LYNCH·LLP
HOME/EXAMINERS/TC 2100/BENJAMIN J SMITH
◈ FIND AN EXAMINER OR ART UNIT
◈ USPTO PATENT EXAMINER STATISTICS

Examiner Benjamin J Smith

TECH CENTER 2100 · 4 ART UNITS · 432 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION JUN 2026
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 4 ART UNITS

Examiner Benjamin J Smith has allowed 281 of 432 decided applications (65%) in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

65% pooled allowance · benchmarked per art unit below
DATA UPDATED JUNE 25, 2026
AU 2144 · 62%AU 2172 · 82%AU 2176 · 51%AU 2145 · 95%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

Benjamin J Smith maintains a public record across 4 art units within Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security). Over 432 disposed applications, Smith's allowance rate is 65%, derived from 281 allowed and 151 abandoned applications. The allowance rate across his art units ranges from 51% to 95%, reflecting variation in the record by individual art unit. This pooled figure aggregates decisions across all assigned art units and describes the examiner's historical disposition pattern without predicting outcomes on any pending or future application.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

A pooled record aggregates data across multiple art units, producing a single allowance-rate figure and a range showing the lowest and highest rates among those units. The pooled percentage describes past decisions and does not constitute a prediction for any specific application. Individual art-unit records, where available separately, may show different allowance rates. Pooled figures are useful for understanding an examiner's overall history but do not account for variation by subject matter or procedural posture within each art unit.

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 2144
224 APPS · 62% ALLOWANCE
62% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 58%
DISPOSITION139 / 85 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION19.5 moart unit avg 27.2 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY42.4 moart unit avg 41.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility60% · art unit 45%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)62%
§103 — Obviousness99% · art unit 92%
§112 — Written description & definiteness68%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW80%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW16%+64 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 162 decided applications with an interview and 62 without.

ART UNIT 2172
131 APPS · 82% ALLOWANCE
82% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 58%
DISPOSITION72 / 16 / 43allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION19.4 moart unit avg 24.2 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY32 moart unit avg 44.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility46% · art unit 42%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)63%
§103 — Obviousness97% · art unit 91%
§112 — Written description & definiteness49%
ART UNIT 2176
100 APPS · 51% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines general computer details, and program control and execution.

51% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 59%
DISPOSITION51 / 49 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION32.2 moart unit avg 23.7 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY56 moart unit avg 40.5 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility70% · art unit 41%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)52%
§103 — Obviousness91% · art unit 87%
§112 — Written description & definiteness57%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW73%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW36%+37 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 41 decided applications with an interview and 59 without.

ART UNIT 2145
20 APPS · 95% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines artificial-intelligence and machine-learning methods.

95% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 53%
DISPOSITION19 / 1 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION12.5 moart unit avg 26.9 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY46.3 moart unit avg 45.3 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility50% · art unit 42%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)55%
§103 — Obviousness100% · art unit 93%
§112 — Written description & definiteness75%

Based on 20 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

// FAQ

Questions about Examiner Benjamin J Smith

  • What is Benjamin J Smith's overall allowance rate?
    65% over 432 disposed applications (281 allowed, 151 abandoned). This figure is pooled across all art units and describes past dispositions, not a prediction of any specific application.
  • How many art units does Smith work in?
    Smith has a public record spanning 4 art units (2144, 2145, 2172, 2176) within Technology Center 2100.
  • What is the range of allowance rates across Smith's art units?
    Allowance rates range from 51% to 95% across his art units, reflecting variation in the record by individual art unit. The pooled rate is 65%.
  • Does the pooled rate predict my application's outcome?
    No. The pooled allowance rate describes Smith's historical record across all art units and is not a prediction for any pending or future application. Outcomes depend on application-specific facts and prosecution posture.
◈ RESPONDING TO AN OFFICE ACTION

Strategy, not paperwork. Talk to the attorney doing the work.

Lynch LLP represents applicants in patent prosecution before the USPTO. Book a consultation to discuss your matter with the attorney who would handle it.

Book a 30-minute consultation →
METHODOLOGY & DISCLOSURES

Methodology. This page pools every art unit in which Examiner Benjamin J Smith 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: 475 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 →

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING — Sean Lynch, Partner, Lynch LLP