Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/31/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This is in response to the amendments filed on 12/31/2025. Claims 1, 3, 9, and 11 have been amended. Claims 1-16, with claims 17-20 being withdrawn, are currently pending and have been considered below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7 of Remarks, filed 12/31/2025, with respect to claims 1-16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) rejection of claims 1-16 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's further arguments filed 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. On pages 8 and 9 of Remarks, Applicant contends that Tanizawa does not teach or suggest, “distilling, by a quantum device at the first facility and a quantum device at the second facility and only over a quantum communication channel, the shared quantum key using a quantum key distribution protocol” because Tanizawa discloses “the use of both a classical communication channel and a quantum communication channel”. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
Paragraph 30 of Tanizawa discloses that “During the key distillation process, the node 1 exchanges control data (commonly-used digital data not including single photons; hereinafter referred to as key distillation processing data) with the node 2. Herein, the key distillation processing data may be transferred between the nodes 1 and 2 either via the optical fiber link 4 or using some other communication channel (such as the commonly-used Internet line)” (emphasis added). Specifically, Tanizawa teaches using either the existing optical fiber link already established between a transmitter of node 1 and a receiver of node 2 (i.e., a quantum communication channel), or alternatively a separate communication channel (i.e., a classical communication channel) to transfer key distillation processing data between nodes 1 and 2. While the remaining citations of Tanizawa, including the citations the examiner relied upon for these limitations (Fig. 8, steps S23 and S24 and paragraphs 130 and 132) mention a classical communication channel being utilized to exchange key distillation processing data, paragraph 30 clearly establishes that either a quantum or classical communication channel may be utilized in doing so. Thus, given the choice of utilizing the quantum communication channel, rather than the classical communication channel, for the exchanging of key distillation processing data, the examiner asserts that Tanizawa fully teaches using “only” a quantum communication channel for distilling a shared quantum key between nodes.
Therefore, for the purposes of the rejection of the present claims, the examiner maintains that that Tanizawa at least fully teaches and suggests “distilling, by a quantum device at the first facility and a quantum device at the second facility and only over a quantum communication channel, the shared quantum key using a quantum key distribution protocol”, and thus the combination of references used to reject claim 1 is maintained as recited below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in further view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953).
Regarding Claim 1:
Tanizawa teaches:
A method for quantum key distribution and secured vault-based application-to-application communication (Fig. 8; ¶0034; ¶0035), comprising:
… a shared quantum key for communication of a secret … at the first facility to an application at a second facility (¶0134, “… the link keys, which are generated by the key distillation processor 11 by performing the key distillation process, as link transmission keys 50 to be used in encrypting the application keys generated by the application key manager 14”; ¶0139, “Then, the application key manager 14 stores, in the storage 17, the generated application key as an application transmission key 52…”; ¶0143, “… the application key manager 24 stores, in the storage 27, the decrypted application key as an application transmission key 62 (an example of a second application key) to be used in encrypting the data to be transmitted by the application B and as an application reception key 63 (an example of a second application key) to be used in decrypting the data received by the application B”; i.e., a shared link key (quantum key) is used for communication of a secret application key to application B at a second node);
distilling, by a quantum device at the first facility and a quantum device at the second facility and only over a quantum communication channel (¶0030, “During the key distillation process, the node 1 exchanges control data (commonly-used digital data not including single photons; hereinafter referred to as key distillation processing data) with the node 2. Herein, the key distillation processing data may be transferred between the nodes 1 and 2 either via the optical fiber link 4…”), the shared quantum key using a quantum key distribution protocol (Fig. 8, steps S23 and S24; ¶0130; ¶0132);
…
encrypting, by the appliance at the first facility, the secret with the shared quantum key, wherein the encrypted secret is communicated to the second facility over a communication network (¶0141, “The application key manager 14 encrypts the generated application key using the link transmission keys 50 assorted as transmission keys according to the link key sharing operation; and sends the encrypted application key to the application key manager 24 of the node 2 via the cryptographic communication tunnel”);
decrypting, by an appliance at the second facility, the encrypted secret with the shared quantum key (¶0143, “When the encrypted application key is received from the application key manager 14 of the node 1, the application key manager 24 of the node 2 decrypts the application key using the link reception keys 61 assorted as reception keys according to the link key sharing operation”); and
receiving, by the application at the second facility, the secret from the appliance at the second facility (Fig. 8 - “Provision to Application B”; ¶0143, “… the application key manager 24 stores, in the storage 27, the decrypted application key as an application transmission key 62 (an example of a second application key) to be used in encrypting the data to be transmitted by the application B…”).
Tanizawa does not disclose:
receiving, at a vault application at a first facility, a request for a shared quantum key for communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility …;
receiving, by an appliance at the first facility, the secret from the vault;
Yuan teaches:
receiving, at a vault application (Fig. 1, element 150) at a first facility (Fig. 1, element 140), a request for a shared quantum key for communication of a secret (¶0035, “Subsequently, application 142 can send a request to module 150 for a key of a specific length. Module 150 can obtain a key (or key sequence) matching the specific length from a subset pool allocated to the requester … Modules 150 and 180 can perform synchronization procedures, so that a subsequent request from application 172 can return the same obtained key, as described below in relation to FIG. 5. This allows device 114 and server 132 to use the obtained key to encrypt and decrypt subsequent communications”) …
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa’s system to provide quantum keys to an application responsive to a request from the application, as taught by Yuan, in order to provide specific keys for specific applications.
The motivation is to enable applications to determine the size of a key required for secure communications prior to sending the key by allowing the applications to request keys based on a desired length. This ensures that applications are able to receive keys of an appropriate size resulting in maximizing capability and security with the application.
Tanizawa in view of Yuan does not disclose:
… communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility …
receiving, by an appliance at the first facility, the secret from the vault;
Doi teaches:
… communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility (Fig. 2 details an application key being generated via element 226a within a Key Management Agent (“the vault”) to be communicated via encryptor relay unit 224a) …
receiving, by an appliance at the first facility (Fig. 2, element 224a located at Site A), the secret from the vault (Fig. 2 details an application key being generated via element 226a within a Key Management Agent (“the vault”) and received at encryptor relay unit 224a);
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan’s transmitting node to store an application key within a secure vault, as taught by Doi, in order to prevent the application key from being externally accessible while at rest.
The motivation is to increase the security of a secure communication system by ensuring that keys required for secure communications are stored in a secure environment prior to being transmitted. This reduces the probability that a side-channel attack would be successful in obtaining the key.
Regarding Claim 2:
The method of claim 1, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches the quantum communication channel comprises a direct fiber optic communication channel between the quantum device at the first facility and the quantum device at the second facility (Tanizawa, ¶0030, “The node 1 represents a transmitter (a quantum key distribution device, or a QKD device) that transmits, to the node 2 via the optical fiber link 4, a photon string that is generated using a laser and that is made of single photons which serve as the basis for generating cryptographic keys”).
Regarding Claim 3:
The method of claim 1, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches the appliance at the first facility comprises shared onboard module to a router (Doi, Fig. 2, element 224a; ¶0038, ““Key relay” is a function that transfers application keys to another site, encrypts the application keys using quantum cryptographic communication and transfers the application keys to another site”; i.e., the relay unit acts as both an encryptor and “router” of out-going encrypted application keys).
The motivation to reject claim 3 by applying Doi to the combination of Tanizawa in view of Yuan is the same motivation applied in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 4:
The method of claim 1, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches the communication network comprises the Internet (Tanizawa, ¶0030, “using some other communication channel (such as the commonly-used Internet line)”).
Regarding Claim 5:
The method of claim 1, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches the application at the second facility is configured to encrypt or decrypt data with the secret (Tanizawa, ¶0035, “The application B receives an application key shared by the node 2 with the node 1; encrypts or decrypts data using that application key…”).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in further view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953) in further view of “Bush” (US 2021/0083864).
Regarding Claim 6:
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches:
The method of claim 1, …
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi does not disclose:
… further comprising: replacing, by the quantum device at the first facility and the quantum device at the second facility and over the quantum communication channel, the shared quantum key.
Bush teaches:
… further comprising: replacing, by the quantum device at the first facility and the quantum device at the second facility and over the quantum communication channel, the shared quantum key (¶0053, “. For example, the communication device 208 may transmit a first quantum key such that the first quantum key arrives at the assigned end device at the scheduled start time of the validity lifetime for that first quantum key. Similarly, the end device receives a new quantum key to replace the previous one at the scheduled end time of the previous quantum key”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum devices to refresh quantum keys, as taught by Bush, in order to ensure that the quantum keys do not become stale.
The motivation is to ensure that quantum keys used for secure communications are only valid for a specific lifetime, which reduces the staleness of the keys thereby limiting a potential window where the keys may be leaked and/or become vulnerable.
Claim(s) 7, 9-13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in further view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953) in further view of “Wilson” (US 2024/0056290).
Regarding Claim 7:
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches:
The method of claim 1, …
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi does not disclose:
… wherein the application at the second facility comprises a second vault application executed by a vault server cluster at the second facility.
Wilson teaches:
… wherein the application at the second facility comprises a second vault application executed by a vault server cluster at the second facility (Fig. 1, element 100; ¶0018, “A key 132 that SPU 120 uses to encrypt its DEK 142 and decrypt the EDEK 152 is referred to herein as the key encryption key (KEK) 132. KEK 132 may be randomly generated at cluster formation time. More particularly, a process for configuring secure cluster storage 100 includes generation of KEK 132”; ¶0020, “FIG. 4 illustrates a setup process in which a key encryption key and a data encryption key may be distributed in a secure cluster storage system”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s application at a second site to implement a key vault on a server cluster, as taught by Wilson, in order to implement a computing environment with improved performance while maintaining desired levels of security.
The motivation is to implement a server cluster to improve performance, capacity, and reliability of a computer while also implementing security storage systems on the cluster that protect secret data such as encryption keys (Wilson, ¶0001).
Regarding Claim 9:
Tanizawa teaches:
A system (Fig. 7; Fig. 8), comprising:
a first facility (Fig. 7, element 1) comprising a vault (Fig. 7, element 17) …, a first quantum hardware device (Fig. 7, elements 10 & 11), and a first appliance (Fig. 7, element 14; ¶0106, “The application key manager 14 … encrypts the application key using the link transmission keys stored in the storage 17”), …
a second facility (Fig. 7, element 2) comprising a second hardware quantum device (Fig. 7, elements 20 & 21), a second appliance (Fig. 7, element 24), and an application (Fig. 7 - “… to Application”);
wherein:
… a shared quantum key for communication of a secret … at the first facility to an application at a second facility (¶0134, “… the link keys, which are generated by the key distillation processor 11 by performing the key distillation process, as link transmission keys 50 to be used in encrypting the application keys generated by the application key manager 14”; ¶0139, “Then, the application key manager 14 stores, in the storage 17, the generated application key as an application transmission key 52…”; ¶0143, “… the application key manager 24 stores, in the storage 27, the decrypted application key as an application transmission key 62 (an example of a second application key) to be used in encrypting the data to be transmitted by the application B and as an application reception key 63 (an example of a second application key) to be used in decrypting the data received by the application B”; i.e., a shared link key (quantum key) is used for communication of a secret application key to application B at a second node);
the first quantum hardware device and the second hardware quantum device distill the shared quantum key only over a quantum communication channel (¶0030, “During the key distillation process, the node 1 exchanges control data (commonly-used digital data not including single photons; hereinafter referred to as key distillation processing data) with the node 2. Herein, the key distillation processing data may be transferred between the nodes 1 and 2 either via the optical fiber link 4…”) using a quantum key distribution protocol (Fig. 8, steps S23 and S24; ¶0130; ¶0132);
the first appliance … encrypts the secret with the shared quantum key (¶0141, “The application key manager 14 encrypts the generated application key using the link transmission keys 50 assorted as transmission keys according to the link key sharing operation; and sends the encrypted application key to the application key manager 24 of the node 2 via the cryptographic communication tunnel”);
the second appliance receives the encrypted secret over a communication network and decrypts the encrypted secret with the shared quantum key (¶0143, “When the encrypted application key is received from the application key manager 14 of the node 1, the application key manager 24 of the node 2 decrypts the application key using the link reception keys 61 assorted as reception keys according to the link key sharing operation”); and
the application at the second facility receives the secret from the second appliance at the second facility (Fig. 8 - “Provision to Application B”; ¶0143, “… the application key manager 24 stores, in the storage 27, the decrypted application key as an application transmission key 62 (an example of a second application key) to be used in encrypting the data to be transmitted by the application B…”).
Tanizawa does not disclose:
a first facility comprising a vault server cluster … the vault server cluster comprising at least one computer processor;
a vault application executed by the at least one computer processor in the vault server cluster receives a request for a shared quantum key for communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility …
the first appliance receives the secret from the vault …
Yuan teaches:
a vault application (Fig. 1, element 150) executed by the at least one computer processor in the …server (Fig. 1, element 140) … receives a request for a shared quantum key for communication of a secret (¶0035, “Subsequently, application 142 can send a request to module 150 for a key of a specific length. Module 150 can obtain a key (or key sequence) matching the specific length from a subset pool allocated to the requester … Modules 150 and 180 can perform synchronization procedures, so that a subsequent request from application 172 can return the same obtained key, as described below in relation to FIG. 5. This allows device 114 and server 132 to use the obtained key to encrypt and decrypt subsequent communications”) …
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa’s system to provide quantum keys to an application responsive to a request from the application, as taught by Yuan, in order to provide specific keys for specific applications.
The motivation is to enable applications to determine the size of a key required for secure communications prior to sending the key by allowing the applications to request keys based on a desired length. This ensures that applications are able to receive keys of an appropriate size resulting in maximizing capability and security with the application.
Tanizawa in view of Yuan does not disclose:
a first facility comprising a vault server cluster … the vault server cluster comprising at least one computer processor;
… communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility …
the first appliance receives the secret from the vault …
Doi teaches:
… communication of a secret stored in a vault at the first facility (Fig. 2 details an application key being generated via element 226a within a Key Management Agent (“the vault”) to be communicated via encryptor relay unit 224a) …
the first appliance receives (Fig. 2, element 224a located at Site A) the secret from the vault (Fig. 2 details an application key being generated via element 226a within a Key Management Agent (“the vault”) and received at encryptor relay unit 224a) …
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan’s transmitting node to store an application key within a secure vault, as taught by Doi, in order to prevent the application key from being externally accessible while at rest.
The motivation is to increase the security of a secure communication system by ensuring that keys required for secure communications are stored in a secure environment prior to being transmitted. This reduces the probability that a side-channel attack would be successful in obtaining the key.
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi does not disclose:
a first facility comprising a vault server cluster … the vault server cluster comprising at least one computer processor;
Wilson teaches:
a first facility comprising a vault server cluster (Fig. 1, element 100; ¶0018, “A key 132 that SPU 120 uses to encrypt its DEK 142 and decrypt the EDEK 152 is referred to herein as the key encryption key (KEK) 132. KEK 132 may be randomly generated at cluster formation time. More particularly, a process for configuring secure cluster storage 100 includes generation of KEK 132”; ¶0020, “FIG. 4 illustrates a setup process in which a key encryption key and a data encryption key may be distributed in a secure cluster storage system”) … the vault server cluster comprising at least one computer processor (Fig. 1, element 120-1);
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s server(s) to implement a key vault on a server cluster, as taught by Wilson, in order to implement a computing environment with improved performance while maintaining desired levels of security.
The motivation is to implement a server cluster to improve performance, capacity, and reliability of a computer while also implementing security storage systems on the cluster that protect secret data such as encryption keys (Wilson, ¶0001).
Regarding Claim 10:
The system of claim 9, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson teaches the quantum communication channel comprises a direct fiber optic communication channel between the quantum device at the first facility and the quantum device at the second facility (Tanizawa, ¶0030, “The node 1 represents a transmitter (a quantum key distribution device, or a QKD device) that transmits, to the node 2 via the optical fiber link 4, a photon string that is generated using a laser and that is made of single photons which serve as the basis for generating cryptographic keys”).
Regarding Claim 11:
The system of claim 9, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson teaches the first appliance at the first facility comprises shared onboard module to a router (Doi, Fig. 2, element 224a; ¶0038, ““Key relay” is a function that transfers application keys to another site, encrypts the application keys using quantum cryptographic communication and transfers the application keys to another site”; i.e., the relay unit acts as both an encryptor and “router” of out-going encrypted application keys).
The motivation to reject claim 11 by applying Doi to the combination of Tanizawa in view of Yuan is the same motivation applied in the rejection of claim 9 above.
Regarding Claim 12:
The system of claim 9, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson teaches the communication network comprises the Internet (Tanizawa, ¶0030, “using some other communication channel (such as the commonly-used Internet line)”).
Regarding Claim 13:
The system of claim 9, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson teaches the application at the second facility is configured to encrypt or decrypt data with the secret (Tanizawa, ¶0035, “The application B receives an application key shared by the node 2 with the node 1; encrypts or decrypts data using that application key…”).
Regarding Claim 15:
The system of claim 9, wherein Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson teaches the application at the second facility comprises a second vault server cluster at the second facility (Wilson, Fig. 1, element 100; ¶0018, “A key 132 that SPU 120 uses to encrypt its DEK 142 and decrypt the EDEK 152 is referred to herein as the key encryption key (KEK) 132. KEK 132 may be randomly generated at cluster formation time. More particularly, a process for configuring secure cluster storage 100 includes generation of KEK 132”; ¶0020, “FIG. 4 illustrates a setup process in which a key encryption key and a data encryption key may be distributed in a secure cluster storage system”).
The motivation used to reject claim 15 by applying Wilson to the combination of Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi is the same motivation applied in the rejection of claim 9 above.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in further view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953) in further view of “Hay” (US 2021/0044433).
Regarding Claim 8:
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi teaches:
The method of claim 1, …
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi does not disclose:
… wherein the first facility and the second facility are within a data center or location.
Hay teaches:
… wherein the first facility and the second facility are within a data center or location (Fig. 5C details two separate quantum devices (“Alice Blade” and “Bob Blade”) implemented within a single trusted node; ¶0041, “Data can be communicated between blades encrypted by a quantum key, encrypted by another key such as a shelf key used among blades on a shelf in a Trusted Node”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in further view of Doi’s quantum devices to be co-located within a single node, as taught by Hay, in order to localize processing for easier administrative support.
The motivation is to provide a convenient means for an administrator to provide support for and/or troubleshoot a quantum system by implementing separate entities of the quantum system within a local node rather than separate nodes. This also has a benefit of reducing hardware space requirements, as each node can house multiple quantum devices as blades.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953) in view of “Wilson” (US 2024/0056290) in further view of “Bush” (US 2021/0083864).
Regarding Claim 14:
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi further view of Wilson teaches:
The system of claim 9, …
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson does not disclose:
… wherein the first quantum hardware device and the second quantum hardware device refresh the shared quantum key over the communication channel.
Bush teaches:
… wherein the first quantum hardware device and the second quantum hardware device refresh the shared quantum key over the communication channel (¶0053, “. For example, the communication device 208 may transmit a first quantum key such that the first quantum key arrives at the assigned end device at the scheduled start time of the validity lifetime for that first quantum key. Similarly, the end device receives a new quantum key to replace the previous one at the scheduled end time of the previous quantum key”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson’s quantum devices to refresh quantum keys, as taught by Bush, in order to ensure that the quantum keys do not become stale.
The motivation is to ensure that quantum keys used for secure communications are only valid for a specific lifetime, which reduces the staleness of the keys thereby limiting a potential window where the keys may be leaked and/or become vulnerable.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Tanizawa” (US 2016/0285629) in view of “Yuan” (US 2017/0237558) in view of “Doi” (US 2023/0299953) in view of “Wilson” (US 2024/0056290) in further view of “Hay” (US 2021/0044433).
Regarding Claim 16:
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi further view of Wilson teaches:
The system of claim 9, …
Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson does not disclose:
… wherein the first facility and the second facility are within the same data center or location.
Hay teaches:
… wherein the first facility and the second facility are within the same data center or location (Fig. 5C details two separate quantum devices (“Alice Blade” and “Bob Blade”) implemented within a single trusted node; ¶0041, “Data can be communicated between blades encrypted by a quantum key, encrypted by another key such as a shelf key used among blades on a shelf in a Trusted Node”).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson’s quantum key distribution system by enhancing Tanizawa in view of Yuan in view of Doi in further view of Wilson’s quantum devices to be co-located within a single node, as taught by Hay, in order to localize processing for easier administrative support.
The motivation is to provide a convenient means for an administrator to provide support for and/or troubleshoot a quantum system by implementing separate entities of the quantum system within a local node rather than separate nodes. This also has a benefit of reducing hardware space requirements, as each node can house multiple quantum devices as blades.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL B POTRATZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5329. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 A.M. - 6 P.M. CST.
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/DANIEL B POTRATZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2491