What criteria does an examiner use to grant an interview after final rejection?

An examiner will grant an interview after final rejection if they believe it can lead to a resolution with minimal additional consideration. According to MPEP 713.09:

Such an interview may be granted if the examiner is convinced that disposal or clarification for appeal may be accomplished with only nominal further consideration.

This means the examiner must see a clear path to either allowing the application or clarifying issues for appeal without extensive additional work.

To learn more:

• patent examination
• final rejection
• interview criteria
• patent procedure