Most Important Results
|
| Status | Number of Measures |
|---|---|
| Blue: exceeded performance target | 9 |
| Green: met performance target | 28 |
| Yellow: almost met performance target | 2 |
| Red: did not meet performance target | 0 |
The Department achieved success in 95 percent of the targets that were set.
The Department has begun efforts to strengthen IPR for enhancing protection for copyrights, geographical indications, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other forms of IP with representatives from many countries throughout the world, including those in which the United States is negotiating or has negotiated FTAs.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) strives to meet its goals of reducing pendency through an approach that includes hiring sufficient numbers of new examiners, retention of experienced staff, outsourcing, exploring work sharing with other patent offices, process reform through revised rules of practice, and training. In FY 2006 1,218 new patent examiners were hired. Additionally, USPTO has completed an agreement with the Australian Intellectual Property Office that competitively awarded a contract for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) searches in FY 2007 and beyond, which will free examiners to focus on the examination of national applications. In January 2006, USPTO launched an academy approach to training entry-level patent examiners aimed at graduating examiners sufficiently skilled to produce quality examinations with reduced oversight. New employees are given in-depth training for up to eight months that combines technical and legal instruction, practical applications, small group study, and one-on-one assistance with real applications. The goal is for competency to improve and attritions of new hires to decrease. Approximately 600 new examiners participated in this program in 2006.
Two of the measures USPTO uses to gauge patent quality are the allowance error rate and the in-process examination compliance rate. In FY 2006, efforts to improve quality resulted in an allowance error rate of 3.5 percent, 12.5 percent better than the goal of 4.0 percent. At 90 percent in-process examination compliance, USPTO exceeded its goal of 86 percent.
The public Patent Application and Information Retrieval (PAIR) offers the public an advanced electronic portal for PDF viewing, downloading, and printing an array of information and documents for patent applications not covered by confidentiality laws. Public PAIR also offers a quick-click feature for ordering certified copies of patent applications and application files. The private PAIR system allows applicants access to the file history of their applications. In FY 2006, over 24.1 million search requests were made in public PAIR, and 2.7 million requests in private PAIR. In March 2006, USPTO fully deployed an enhanced electronic filing system (EFS-Web). The system was designed with extensive applicant input to improve the ease of e-filing. E-filing reduces errors and expedites processing by eliminating the scanning and indexing required for paper applications. USPTO met its FY 2006 goal of 10.0 percent of patent applications filed electronically.
The Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has long been one of the world’s foremost research laboratories for measurement science and standards. Its reputation was further enhanced when John L. (Jan) Hall was named a co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics in October for his work at NIST to develop the laser as a precision measurement tool. With this achievement, NIST is now the home to three Nobel Laureates.
In March, NIST physicists—building on a precision laser calibration technique developed by Hall—announced a highly sensitive new tool for real-time chemical analysis, even in minuscule gas samples. Their new technology could dramatically enhance the speed and accuracy of chemistry laboratories, environmental monitoring stations, security sites screening for explosives or biochemical weapons, and medical offices where a patient’s breath could be analyzed to monitor disease.
NIST researchers also continued to push the limits of quantum physics and quantum information technology (IT), announcing in December a groundbreaking quantum experiment that set a new record for simultaneously confining individual atoms and controlling their quantum states—work that impacts the design of quantum computers and could lead to improved precision instruments such as atomic clocks. In June NIST researchers announced the development of a novel electromagnetic “trap” for ions that may lead to practical quantum computers.
The Technology Administration/Under Secretary (TA/US) issued a report on recycling of electronic products that detailed how a patchwork of state laws governing waste management and recycling issues could potentially impact the competitiveness of the U.S. technology industry. Disparate requirements can lead to uncertainties, inefficiencies, and high compliance costs that could impede U.S. industry’s ability to compete and innovate. The report found that although the electronics industry agrees on the need for a national recycling system, there is no consensus among stakeholders over how to achieve a national system of electronics recycling. The report includes descriptions of recycling laws and programs throughout the country and the world, and provides comments received from 44 companies, associations, state and local agencies, and others engaged on this issue.
TA/US continued its efforts to advance the commercialization of emerging and promising Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology through its leadership on the Department RFID Working Group and joint leadership with the Department of Defense (DOD) on the RFID Intra-Government Council. TA/US actively advanced U.S. interests in discussions with government officials in China and the European Commission.
In FY 2006, the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) built on the strategic plan it updated in 2005 to launch strategic initiatives in human capital and in business process re-engineering of mission critical processes. NTIS continues to develop a detailed strategic roadmap that responds to changes in the information acquisition and dissemination environment. NTIS’s strategic plan supports both the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) and the Department’s strategic plan.
In FY 2006, NTIS maintained its status as an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved provider of e-learning and knowledge management solutions. NTIS worked with OPM’s Human Resources Line of Business (HR LOB)/Human Resources Development (HRD) program, formerly the e-Training Initiative, towards realizing its vision to create a premier e-learning environment that supports the federal workforce and advances the accomplishment of Agency missions through simplified and one-stop access to high quality e-learning products, services, and performance support tools. As an approved service provider, NTIS has developed joint venture partnerships with industry, in order to provide federal agencies with the best-of-breed e-learning and knowledge management solutions, in a secure government-hosted environment. NTIS has also established distribution agreements with E-Cornell and the University of Management and Technology (UMT) in order to provide discounted tuition for online certificate programs in management training and executive development as part of an initiative to provide a rigorous, scalable, and cost-effective learning to government employees.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) provided information to assist coordination in the 1710-1755 MHz band, to facilitate the transition of this band from federal government use to non-federal use. Specifically, guidance was provided to assist Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) licensees in this band to begin implementing service during the transition of federal operations from the band while providing interference protection to incumbent federal government operations until they have been relocated to other frequency bands or technologies.
NTIA released the final report on the technical and economic issues related to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) adoption in the United States, including the appropriate role of government, international interoperability, security in transition, and costs and benefits of IPv6 deployment. The report was developed by the IPv6 Task Force, led by NTIA and NIST.
NTIA began extensive preparations for the administration of programs established by the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Fund, created by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This fund receives offsetting receipts from the auction of electromagnetic spectrum recovered from discontinued analog television signals, and provides funding for several programs from these receipts. Programs authorized by the act include the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Voucher Program, Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grants, New York City 9/11 Digital Transition, Assistance to Low-Power Television Stations, National Alert and Tsunami Warning Program, and Enhanced 9-1-1 Service Support.
Use the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative to help the United States to drive and take advantage of the increased pace of technological change: The Department will ensure that NIST continues to fulfill its mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve U.S. quality of life. Technological innovation is vital to U.S. economic growth, the nation’s industries, and U.S. workers. The Department’s key role in the American Competitiveness Initiative, which strives to keep the nation strong and secure by ensuring that the United States continues to lead the world in science and technology (S&T), reflects the importance of innovation to its economic future. NIST will continue to conduct high-priority research, identify technical measurement barriers to innovation, and transfer technical knowledge developed to the private sector as part of efforts to drive this initiative. Next-generation measurement and standards needs require NIST to focus its long-term research efforts on specific interdisciplinary technology areas where inadequate technical infrastructure is a barrier to innovation, commercialization, and public benefit.
Program priorities are developed through interactions with internal and external stakeholders in industry, academia, and other federal agencies. For example, the new NIST-private sector assessment of the U.S. Measurement System (USMS) is fundamental to identifying critical barriers to technological innovation and shaping NIST’s future research priorities.
As S&T advances, the need for more sophisticated and demanding measurement science and standards grows. NIST can develop and provide these capabilities and services only in environmentally stable and safe research and measurement laboratories. In order to successfully fulfill the requirements of its mission, NIST must continue to invest in improving its facilities and infrastructure.
USPTO’s patent and trademark operations are rapidly moving to eliminate paper documents from their processes: Electronic communications will continue to be improved, encouraging more applicants to do business electronically with the delivery of Web-based text and image search systems. Patent and trademark operations have made significant progress in achieving the long-term goal to create an e-government operation, and the Office now relies exclusively on trademark data submitted or captured electronically to support examination, publish documents, and print registrations.
Furthering radio spectrum policy for 21st century: The Department will better manage the nation’s airwaves, enhance homeland and economic security, increase benefits to consumers, and ensure U.S. leadership in high-technology innovations.
Ensuring broader availability and support for new sources of advanced telecommunications and information: Furthering technology will continue to open new opportunities for everything people do in their lives. The Department will continue its efforts to lead the way in the next-generation Internet Protocols, ultra wideband technology (UWB), wireless broadband applications, and wireless sensor technologies.