The Director of the PTO, David Kappos, who was referred and pictured in the last post was supposed to speak to all of the new patent examiners (PE). Unfortunately he was not able to make it. So to start the day we went over a little bit of the mandatory background check. I took care of everything before I got here except for the follow up interview.
Next I was able to meet my new Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) and Art Unit. A SPE is the supervisor for about 13-20 PE from junior to senior level who have different signatory privileges. When I start out I will advise other PE how to act on a patent claim. Art means subject matter such as chemical and material engineering or Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Products. My Technology Center (TC) is 1700, which is chemical and material engineering. My sub class in 210 Liquid Purification or Separation under TC 1797and my home SPE is Vickie Kim.
I walked to Vickie's office on the 6th floor of the Remsen building (USPTO Alexandria Map) with all of her PE. All of the buildings are connected at the basement or concourse level, so we didn't have to go outside in this heat. On our walk and in her office, we talked on a range of topics including her path to this position (pharmacist), the benefits of this position such as job flexibility, hoteling, and law school options, and general information about the USPTO. There were cookies and store bought red velvet cakes. I was able to meet some of the PE in this group who are working from home including some one from St. Louis. Also the PEs at the office joined us i n Vickie's office. I got meet and talk to all of them. It seemed to be a pretty relaxed work environment based on the topics of conversion and the casual dress of most of the people.
After meeting them, I went back to my Academy training room for an ice breaker activity. Each person had to make a shield on a piece of paper with quadrants made up of place of origin, what I am famous for, accomplishments, and hidden talent. Under the shield had to be a motto or saying. These had to be made with a limited supply of markers to encourage people to talk to one another. My origin quadrant was easy: the state of Iowa, corn cob, and a tigerhawk. Then for the famous section, I mentioned I was an NFL owner of the Green Bay Packers. For the accomplishments I showed my international travel and for the hidden talent, I put my grilling skills. I drew so well that I was the first person nominated to be the lab artist for the lab's shield that was presented to all of the other lab groups.
After the ice breaking we got back to work with 2:30 of presentations about the Patent System and the Examiner Role & Flow of an Application. That is where we started to get the meat of what we will all be doing. This included some introduction laws and rules that can be used in an office action to deny a claim. There were also a long list of thing I can't do because what I will learn how to do and a short list of thing I can do.
Now I am home writing this blog. Tonight Jon and I are going to pick up some furniture in Clarendon, VA (Directions to Clarendon from my Townhouse) near Arlington. Then maybe a stop at the grocery store, getting my finances in order, review some information from the PTO. Who knows? Eventually this blog should have more of a balance between my job and stuff outside of it. Below is a link and a picture.
USPTO Organization Chart Hopefully I will be able to get one that shows where I am! From above this it goes Constitution - Executive Branch (President) - Cabinet (secretary of commerce) - Director of USPTO (David Kappos)
My Desk in our Lab 1 Training Room
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