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Examiner Austin James Hicks

TECH CENTER 2100 · 5 ART UNITS · 416 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION JUN 2026
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 5 ART UNITS

Examiner Austin James Hicks has allowed 316 of 416 decided applications (76%) in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

76% pooled allowance · benchmarked per art unit below
DATA UPDATED JUNE 25, 2026
AU 2118 · 71%AU 2124 · 80%AU 2142 · 77%AU 2187 · 83%AU 2116 · 71%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

Austin James Hicks maintains a public record across five art units within Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security). Over 416 decided applications, his allowance rate stands at 76%. The allowance rate ranges from 71% to 83% across these art units, reflecting variation in outcomes by art-unit assignment. Of 485 total applications in his record, 316 were allowed and 100 were abandoned. These figures represent the examiner's pooled historical disposition and do not constitute prediction for any specific application.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

A pooled record aggregates data across multiple art units, smoothing variation that exists within individual assignments. The overall allowance rate of 76% describes past outcomes across decided applications and is historical data only—not a forecast for any particular case. The range (71% to 83%) indicates that outcomes vary by art unit. Detailed per-art-unit records, where available separately, provide more granular context for specific technical domains.

These are aggregate statistics from this examiner's past public record — not predictions about any specific application. The per-art-unit figures below show how the record varies across art units. Our approach to patent prosecution →

// BY ART UNIT

The record, art unit by art unit.

Each section benchmarks this examiner against that art unit's average. Figures are this examiner's own public record within the art unit; the overall rate above pools them.

◈ PRIMARY · ART UNIT 2118
160 APPS · 71% ALLOWANCE
71% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 73%
DISPOSITION113 / 47 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION22.9 moart unit avg 22.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY40.9 moart unit avg 36.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility14% · art unit 30%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)69%
§103 — Obviousness90% · art unit 82%
§112 — Written description & definiteness56%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW89%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW54%+35 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 75 decided applications with an interview and 85 without.

ART UNIT 2124
142 APPS · 80% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines neural-network / biological-model computing, and machine learning.

80% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 64%
DISPOSITION114 / 28 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION27.9 moart unit avg 28.5 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY39.3 moart unit avg 41.8 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility41% · art unit 61%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)56%
§103 — Obviousness94% · art unit 88%
§112 — Written description & definiteness55%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW91%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW71%+20 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 65 decided applications with an interview and 77 without.

ART UNIT 2142
112 APPS · 77% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines neural-network / biological-model computing, and machine learning.

77% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 45%
DISPOSITION33 / 10 / 69allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION32.5 moart unit avg 30.5 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY45.2 moart unit avg 48.3 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility66% · art unit 57%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)51%
§103 — Obviousness92% · art unit 93%
§112 — Written description & definiteness57%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW90%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW65%+25 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 20 decided applications with an interview and 23 without.

ART UNIT 2187
47 APPS · 83% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines computer-aided design (CAD).

83% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 72%
DISPOSITION39 / 8 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION19.7 moart unit avg 23.3 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY31.1 moart unit avg 36.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility22% · art unit 39%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)56%
§103 — Obviousness91% · art unit 77%
§112 — Written description & definiteness49%

Based on 47 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

ART UNIT 2116
24 APPS · 71% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines control or regulating systems.

71% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 78%
DISPOSITION17 / 7 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION26 moart unit avg 24.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY38.2 moart unit avg 37.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility29% · art unit 32%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)62%
§103 — Obviousness86% · art unit 83%
§112 — Written description & definiteness62%

Based on 24 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

// FAQ

Questions about Examiner Austin James Hicks

  • What is this examiner's overall allowance rate?
    Across 416 decided applications, the allowance rate is 76%. This is a historical measure and is not a prediction of any specific application's outcome.
  • How many art units does this examiner cover?
    The examiner's record spans five art units: 2116, 2118, 2124, 2142, and 2187, all within TC 2100.
  • Does the allowance rate vary by art unit?
    Yes. Allowance rates across the examiner's art units range from 71% to 83%. Per-art-unit detail is available in the separate section of this profile.
  • What do these figures mean for my application?
    These figures describe the examiner's past record and are not predictions of any specific application. Outcomes depend on claim scope, prior art, and examiner actions in your case.
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METHODOLOGY & DISCLOSURES

Methodology. This page pools every art unit in which Examiner Austin James Hicks has a public record within Technology Center 2100. Statistics are computed from publicly available USPTO records, refreshed on a recurring schedule. This page's data was last updated June 25, 2026. The overall allowance rate is total allowed divided by total decided applications (allowed plus abandoned) across all art units — not an average of the per-art-unit rates; pending applications are excluded. Figures are rounded for display. Pooled sample: 485 applications.

Lynch LLP is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Examiner statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data.

These statistics describe past examiner behavior and do not predict the outcome of any particular application. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Where this page compares an examiner's allowance rate to an art-unit average, that comparison is a factual description of the public record, not a characterization of any individual examiner's conduct or competence.

This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by viewing it. Full disclaimers →

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