Appendix D

Appendix D. Pain Points and Capability Gaps
Table D-1. Pain points and capability gaps
Workflow
Pain Point ID
Workflow Stage
Current-State Problem
Why It Takes Time
Capability Examiners Do Not Currently Have
Potential SI Support
Pain Points and Gaps
P-01
Case review
Examiners must manually read the specification, claims, and sequence listing Files can be long, technical, and sequence-heavy
Automated case-file synthesis into a search-ready summary SI-assisted case summarization
Pain Points and Gaps
P-02
Search-target identification
Examiners must manually identify all relevant SEQ ID NOs, fragments, variants, and claim qualifiers Claims may contain many sequence embodiments and structural limitations Automated extraction of search-relevant sequence features SI feature extraction
Pain Points and Gaps
P-03
Search-strategy development
Examiners must manually determine search type, parameters, and database selection Search logic depends on detailed technical judgment
Automated recommendation of focused sequence-search strategies SI strategy generation
Pain Points and Gaps
P-04
Broad claims
Large numbers of claimed sequences create grouping and scope problems Queries must be organized carefully to reflect claim breadth Automated query grouping and over-limit planning support SI query grouping and request drafting
Pain Points and Gaps
P-05
Result review
ABSS can generate large, multi-file outputs across multiple databases Examiner must manually inspect many hits, alignments, and duplicate records Automated triage, ranking, and clustering of result files SI result prioritization
Pain Points and Gaps
P-06
Reference identification
Examiners must manually connect sequence hits to underlying references Identifier-to-reference mapping is repetitive and slow
Automated linking and prioritization of source references SI reference mapping
Pain Points and Gaps
P-07
Cross-file synthesis
Relevant hits may be distributed across many files and databases Examiner must reconcile overlapping records manually
Automated cross-file consolidation and summary
SI cross-result synthesis
Pain Points and Gaps
P-08
Documentation
Examiners must summarize search work and rationale manually Requires reconstructing and condensing a complex workflow Automated drafting of examiner-editable search summaries SI documentation support