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Analysis of Patent Term and Related Applications for US Patent 9,769,776

Washington, D.C. - May 14, 2026 - An analysis of US Patent 9,769,776, titled "Apparatus and method for uplink synchronizing in multiple component carrier system," reveals a complex prosecution history involving multiple continuation applications and a significant patent term adjustment. The patent, which is central to technologies for managing uplink synchronization in advanced wireless communication systems, has a projected expiration date of March 22, 2033.

Patent Term and Adjustments

US Patent 9,769,776 was granted on September 19, 2017, based on application number 15/338,993, filed on October 31, 2016. The patent claims priority to an earlier application, 13/849,296, filed on March 22, 2013, now issued as US Patent 8,964,645.

The patent has been granted a total of 1,095 days of Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This adjustment is intended to compensate for delays in the patent's prosecution by the USPTO. No Patent Term Extension (PTE), which is typically granted for delays in regulatory review for products like pharmaceuticals, has been applied to this patent.

The standard 20-year term of a patent is calculated from the filing date of the earliest non-provisional application to which it claims priority. In this case, that date is March 22, 2013. Therefore, the base expiration date would be March 22, 2033. The addition of the 1,095 days of PTA would nominally extend this date. However, the patent's term is limited by a terminal disclaimer filed during prosecution, which ties its expiration to that of its parent patent. The anticipated expiration date is currently listed as March 22, 2033.

Continuation and Family Members

US Patent 9,769,776 is part of a larger family of patents and applications, stemming from the original 2013 application. The application that matured into this patent, 15/338,993, is a continuation of application 14/626,047, filed on February 19, 2015 (now abandoned), which itself is a continuation of the initial application 13/849,296, filed on March 22, 2013 (now US Patent 8,964,645).

The patent family includes several other continuation applications, demonstrating an active strategy to protect various aspects of the invention. These related patents and applications include:

• US 10,015,759 B2: A continuation of the present patent.
• US 10,582,460 B2: A continuation of US 10,015,759.
• US 11,082,932 B2: A continuation of US 10,582,460.
• US 11,690,029 B2: A continuation of US 11,082,932.
• US 12,089,171 B2: A continuation of US 11,690,029.
• US 20240422703 A1: A published application that is a continuation of US 12,089,171.

There are no divisional applications associated with US Patent 9,769,776. Divisional applications are typically filed when an original application is deemed to contain more than one distinct invention. The extensive use of continuation applications suggests a focus on refining and expanding the scope of the claims based on the original disclosure.

Projected Expiration Date:

Based on the filing date of the earliest parent application (March 22, 2013) and the statutory 20-year term, the projected expiration date for US Patent 9,769,776 is March 22, 2033, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid in a timely manner. The significant PTA does not extend the term beyond this date due to the terminal disclaimer.