[Patentcenter] Patent Center is broken?

Mon Oct 7 22:07:25 UTC 2024

I’ve been getting the Forbidden Screen, but if I close my browser tab (not the browser) and reopen a new tab, PatentCenter keeps me logged in and I’m able to work/search/file.  But I noticed that they took away the link to download all uploaded documents when filing a response or other submission.  I like to download the zip file, just in case (although I have no idea how it would help).

From: Patentcenter <patentcenter-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Scott Nielson via Patentcenter
Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 9:44 AM
To: For bug reports, feature requests, and tips and tricks about Patent Center. <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Scott Nielson <scnielson at outlook.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentcenter] Patent Center is broken?

[External Email]
I haven't noticed any problems and I've been using Patent Center over the weekend (Friday through today). I'm accessing it using Edge.

That said, there have been times in the past month or so when I have had problems and I'm pretty sure they all stem from the authentication system. I've experienced the "jumpy" Patent Center described by Carl as well as instances of a blank screen. The former I can usually fix by clearing all cookies used by Patent Center. The latter I can usually fix by opening a new tab and going to Patent Center in the new tab (the original tab shows the blank screen version of Patent Center no matter what I do).

Scott Nielson

801-660-4400

________________________________
From: Patentcenter <patentcenter-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> on behalf of Dan Feigelson via Patentcenter <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 6:13 AM
To: For bug reports, feature requests, and tips and tricks about Patent Center. <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Dan Feigelson <djf at iliplaw.com>
Subject: Re: [Patentcenter] Patent Center is broken?

Called EBC now.

Got a recorded message that on October 28 they're changing the system for handling calls to the EBC. Hey, seeing their track record with anything else, what could possibly go wrong?

Got through to a person, I explained that PC is on the fritz, and he asked, "Where are you located?"
I responded, "What does it matter?"
He said, "People overseas are having problems accessing patentcenter".
I said, "People in Colorado are having problems too." (Thank you Carl for sharing with us that you were having the same problems.)
He asked, "What happens when you log in?"
I explained that I can use PC when not logged in, to view public files, but as soon as I log in, I get the rotating screens problem.
He told me multiple people are having issues, it's at their end, and...I should call back later.
Very reassuring.

Dan

On Mon, Oct 7, 2024 at 1:50 PM Carl Oppedahl via Patentcenter <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>> wrote:

And now in my Patent Center screen I see this sentence:

AuthSdkError: Could not load PKCE codeVerifier from storage. This may indicate the auth flow has already completed or multiple auth flows are executing concurrently.

I put this in the category of an error message that (a) gives no useful information whatsoever to the USPTO customer and (b) suggests that things are out of control at the USPTO.
On 10/7/2024 3:08 AM, Dan Feigelson wrote:

Carl, I too had both of these problems, 60-90 minutes ago. I plan to call EBC when they open.

Oh, and again, when I'm NOT logged in to my USPTO account, I can use patentcrapper, but of course only to view stuff in published applications, and useless for follow-on filings in my own files.

On Mon, Oct 7, 2024 at 11:21 AM Carl Oppedahl via Patentcenter <patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>> wrote:
I am trying to make use of Patent Center just now (4:10 AM ET). No joy.
It is impossible to do anything at Patent Center just now.  It appears
as a blank screen.

If I do a "view source" on the blank screen, I learn that the USPTO
system did actually serve up fifteen thousand characters of HTML, that
get rendered only as whitespace.

Predictably, there is no mention of this outage at
https://www.uspto.gov/system-status<https://gcfagjf.r.af.d.sendibt2.com/tr/cl/0xXEIyvPIKRDMKJohqBKHJL-Oz-idxjC4yJuSsvROM3kHR4H4SCk3B_AMmFXlFmlJzQSaU2gC74GstccGUQNz6tTpPWPOBs7ypc6K61HstuNmnCfMgsRap13PGK1c6_1OZ8MtqvarrfZyl7ZoGKxitxjC1QesMtwCNXNYkjyoRfAA3wgB7N_WRvPFctQvUUPAPJv4FwsHFEbjiK6VVtXiDe-C_UYnAYWFDjNI53H35cAUG8xdwDQ7rwwJAZ6fSOXAgFPptXBTG_ehJ3aJj8> .

I tried entering Patent Center "sideways", you know, by going and
logging in at MyUSPTO and then clicking around to try to get into Patent
Center.  Nope.  Same blank screen.

In my logged-in status, I am able to see normal-looking screens in
Financial Manager and Ass Center and MyUSPTO.  But again and again,
nothing from Patent Center other than a blank screen.

Oops.  Now after a dozen tries, Patent Center is rendering with visible
material on the screen.  But it's the "jumpy" Patent Center, the one
that waits until I have uploaded a document or two, maybe selected a fee
to pay, and then at a time when I do not have my fingers on the keyboard
or hand on a mouse, Patent Center jumps to its main action screen and my
e-filing session has disappeared.  The function that is meant to be a
successor to EFS-Web is flaky right now.

--
Patentcenter mailing list
Patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:Patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentcenter_oppedahl-lists.com<https://gcfagjf.r.af.d.sendibt2.com/tr/cl/AsJ4xE5eUbG_I7Uk5MdlCW5letk4YEiTkUA9eAT6zj9VrplIvSh_ZVCLAFZtAZ1eXc_oG-hkH-NnvDR7LVv7wXC11jRrkmCPbtdwX5YLhX9CI_9paWTn-V7B6kdJoxWUeAd3tt-iSwMBfFxw_XMBzekNY84npUKqQl0j1I68iiKwIhVC7T5mBjKninZLSP2n8S8UfTw0EvxqVa0A0CnCAzux_zacdW_b8I8ej3oZT1aUtrWX9VHhyVgoVHLvkE4uQEadYiUuWJDxO3Z54LUfANg_MoKI0VUiCfMB43-LfqhAlYf62xMzYkjcUzoZmIV2DFIBs0Xvf2Pt>
--
Patentcenter mailing list
Patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:Patentcenter at oppedahl-lists.com>
http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentcenter_oppedahl-lists.com<https://gcfagjf.r.bh.d.sendibt3.com/tr/cl/NhQyN2Dofhvj2LhukYKtXVOobQj3CjJX7MTTIAhPWxH1ywh_chyPErpGLbXpgbSfjlJvEOarEcrpqGl4_VbrnwyyN7hMyMmFzDHFmeOchaXvZ4BPVjieR1SPP_QnO5bwoTlcHIsgL1TWbeXEXo0FWRQTAFOzNPle9HnFna9q_C9sfbEioSTl2kpaQ6H7-UXHZ-jtcala5TDPYofACau3ZBTGWCl5J34mIMC_CrVxEt4Zjahl7N1eJDD8Uc-aYrmLXbfZSZyJhG2L3ITc5H79fokPYHbHIGBdBMm_xAsMg-Y_-lwVra8e_1oj2QfkqVAoeOCWdPW2WG0K4r0mg1UZ3-B3x6iYM-k>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://oppedahl-lists.com/pipermail/patentcenter_oppedahl-lists.com/attachments/20241007/223b1e43/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 332 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://oppedahl-lists.com/pipermail/patentcenter_oppedahl-lists.com/attachments/20241007/223b1e43/attachment.jpg>