USPTO Performance and Accountability Report - U.S. Patent and ...

measure. Note that FY 2011 was the baseline year
for this new measure.
In providing more effective training, the USPTO further
enhances patent examination fundamentals,
communication, and cooperation between the
examiner and applicant. The USPTO utilizes a highly
successful compact prosecution training and
refresher training program that encompasses over
20 training modules designed to enhance examiners’
knowledge and skills in procedural and legal topics
pertaining to patent examination. In addition, the
USPTO has also implemented the Patent Examiner
Technical Training Program (PETTP) which provides
patent examiners with direct access to experts who
are able to share their technical knowledge on prior
art and industry standards in areas of emerging
technologies and established technologies.
The PETTP provides an excellent opportunity for
communication between patent examiners and the
experts who work in the various technologies that
are examined throughout the USPTO. This enhanced
communication contributes to improving overall
patent quality and decreasing patent pendency.
Another new program is the Site Examiner Education
(SEE) program, this program allows examiners to
travel to companies and educational institutions to
learn about updates on technology or new technologies
and experience how technologies operate in
the field.
In addition, the Office of Patent Training (OPT) has
provided a two-phase training program to new
supervisory patent examiners which provides
coaching and mentoring, leadership and software
training modules in an effort to help patent
examiners reach their full potential. Patent managers
and supervisors will continue to participate in a
Leadership Development Program which focuses on
educating and creating leaders. Furthermore, the
OPT received recertification for the ISO 9001:2008.
In addition, the USPTO’s Office of Patent Quality
Assurance (OPQA) received a certificate of registration
for the International Standard ISO 9001:2008.
The ISO 9001 quality standard is the most widely
recognized and established quality management
system framework in the world, outlining requirements
that provide the foundation for both OPQA
and to meet customer expectations and achieve
customer satisfaction. One of the quality management
principles of ISO 9001 is the continual improvement
of overall performance.
Work product review, feedback, and training are
interrelated quality components and are key to
quality patent examination, a critical part of the
USPTO’s strategic plan. In achieving ISO 9001:2008
certification by OPQA, the USPTO has ensured that
well-defined and documented standards and
processes are in place and demonstrates to internal
and external stakeholders alike that it is dedicated
to providing consistent quality products and services.
TABLE 8 Measure: Patent Quality Composite Rate
FISCAL YEAR TARGET ACTUAL
Target Met.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
2010 N/A N/A
2011 N/A 30.7
2012 48-56 72.4
2013 65-73
2014 83-91
OBJECTIVE 5: Improve appeal and post-grant
processes
September 16, 2012 marked a momentous occasion
for the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
(BPAI). On that day, the BPAI become the PTAB.
In keeping with that change, the Board opened for
business to accept petitions for some of the new AIA
post grant proceedings using the Patent Review
Processing System (PRPS), our new, web-based
e-filing tool.
The PTAB issued a record number of decisions in
FY 2012; 10,180. Because of the outstanding efforts
of the Judges and staff at the PTAB, the backlog of
ex parte appeals has stopped growing for the first
time in several years. While we expect to keep
making progress, there are many factors which play
into the reduction, including intake of new appeals,
successful hiring in FY 2013, and intake of proceedings
authorized by the AIA. All indications are
presently favorable that the PTAB will be making
steady progress in reducing the backlog to a
manageable level. In addition, the PTAB coordinated
and published new rules relating to the
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