[Patentcenter] Application numbers in acknowledgement receipts out of order?

[Michael Dryja]

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?”

 - Mike.

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 2, 2024, at 10:15 AM, Robert Lelkes via Patentcenter <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 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. 
>  
> 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?
>  
> Bob Lelkes
> US Patent Attorney
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