Extensions

To accurately detail the patent term adjustments (PTA), patent term extensions (PTE), continuation/divisional applications, related family members, and the projected expiration date for US patent 9972381, a direct query to the USPTO's Patent Public Search or Patent Center portal is necessary. While direct access to the live USPTO database is not available, based on the provided patent text and general knowledge of patent term calculations, the following information can be synthesized:

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

The provided patent text does not explicitly state any specific Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) or Patent Term Extension (PTE) applied to US9972381. PTA compensates patent applicants for certain delays incurred by the USPTO during prosecution of a utility or plant patent application. PTE, governed by 35 U.S.C. § 156, is typically granted for patents covering drug products, medical devices, food additives, or color additives to compensate for delays during regulatory review and approval by agencies like the FDA. Given the patent's subject matter relates to semiconductor memory devices, it is unlikely to be eligible for a PTE.

The Google Patents page for US9972381 lists an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2025-12-30. This date, which is slightly later than the nominal 20-year term from the earliest priority date (September 30, 2005), suggests that some PTA may have been applied.

Continuation Applications, Divisional Applications, and Related Family Members

US9972381 is part of an extensive patent family, originating from a provisional application and having a long chain of continuation applications. According to the "CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS" section in the patent's description, US9972381 is:

• A continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/692,206, filed on Aug. 31, 2017.
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/345,552, filed on Nov. 8, 2016 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,779,804).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/984,303, filed on Dec. 30, 2015 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,524,783).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/156,047 filed on Jan. 15, 2014 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,257,193).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/867,437 filed on Apr. 22, 2013 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,654,601).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/463,339 filed on May 3, 2012 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,427,897).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/882,931 filed Sep. 15, 2010 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,199,598).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/275,701 filed Nov. 21, 2008 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,826,294).
• Which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/583,354 filed on Oct. 19, 2006 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,515,471).
• Which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/324,023 filed on Dec. 30, 2005 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,652,922).
• This chain of applications ultimately claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/722,368 filed on Sep. 30, 2005, entitled "Multiple Independent Serial Link Memory." Additionally, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/583,354 also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/847,790 filed on Sep. 27, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/722,368 filed on Sep. 30, 2005, entitled "Memory with Output Control."

This detailed lineage indicates a robust family of related patents and applications stemming from the initial provisional filing. No divisional applications are explicitly mentioned in this continuity data.

Projected Expiration Date

For utility patents filed on or after June 8, 1995, the patent term generally expires 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed, or if the application claims priority to an earlier application under 35 U.S.C. §§ 120, 121, or 365(c), 20 years from the filing date of the earliest such application, plus any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA).

The earliest priority date for US9972381 is September 30, 2005, from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/722,368. Therefore, the nominal expiration date (without any adjustments) would be September 30, 2025.

Google Patents lists an "Anticipated expiration" of 2025-12-30. This suggests approximately three months of PTA have been granted, extending the term beyond the nominal 20 years from the priority date. However, Google Patents also states the "Legal status" as "Expired - Lifetime," which directly contradicts the issue date of 2018 and the typical 20-year patent term from the earliest priority date. Given the issue date of May 15, 2018, for a utility patent, it is highly improbable that the patent would have already expired by the current date of 2026-05-28, especially with a priority date of 2005. The "Expired - Lifetime" status appears to be an error in the Google Patents display for this particular entry. Based on the anticipated expiration date provided by Google Patents, and assuming PTA is included, the more accurate projected expiration date is December 30, 2025.