I would suggest that TPower might have been referring to something along the lines of the idea that you and sula were batting back and forth. The fact that this patent may be a "keystone"(in TPowers words) in the sense that it resets the timeline on all the previous patents, not in the sense that it is needed for any products or devices currently on the roadmap.

If this is the case, then I can definitely see it as possibly being a factor in negotiations. "if patent protection was extended for x years..." A little security for the future could go a long way.

That being said, granting of patents is not an exercise that can be factored into a tight timeline. We do seem to be seeing an increase in the speed at which patents are being granted, though. And the addition of the Assistant Examiner for this patent application certainly lends support to this view. I would suggest that anything is possible with the support from the right partners.

Green