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Examiner Dennis Butler

TECH CENTER 2100 · 4 ART UNITS · 731 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION JAN 2019
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 4 ART UNITS

Examiner Dennis Butler has allowed 637 of 731 decided applications (87%) in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

87% pooled allowance · benchmarked per art unit below
DATA UPDATED JUNE 25, 2026
AU 2115 · 84%AU 2118 · 88%AU 2126 · 97%AU 2185 · 83%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

Dennis Butler maintains a public record across 4 art units within Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security). Over 731 disposed applications, his allowance rate stands at 87%. The allowance rate ranges from 84% to 97% across these art units, reflecting variation in outcomes among the different art units in which he has examined. This pooled figure aggregates all decided applications—both allowed (637) and abandoned (94)—and represents his historical record across the technology center.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

This pooled record combines outcomes from multiple art units under one examiner, creating an aggregate snapshot of past decisions. The overall allowance rate (87%) reflects all decided applications across all art units combined. The range (84% to 97%) shows that individual art units have performed differently. These figures describe what occurred in the past and are not predictions about any specific application or 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 2115
457 APPS · 84% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines control or regulating systems, and electric power networks.

84% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 81%
DISPOSITION385 / 72 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION27 moart unit avg 25.4 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY38.3 moart unit avg 36.3 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility17% · art unit 33%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)61%
§103 — Obviousness75% · art unit 83%
§112 — Written description & definiteness74%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW99%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW82%+17 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 68 decided applications with an interview and 389 without.

ART UNIT 2118
139 APPS · 88% ALLOWANCE
88% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 73%
DISPOSITION123 / 16 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION22.2 moart unit avg 22.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY35 moart unit avg 36.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility15% · art unit 30%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)58%
§103 — Obviousness82% · art unit 82%
§112 — Written description & definiteness73%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW96%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW87%+9 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 27 decided applications with an interview and 112 without.

ART UNIT 2126
123 APPS · 97% ALLOWANCE

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

97% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 63%
DISPOSITION119 / 4 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION26.4 moart unit avg 29.4 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY32.3 moart unit avg 44.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility43% · art unit 53%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)63%
§103 — Obviousness71% · art unit 88%
§112 — Written description & definiteness74%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW93%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW97%-4 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 15 decided applications with an interview and 108 without.

ART UNIT 2185
12 APPS · 83% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA
83% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 67%
DISPOSITION10 / 2 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION12.2 moart unit avg 21.6 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY17.5 moart unit avg 36.3 mo
// FAQ

Questions about Examiner Dennis Butler

  • What is Dennis Butler's overall allowance rate?
    His allowance rate is 87%, calculated from 637 allowed applications and 94 abandoned applications, totaling 731 disposed applications.
  • How many art units does he examine in?
    Dennis Butler has a record across 4 art units (2115, 2118, 2126, 2185) within TC 2100.
  • What is the range of allowance rates across his art units?
    Allowance rates range from 84% to 97% across the art units in which he has examined, showing variation among individual art units.
  • Does the pooled rate predict my application's outcome?
    No. The pooled allowance rate describes historical decisions across all his art units combined and is not a prediction of any specific application.
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METHODOLOGY & DISCLOSURES

Methodology. This page pools every art unit in which Examiner Dennis Butler 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: 731 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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