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2635 Record Systems [R-7] - 2600 Optional Inter Partes Reexamination
2635 Record Systems [R-7]
The Patent Application Locating and Monitoring (PALM) system is used to support the reexamination process. The sections below delineate PALM related activities.
(A) Reexamination File Data on PALM - The routine PALM retrieval transactions are used to obtain data on reexamination files. From the USPTO Intranet site http://ptoweb/ptointranet/index.htm "PALM" and then "General Information" which opens the PALM INTRANET General Information Display. From here, enter the patent number in the box labeled Patent #. Then click on "Search" and when the "Patent Number Information" appears, click on "Continuity Data" to obtain the reexamination number.
(B) Reexamination e-File - The papers of a reexamination proceeding may be viewed on IFW. PALM provides information for the reexamination proceeding as to the patent owner and requester, contents, status, and related Office proceedings (applications, patents and reexamination proceedings). Some of the data entry for reexamination in PALM is different from that of a regular patent application. There are also differences in the status codes - all reexamination proceedings have status codes in the "400" or "800" range, while patent applications have status codes ranging from "020" to over "100."
(C) Patent File Location Control for Patents Not Available on IFW, i.e., Available Only in Paper File - The movement of paper patent files related to requests for reexamination throughout the Office is monitored by the PALM system in the normal fashion. The patent file will be charged to the examiner assigned the reexamination file, and the patent file will be kept in the examiner's office until the proceeding is concluded. After the reexamination proceeding has been concluded, the patent file should be forwarded by the examiner, via the **>Technology Center (TC) Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) or the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) to the CRU support staff<. After review and processing in the CRU and by the Office of Patent Legal Administration as appropriate, the patent *>file< will be forwarded to the Office of *>Data Management<. The Office of *>Data Management< will forward the patent file to the Record Room after printing of the certificate.
(D) Reporting Events to PALM - The PALM system is used to monitor major events that take place in processing reexamination proceedings. All major examination events are reported. The mailing of examiner's actions are reported, as well as owner's responses and third party requester comments. The CRU support staff is responsible for reporting these events using the reexamination icon and window initiated in the PALM EXPO program. Events that will be reported include the following:
(1) Determination Mailed-Denial of request for reexamination;
(2) Determination Mailed-Grant of request for reexamination;
(3) Petition for reconsideration of determination received;
(4) Decision on petition mailed-Denied;
(5) Decision on petition mailed-Granted;
(6) Mailing of all examiner actions;
(7) Patent owner responses to Office Actions
(8) Third party requester comments after a patent owner response.
All events will be permanently recorded and displayed in the "Contents" portion of PALM. In addition, status representative of these events will also be displayed.(E) Status Reports - Various weekly "tickler" reports can be generated for each TC, given the event reporting discussed above. The primary purpose of these computer outputs is to assure that reexaminations are, in fact, processed with "special dispatch".
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