patent public advisory committee - united states patent
TRANSCRIPT
Patent Public Advisory Committee
Quarterly Meeting
Overview
Enhanced Patent Quality Initiative
Comments
Valencia Martin Wallace
Deputy Commissioner for Patent Quality
Tom Hughes
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 3700
August 20, 2015
3
Sources
Examiner Forums/Feedback
Patent Quality Summit
World Class Patent Quality (WCPQ) Box
Internal
External*
* Official FR Notice Responses
4
Official Federal Register Responses
11 1 1 1
10
83
107 Responses/Emails
IP Organizations andAssociations
Government Agencies
Academic andResearch Institutions
Law Firms
Companies
5
Submissions − All Sources
161
746
235
64
1206 Submissions* Examiner Forum/Feedback
Patent Quality Summit
WCPQ - External
WCPQ - Internal
* Response/emails were broken into submissions based on proposal categories. Each email/response, therefore, may map to more than one submission.
6
Submissions – All Sources
225
746
235
1206 Submissions Internal
Patent QualitySummit
WCPQ - External
Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
7
Topic Distribution − All Sources
209
295
149 108
198
154 165
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Submissions
OPQA
Prior Art/Search
Clarity
Quality Measures
Compact Prosecution
In Person Interviews
Other
8
050
100150200250
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
Topic Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
9
Focus on
Proposal 1 Comments
Applicant Requests OPQA Review
10
OPQA Review Topic Distribution
Proposal 1: Applicant Requests for Prosecution Review of
Selected Applications
Use/Process
Concerns
Outcomes/Results
OPQA General Process
11
OPQA Review Distribution – All Sources
96
47
71
19
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Comments
Proposal 1: Use/Process
Proposal 1: Concerns
Proposal 1: Outcomes/Results
OPQA General Process
12
1 4 0 11 14 9 7 2
81
34
64
6 0
20406080
100
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
OPQA Review Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
13
Focus on
Proposal 2 Comments
Automated Pre-Examination Search
14
Prior Art/Search Topic Distribution
Proposal 2: Automated Pre-Examination Search
Value
Timing
Legal Implications
Results
Prior Art/Search General
15
Prior Art/Search Distribution – All Sources
56 43
12
142
58
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Comments
Proposal 2: Value
Proposal 2: Timing
Proposal 2: LegalImplicationsProposal 2: Results
16
3 2 1 10 28
16 7 0 13
24 37 34
11
119
6 0
20406080
100120140
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
Prior Art/Search Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
17
Focus on
Proposal 3 Comments
Clarity of Record
18
Clarity of Record Topic Distribution
Proposal 3: Clarity of Record
Explicit Claim Construction
Memorializing Oral Record
Reasons for Allowance
General
Prior Art Rejections/Responding to Arguments
19
Clarity Of Record Distribution – All Sources
58
37
20 23 21
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Comments
Proposal 3: Explicit ClaimConstruction
Proposal 3: Memorializing OralRecord
Proposal 3: Reasons for Allowance
Proposal 3: General
Prior Art Rejections/Responding toArguments
20
9
1 1 7
1
20 14
11 11
4
29
22
8 5
16
05
101520253035
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
Clarity of Record Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
21
Focus on
Proposal 4 Comments
Quality Metrics
22
Quality Metrics Topic Distribution
Proposal 4: Review of and Improvements to Quality Metrics
Value and Understanding of Composite
New Measures
Incoming Documents
Downstream Users
Effectiveness of Training
Modify Composite
23
Quality Metrics Distribution - All Sources
45
21
4 1
39
0
10
20
30
40
50
Comments
Value and Understanding ofComposite
New Metrics: IncomingDocuments
New Metric: DownstreamUsers
New Metrics: Effectiveness ofTraining
Modify Composite/Metrics
24
1
8
0 0
8
15
6
0 1
14
29
7 4
0
18
05
101520253035
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
Quality Metrics Distribution – By Source
25
Focus on
Proposal 5 Comments
Compact Prosecution
26
Compact Prosecution Topic Distribution
Proposal 5: Review of Current Compact Prosecution
Model and the Effect on Quality
Current Compact Prosecution Model
Additional Action Before Final
No Final Action Model
New Examination Model
New Count Model
27
Compact Prosecution Distribution – All Sources
42
28 32
89
17
0
20
40
60
80
100
Comments
Proposal 5: Current CP Model
Proposal 5: AdditionalNonfinals
Proposal 5: No Final Model
New Examination Model
New Count System Model
28
3 0 0
60
7 3
15
4
14 7
36
13
28
13
3 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Proposal 5: CurrentCP Model
Proposal 5:Additional NF
Proposal 5: NoFinal Model
New ExaminationModel
New Count Model
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
Compact Prosecution Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
29
Focus on
Proposal 6 Comments
In-Person Interviews
30
In-Person Interview Topic Distribution
Proposal 6: In-Person Interview Capability with All
Examiners
Benefits of In Person Interviews Vs. Video
Conferencing
No Difference
Considerations to In Person Interviews at Remote
Locations
Remote In Person Interview Scheduling
Costs
Effectiveness Measures
31
In-Person Interview Distribution – All Sources
57 52
11
25 20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Comments
Benefits
Considerations
Scheduling
Costs
Effectiveness Measures
32
In-Person Interview − Comment Highlight
43
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
Comments
Added Benefit
No Added Benefit
33
4 1 0 1 1
15
7 2
8
1
38 44
9
16 18
0
10
20
30
40
50
Benefits Considerations Scheduling Costs EffectivenessMeasures
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
In Person Interviews Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
34
Focus on
“Other” Comments
Miscellaneous
35
“Other” Topic Distribution
Additional Examiner/SPE Resources
More Time for Examiners
Improve/Additional Examiner Training
Examiner PAP/Awards
Misc.
36
“Other” Distribution − All Sources
27
39 44
12
52
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Comments
Additional Examiner/SPEResourcesMore Time for Examiners
Improve/Additional ExaminerTrainingExaminer PAP/Awards
37
22
28 27
9
16
3
8
14
2
31
2 3 3 1
5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Additional Exr/SPEResources
More Time For Exrs Improve/AdditionalExr Training
ExaminerPAP/Awards
Misc.
Internal*
WCPQ External
Quality Summit
“Other” Distribution – By Source
* Includes Examiner Forum/Feedback and WCPQ Internal
38
Thank You!
Questions and Comments Valencia Martin Wallace
Deputy Commissioner for Patent Quality
(571) 272-8800
Tom Hughes Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 3700
(571) 272-4357
