Extensions

Term Analysis of U.S. Patent 9,792,361

A detailed analysis of the prosecution history and bibliographic data for U.S. Patent 9,792,361 ("the '361 patent") provides the following information regarding its term, related applications, and projected expiration date.

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA)

The '361 patent was granted a Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) of 988 days. PTA is granted to compensate for delays caused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the prosecution of a patent application. This significant adjustment was calculated based on USPTO processing delays exceeding the statutory timeframes. No Patent Term Extension (PTE), which is typically associated with regulatory review delays for products like pharmaceuticals, was identified for this patent.

Continuity and Related Applications

The '361 patent, which issued from U.S. Application No. 13/900,495, filed on May 22, 2013, claims priority to a series of earlier applications. This establishes a patent family with several related members. The continuity data is as follows:

• Continuation of: Application No. 13/348,511, filed January 11, 2012, now abandoned.
• Which is a Continuation of: Application No. 12/182,130, filed July 29, 2008, now U.S. Patent No. 8,116,703.

Because the '361 patent is part of a chain of continuing applications, its term is calculated from the earliest non-provisional filing date in the chain.

Patent Family

The '361 patent is part of a larger family of patents and applications stemming from the same original disclosure. Notable members of this family, all assigned to Mimzi LLC and listing James L. Geer as the inventor, include:

• U.S. Patent No. 8,116,703: Issued from the earliest application in this chain.
• U.S. Patent No. 9,128,981: Another member of the patent family.
• U.S. Patent No. 11,100,163: A later-issued patent in the family.
• U.S. Patent No. 11,086,929: Another related patent.
• U.S. Patent No. 11,308,156: A further related patent.
• U.S. Patent No. 11,782,975: The most recently issued patent identified in this family.

No divisional applications were identified for the '361 patent itself.

Projected Expiration Date

The term of a U.S. patent filed after June 8, 1995, is generally 20 years from the earliest non-provisional application filing date to which it claims priority. For the '361 patent, the earliest effective filing date is July 29, 2008, from Application No. 12/182,130.

The standard 20-year term from this date would end on July 29, 2028. However, the granted PTA of 988 days extends this term.

• Earliest Filing Date: July 29, 2008
• Initial 20-Year Term End Date: July 29, 2028
• Patent Term Adjustment (PTA): + 988 days

Adding 988 days to July 29, 2028, projects the expiration date of U.S. Patent No. 9,792,361 to May 9, 2031.