Examiner Docket, Time, and Activity Recordation

Actions prepared by examiners are submitted electronically and sent to

their respective legal instrument examiners for entry of the type of Office action into the

USPTO’s automated data management system and for mailing.

Each examiner’s action that is counted and reported to the USPTO’s

integrated examination tools will be listed by application number on their individual time

and activity report. The time and activity report should be checked by the examiner to

verify that all applications worked on for the biweekly report period are properly

listed.

I.

COUNTING OF FIRST ACTION ON THE MERITS (FAOM)

Office actions on the merits consist of rejections (final and

non-final),

Ex parte Quayle

actions, and allowances.

The first time an examiner performs one of the above merit actions,

credit is received for a First Action on the Merits (FAOM) on the production

reports.

A second/subsequent FAOM usually occurs when the first action is a

mailed restriction/election action and the second action is an action on the merits. The

USPTO’s automated data management system will automatically determine if it is a FAOM.

If the second action is a FAOM the examiner will be credited for FAOM on the production

report.

II.

COUNTING OF DISPOSALS

An examiner receives a

"disposal"

credit for the following actions:

(A) Allowance;

(B) Abandonment;

(C) Requests for Continued Examination;

(D) Examiner’s Answer;

(E) International Preliminary Examination Report; and

(F) Institution of an interference or derivation proceeding wherein

the application would be in condition for allowance but for the interference or

derivation proceeding.

These same items constitute the

"disposals"

"

credit for the following actions:

(A) Allowance;

(B) Abandonment;

(C) Requests for Continued Examination;

(D) Examiner’s Answer;

(E) International Preliminary Examination Report; and

(F) Institution of an interference or derivation proceeding wherein

the application would be in condition for allowance but for the interference or

derivation proceeding.

These same items constitute the

"disposals"

for performance evaluation of examining art units and

TCs. However, disposals at the Office level consist only of allowances and

abandonments.

For either an allowance or an abandonment after an Examiner’s Answer or

decision by a court or the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, no disposal credit is

received, though these actions are indicated on the examiner’s individual time and

activity report.

III.

CORRECTION INFORMATION

(A) If any information is either missing from or incorrect on an

examiner’s time and activity report, the examiner should promptly notify their

supervisory patent examiner (SPE).

(B) The SPE will report the necessary changes and corrections

directly into the integrated examination tools. These changes will be listed

dynamically on the examiner’s individual time and activity report.

(C) If any information is missing from the last examiner’s individual

time and activity report at the end of a quarter (except at the end of a fiscal

year) or is incorrect, the examiner should promptly notify their SPE and/or their

TC troubleshooter. The troubleshooter will make the appropriate changes directly

into the integrated examination tools. The changes will be listed dynamically on

the examiner’s individual time and activity report.

(D) In order to ensure that all reports are correct at the end of the

fiscal year (rating period), or if any information is missing from or is incorrect

on the last examiner’s individual time and activity report, the examiner should

immediately notify their SPE of any needed corrections

examination tools. The changes will be listed dynamically on

the examiner’s individual time and activity report.

(D) In order to ensure that all reports are correct at the end of the

fiscal year (rating period), or if any information is missing from or is incorrect

on the last examiner’s individual time and activity report, the examiner should

immediately notify their SPE of any needed corrections. These changes will be

reflected in the examiner’s final biweekly time and activity report for the entire

fiscal year.

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