420

1636

430

1644

431

1645

416

1637

3631638

441 1641428

1651

409

1631

409

1624

192 1625286

1626

266

1632

374

1635

342

1643

350

1633

403

1642

249

1646

200 1647220 1648377

1649

282

1652

3901653

3971654

335 1655404 16562121657

384

16616

2171

255

2179

2572191

201218181

218756

218866

2189129

2172

235

2173

196

2184156

2185130

2174

3402183

382

2177

303

2178185

2175161

2176177

2186216

2195

201

2196

268

2192164

2193139

2194

304

2197117

2198100

2199103

211183

212922

2141

276

2142198

2155146

2156190

2157

307

2158

360

2159

218

2161123

2112102

211367

211448

211588

2116106

211732

2121154

212281

212373

212769

2128150

216298

2163178

2164168

2165189

2166

343

2167

200

2168

318

2169136

U.S. Patent and Trademark Of�ce RCE Inventory by Art Unit

3628

322

3691

442

3682

559

361243

3611117

363743

364147

361628

3617653634

1503663175

3665168

3667113

3692108

3674159

367795

3679163

3683145

3643141

364491

3646144

3653172

3654147

365590

3656122

365791

365183

365281

363278

366164

367159

367281

367387

363359

361854

3621

491

3664

260

3687

263

3688

382

3676

2003622

712

3623

443

3686

464

3689

405

3693

336

3694

346

3695

454

3624

365

3645

2053625

389

3626

513

3685

744

3684

286

3627

476

3629

392

363125

365831

366234

363620

1873635

175850

177919

1715171

1759124

1776162

1798192

1781

195

1721114

1743109

1766135

178465

1788141

1793108

179190

1744147

1745148

1723125

1724104

1728151

175574

175688

1711

207

1732

432

1733

305

1763

353

1764

443

1765

381

1767

340

1787

391

1771

3281772

214

1773

365

1775

337

1774

278

1761

295

1778

297

1782

268

1783

240

1785

213

1786

283

1789

239

1762

497

1777

583

1734

2851735

2141736

233

1741

251

1742

387

1712

382

1714

296

1716

379

1717

276

1726

541

1727

392

1746

2071747

240

1729

426

1731

287

1713

206

17572

17971

179257

241130

241222

24583

247924

241316

2421194

2457104

2481159

2484193

2485154

2486178

2487123

248268

248360

248870

2462143

2464143

2465118

2467133

2469187

2471171

2494168

2473186

2474182

2475146

2476178

2477116

247261

249562

2422117

2425198

244660

2447180

2431136

2451146

2432129

2434106

2435197

2436196

2437185

2454158

2455190

2426

291

2427

252

2433

249

2423

206 2438270

2439

297

2461

279

2478

250

2463

210

2466

248

2491

230

2492

259

2493

210

2441

220

2442

299

2445

285

2448

269

2443

301

2444

339

2468

310

2452

331

2453

425

2424

204

24496

2456

318

249624

2611

2002612

218

2614

496

2617

1523

2618

3272622

255

2624

250 26264502628

308

2629

1036

26002

2613165

2642195

2645195

2643122 2644

183

2646182

2677131

2648157

2649171 2656

107

263377

264195

261522

2627121

263163 2632

39

266448

268945 2692

40

263637

263737

266843 266935

267335

267637

265542

268544

268637 268715

268824

268335

268418

263433

264755

265153

265273

265361

265450

265767 2658

70 265985

266155

266265 2663

60

269365

266566 2666

74

269675

269792

269867

266758

267156

267460

267559

267867 2679

87268152

268271

267267

2691186

2694161

26951192699

129

2625

374

28002

283747

2811

319

2857

368

2814

257

2835

277

2882

219

2815

225

2854

209

2891

213

281285

283890

288387 2884

77

288674

288968

285376

2813128

2836124

2878128

2881147

2816157

2852121

2885173

2887178

2892154

2893197

2818127

2856109

285895

285999

2861123

2871181

2895154

287494

289693

2897110

2898139

2875100

2821159

282289 2823

119282495

282759

2828115

2829181 283281

287761

283397

2825188

281769

281925

283458

287964

2826

202

2872

215

2894

257

2876

215

3742

636

3767

803

3769

540

3773

614

37001

3711158

3714

296

3737

251

3777

213

3779

290

3781

219

3741

249

3715

2573717

242

3718

222

3721

2733731493

3733

465

3734

308

3752

334

3774

370

3775

473

3735

394

3723112

3724124

3725174

3726140

372795

374394

374499

374570

3728112

3746129

3771156

3772110

3748121

3751129

3753174

375497

3729192

3732176

3736

374

3762

365

3763

342

3766

351

3768

357

3739

361

3738

470

374714

3749

215

3761171

3778155

3782174

3784107

3785113

3788157

3764197

3765156

377683

378353

1754101

Each circle below represents one art unit within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Of�ce. The �rst number in the circle indicates the art unit; the second number indicates the number of RCEs pending response as of December 31, 2012.

1000+500–999400–499300–399200–299100–1991–99

In Art Unit 2161, the chance of receiving a next action after an RCE within one year averaged above 90% during 2003–2012.

In Art Unit 1777, 62 RCEs �led in 2010 are still awaiting a next action.

1700

Che

mic

al a

nd M

ater

ials

Eng

inee

ring

2100 Com

puter Arc

hitecture

, Softwar

e, and Inf

ormation

Security

2400 Computer Networks, Multiplex Communication, Video Distribution, and Security

2600 Comm

unications

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Medical Devices/Processes

3600 Tran

sportatio

n, Constru

ction, Ele

ctronic C

ommerce

, Agricult

ure, Nati

onal Sec

urity, and

License

& Review

2800

Sem

icon

duct

ors,

Ele

ctric

al a

nd O

ptic

al S

yste

ms

and

Com

pone

nts

A recent RCE picked up in Art Unit 3773 took 3 years

to receive its next action.

In Art Unit 1618, the chance of receiving a next action after an RCE within one year fell from 98% during

2003–2009, to 25% during 2010–2012.

In Art Unit 3622, the odds of receiving a next

action after an RCE within 3 months fell

from about 75% during 2003–2009, to about

5% in 2012.

The odds of receipt within 2 years fell from

98% to 25% during the same time periods.

In Art Unit 2629, 62 of 100 RCEs picked up recently took more than 1 year and 3 months to receive their next action.

In Art Unit 2691, 77 of 88 RCEs picked up recently took less than 6 months to receive their next action.

In Art Unit 1791, 68 of the most recent 100 RCEs picked up took less than 6 months to receive their next action.

1722118

1725

4643716

259

2010

8,463

2011 2012

24,339

66,179

10,000

30,000

50,000

70,000

Total RCEs Awaiting Next Examinationby RCE �ling date