The U.S. Patent Office currently has an accelerated examination program.
If your incoeme is below $150,000/yr and you have filed less than 3 prior non-provisional patent applications at the U.S. Patent Office then the fee to the government, effective January 1, 2014, will be $1,130 additional for accelerated examination.
If you don't meet the above requirements, then the additional fee to the government will be $2,130.
Your application will be examined in about four months, with the goal of getting the case issued within a year. It really works. One of our patents, filed and issued using this method, is available here: Remote Control Solar Panel.