Term ends no later than Nov 20, 2026 · Low confidence
20-year base term ended Aug 9, 2026
In force on USPTO's status record and by its fee record. A terminal disclaimer on file may shorten this term, possibly to a date already past; its reference document is unresolved, so the date above is an upper bound and no earlier date is guessed.
Aug 9, 2006
Nov 20, 2026
Feb 24, 2015
This patent's term runs 103 days past its 20-year base term on prosecution delay. A terminal disclaimer is on file with no resolved reference, so no cap is applied and none is guessed. 2 of 2 maintenance fees are paid so far. Confidence: Low. from the record
How we calculated this date
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Aug 9, 2006, when application 11/463,364, the earliest non-provisional in its chain, was filed (this one was filed Jan 21, 2013); a parent in its chain could not be resolved (the next row) | Aug 9, 2026 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | A parent in the chain could not be resolved | dated from this application's own claim | Medium confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | +103 days, USPTO patent term adjustment record | Nov 20, 2026 | High confidence |
| Terminal disclaimer cap | Disclaimer on file (approved), reference document not resolved | no cap applied, and none guessed | Medium confidence |
| Patent term extension | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Fee events | 2 of 2 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | no later than Nov 20, 2026 | Low confidence |
This family
| US 8,423,569 | In force Oct 2030 | Oct 2030 |
| US 8,965,918 | this patent no later than Nov 2026 | no later than Nov 2026 |
Assignments
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2013 Reel 30255, frame 20 | Dettinger, Richard D.; Kolz, Daniel P.; Kulack, Frederick A. | International Business Machines Corporation | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
Sources
Google Patents · The patent document at USPTO · Assignment records at USPTO
USPTO account required: This application in Patent Center · USPTO's maintenance fee lookup
Maintenance fee events come from USPTO's own fee records. Its fee lookup asks for the patent number and the application number.
What's changing
A terminal disclaimer is on file (approved) and its reference document is not resolved. A disclaimer would cap the term earlier than Nov 20, 2026. We will not guess the cap.