<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">When I file multiple applications on weekends, I always find it disconcerting to receive consecutive application numbers. “Am I really the only one filing applications right now?”<div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">- Mike.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Sent from my iPad</span></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Feb 2, 2024, at 10:15 AM, Robert Lelkes via Patentcenter <patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Today I noticed that the U.S. patent application number assigned by the USPTO to a 371 entry into the US phase today is 18/294xxx while the US patent application number assigned by the USPTO to a 371 entry into the US phase on December 27, 2023, was 18/574xxx, so that today’s U.S. patent application was assigned a lower U.S. patent application number than the preceding U.S. patent application. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I thought that patent application numbers are supposed to be assigned in the order of filing at the USPTO. Has anyone seen this phenomenon? Does anyone have an explanation?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bob Lelkes<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">US Patent Attorney<o:p></o:p></p></div><span>-- </span><br><span>Patentcenter mailing list</span><br><span>Patentcenter@oppedahl-lists.com</span><br><span>http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentcenter_oppedahl-lists.com</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>