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Examiner Kenneth M Lo

TECH CENTER 2100 · 6 ART UNITS · 301 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION JUN 2026
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 6 ART UNITS
50%vs 70% weighted peer average20 pts

Examiner Kenneth M Lo has allowed 149 of 301 decided applications in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

allowed149abandoned152pending10· pending excluded from the rate
The weighted peer average (70%) is each art unit's average below, weighted by this examiner's applications in it (6 art units).
DATA UPDATED JULY 14, 2026
AU 2188 · 58%AU 2189 · 51%AU 2121 · 22%AU 2116 · 54%AU 2133 · 25%AU 2136 · 100%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

Kenneth M Lo maintains a 50% allowance rate across hundreds of decided applications in Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security). His public record spans 6 art units within this technology center. The allowance rate—the share of decided applications (allowed and abandoned combined) that resulted in allowance—reflects his pooled examination history. Across the art units in which he has a substantial record, allowance rates range from 22% to 58%, indicating variation in outcomes by subject matter and art unit.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

This pooled record aggregates examination outcomes across multiple art units in TC 2100. The 50% overall allowance rate describes past examination activity and does not predict the outcome of any specific application. Variation across art units (22% to 58%) reflects differences in subject matter and case characteristics, not changes in the examiner's approach. A pooled figure describes historical distribution, not probability for any individual case.

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 2188
126 APPS · 58% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines computer-aided design (CAD).

58% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 67%
DISPOSITION73 / 53 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION25.4 moart unit avg 26.8 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY50.8 moart unit avg 39.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility26%art unit 55%29 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)68%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness68%art unit 75%7 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness71%no art-unit benchmark
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW68%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW54%+14 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 34 decided applications with an interview and 92 without.

ART UNIT 2189
89 APPS · 51% ALLOWANCE

Primarily examines computer-aided design (CAD).

51% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 77%
DISPOSITION45 / 44 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION28 moart unit avg 26.4 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY53.2 moart unit avg 39 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility31%art unit 45%14 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)54%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness85%art unit 72%+13 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness62%no art-unit benchmark
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW68%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW37%+31 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 38 decided applications with an interview and 51 without.

ART UNIT 2121
50 APPS · 22% ALLOWANCE

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

22% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 57%
DISPOSITION11 / 39 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION25.8 moart unit avg 27 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY40.9 moart unit avg 39.9 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility29%art unit 46%17 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)71%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness90%art unit 86%+4 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness38%no art-unit benchmark
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

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

WITH INTERVIEW59%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW3%+56 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 17 decided applications with an interview and 33 without.

ART UNIT 2116
38 APPS · 54% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines control or regulating systems.

54% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 78%
DISPOSITION15 / 13 / 10allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION23.5 moart unit avg 24.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY39.4 moart unit avg 37.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility44%art unit 32%+12 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)85%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness76%art unit 83%7 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness62%no art-unit benchmark

Based on 38 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

ART UNIT 2133
4 APPS · 25% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines input/output (I/O) data transfer, and memory access and allocation.

25% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 82%
DISPOSITION1 / 3 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION23.3 moart unit avg 22.9 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY50.4 moart unit avg 34.8 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility50%art unit 22%+28 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)75%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness75%art unit 77%2 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness50%no art-unit benchmark

Based on 4 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

ART UNIT 2136
4 APPS · 100% ALLOWANCE · LIMITED DATA

Primarily examines input/output (I/O) data transfer.

100% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 60%
DISPOSITION4 / 0 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION25.1 moart unit avg 27.9 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY36.7 moart unit avg 43.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
REJECTION RATE = SHARE OF THIS EXAMINER'S APPLICATIONS THAT DREW ≥1 OFFICE-ACTION REJECTION IN WHICH THE GROUND APPEARS

Grounds can co-occur, so the four don't sum to 100%. The art-unit figure is the unweighted mean across examiners in the art unit; §102 and §112 carry no art-unit benchmark.

§101 — Subject-matter eligibility0%art unit 22%22 pts
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)100%no art-unit benchmark
§103 — Obviousness100%art unit 83%+17 pts
§112 — Written description & definiteness0%no art-unit benchmark

Based on 4 applications — too small a sample to characterize the rejection mix reliably; shown for completeness.

// FAQ

Questions about Examiner Kenneth M Lo

  • What is Kenneth M Lo's overall allowance rate?
    His allowance rate is 50% across hundreds of decided applications pooled across all art units in TC 2100.
  • How many art units does this examiner cover?
    Kenneth M Lo has a public record spanning 6 art units in Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security).
  • What is the range of allowance rates across his art units?
    Allowance rates across his art units range from 22% to 58%, reflecting variation by subject matter and art unit.
  • Does the pooled allowance rate predict my application's outcome?
    No. The pooled figure describes his past examination history 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 Kenneth M Lo 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 July 14, 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: 311 applications.

Rejection rates. Each §-rate is the share of this examiner's applications that drew at least one office-action rejection in which that statutory ground appears; applications with no rejection on record are excluded, and because grounds can co-occur the four do not sum to 100%. The art-unit figure beside each is the unweighted mean of the per-examiner rates across the art unit, published for §101 and §103 only. Beside the overall allowance rate we show a benchmark: for a single-art-unit examiner it is exactly that art unit's average, labeled “art-unit average”; for an examiner spanning several art units it is the “weighted peer average” — the per-art-unit averages, weighted by this examiner's application count in each — labeled distinctly because it is a blended figure, not any single art unit's average. Both are built from the same per-art-unit averages the panels show.

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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