Extensions

To provide details on US Patent 10,868,908 regarding patent term adjustments (PTA), patent term extensions (PTE), continuation applications, divisional applications, related family members, and the projected expiration date, I need to access the official USPTO records for this specific patent. The USPTO's Patent Center is the authoritative source for this information.

However, based on the information provided in the patent text and the search results:

1. Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Patent Term Extensions (PTE):

• Patent Term Adjustment (PTA): PTA is granted to compensate for certain administrative delays by the USPTO during patent prosecution. It adds days to the 20-year term of the patent. To determine if US10868908 received PTA, one would typically look at the front page of the issued patent, where it would be stated, e.g., "Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by [X] days.". Without direct access to the official patent document's front page or the USPTO Patent Center's file history for this patent, the exact PTA for US10868908 cannot be definitively stated at this moment.
• Patent Term Extension (PTE): PTEs are specifically available for patents covering certain human drugs, food or color additives, medical devices, animal drugs, and veterinary biological products to restore patent term lost due to regulatory review by agencies like the FDA.. US10868908 is related to multipath communications, not a product subject to FDA approval. Therefore, it is highly unlikely to have received any Patent Term Extension (PTE) under 35 U.S.C. § 156.

2. Continuation Applications, Divisional Applications, and Related Family Members:
The provided patent text states that US10868908 is a continuation of several earlier applications:

• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/512,414, filed Oct. 11, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. 9,350,649)
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/531,294, filed Jun. 12, 2012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,861,349)
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/581,852, filed Oct. 19, 2009 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,228,801)
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/686,375, filed Oct. 14, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,606,156)
• U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/418,521, filed Oct. 15, 2002 (priority claim)

This clearly indicates that US10868908 is part of a patent family and is a continuation of a lineage of applications that trace back to the provisional application filed on October 15, 2002..

• Continuation Applications: The applications listed above are continuation applications, meaning they claim priority to an earlier non-provisional application and share substantial subject matter but typically include new claims..
• Divisional Applications: A divisional application arises from a restriction requirement by the USPTO, where an examiner determines that a single application contains more than one distinct invention. The applicant can then file separate divisional applications for the non-elected inventions, retaining the priority date of the original (parent) application.. The provided patent text does not explicitly state that US10868908 itself is a divisional application, but rather a continuation in a chain of applications.

3. Projected Expiration Date:
For utility patents filed on or after June 8, 1995, the patent term generally expires 20 years from the effective filing date of the application, or 20 years from the filing date of the earliest non-provisional application to which a benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §§ 120, 121, or 365(c).. Provisional applications do not count towards the 20-year term calculation unless they are the only earlier application cited..

In the case of US10868908, the earliest priority date (from a non-provisional application) is October 14, 2003 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/686,375).

• Base Expiration Date: 20 years from October 14, 2003, would be October 14, 2023.
• Impact of PTA/PTE: As noted above, the exact PTA needs to be verified from the patent document itself via USPTO records. Any granted PTA would extend this date. PTE is not applicable.
• Impact of CRU Final Rejection: It is crucial to note that on October 2, 2024, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) issued a final rejection of all challenged claims of US Patent 10,868,908.. This rejection indicates that the claims were found unpatentable. While a final rejection in reexamination is subject to appeal, if upheld, it would mean the patent's claims are invalid. This directly impacts the enforceability and effective "expiration" of the patent's protection.

Given the CRU's final rejection on October 2, 2024, the patent's practical enforceability is severely diminished, if not eliminated, as of that date, irrespective of the theoretical expiration date based on filing. If the final rejection is indeed upheld, the patent would no longer provide exclusive rights.

The Google Patents entry for US10868908 states an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2023-10-14, and a legal status of "Expired - Fee Related". This aligns with the 20-year term from the earliest non-provisional priority date of October 14, 2003.