Term ends no later than Oct 19, 2031 · Medium confidence
20-year base term ends Oct 19, 2031
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.
Oct 19, 2011
Oct 19, 2031
Sep 13, 2016
This patent's term is its 20-year base term, with no adjustment for prosecution delay. A terminal disclaimer is on file with no resolved reference, so no cap is applied and none is guessed. 2 of 3 maintenance fees are paid so far. Confidence: Medium. from the record
How we calculated this date
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Oct 19, 2011, when application 13/276,806, the earliest non-provisional in its chain, was filed (this one was filed Feb 4, 2015) | Oct 19, 2031 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | Every parent in the chain resolved | no change | High confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | None on file | no change | 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 3 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | no later than Oct 19, 2031 | Medium confidence |
This family
| US 9,233,985 | In force Jun 2033 | Jun 2033 |
| US 9,440,995 | this patent no later than Oct 2031 | no later than Oct 2031 |
| US 10,098,902 | In force Oct 2031 | Oct 2031 |
| US 10,603,330 | Lapsed on the fee record Mar 2024 | Mar 2024 |
| US 11,389,464 | In force Oct 2031 | Oct 2031 |
Assignments
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2015 Reel 35072, frame 353 | Van Zandt, Michael; Jagdmann Jr., Gunnar Erik | Mars, Incorporated | 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 Oct 19, 2031. We will not guess the cap.