DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the portion of the plurality of computer systems" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 9-12 are rejected based on their dependency to Claim 5 for the reasons stated above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hertzberg et al., hereinafter Hertzberg, US Publication No. 2019/0165244.
Regarding Claim 1, Hertzberg teaches an apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor (Hertzberg Figs. 5 and 14 and paragraph [0060] and [0099]-[0100], see processor of the computing device 710); and
at least one memory storing program code (Hertzberg Fig. 14 and paragraph [0101]-[0102], see memory) that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to centrally manage a plurality of computer systems configured to respectively perform a laser annealing process on a plurality of quantum computing-based devices configured to function as a modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0056] and [0060]-[0061], wherein programs for laser annealing a quantum device comprising a plurality of qubits, i.e. quantum computing-based devices, may be on separate computing devices, with the device comprising the anneal program controlling the other computing devices comprising the other programs to perform annealing, e.g. qubit fabrication program and anneal database).
Regarding Claim 2, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises generating a tuning plan for the modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0061], [0069] and [0078], wherein annealing strategies, e.g. tuning plans, are determined to modify the qubits to reduce collisions and reduce performance variations due to manufacturing).
Regarding Claim 3, Hertzberg further teaches wherein the tuning plan for the modular quantum device is based on at least one of: one or more modularity parameters, one or more modularity constraints, and one or more screening criteria (Hertzberg paragraphs [0073] and [0075], wherein tuning is performed as a result of monitoring or screening of parameters of the qubits).
Regarding Claim 4, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises sending data to the plurality of computer systems to enable the computer systems to respectively perform the laser annealing process on the corresponding plurality of quantum computing-based devices in accordance with the tuning plan for the modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraph [0061], wherein data is sent to other programs which may be on other computing devices, e.g. the anneal program sends data to the anneal database, which subsequently sends data to the qubit fabrication program to modify the qubits).
Regarding Claim 5, Hertzberg further teaches wherein sending the data to the portion of the plurality of computer systems is performed in a synchronized manner to enable coordinated performance of the laser annealing process across the plurality of computer systems (Hertzberg paragraph [0060], wherein all the computing devices communicate with each other to transfer data).
Regarding Claim 6, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises receiving data associated with the plurality of computer systems following respective performance of at least one iteration of the laser annealing process on the corresponding plurality of quantum computing-based devices configured to function as the modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0073]-[0075], wherein measurement data is received from measuring devices after iterations of annealing).
Regarding Claim 7, Hertzberg further teaches wherein at least a portion of the data sent to, and received from, the plurality of computer systems is stored in a database (Hertzberg paragraph [0062], wherein the anneal database stores data from the other programs on separate computing devices).
Regarding Claim 8, Hertzberg further teaches wherein the database is at least one of local to the apparatus and remote from the apparatus (Hertzberg paragraph [0060], wherein the anneal database may be on a different computing device).
Regarding Claim 9, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises analyzing at least a portion of the received data and adjusting a subsequent performance of the laser annealing process at one or more of the plurality of computer systems based on the analyzing of the portion of the received data (Hertzberg paragraphs [0068]-[0069], wherein measurements are analyzed to determine subsequent adjustments to the annealing process).
Regarding Claim 10, Hertzberg further teaches wherein the analyzing at least a portion of the received data further comprises performing a yield analysis to assess yield results of a previous performance of the laser annealing process at the portion of the plurality of computer systems (Hertzberg paragraph [0073], wherein the yield of the qubits is analyzed).
Regarding Claim 11, Hertzberg further teaches wherein the adjusting a subsequent performance of the laser annealing process at one or more of the plurality of computer systems further comprises modifying one or more aspects of the tuning plan for one or more of the plurality of computer systems (Hertzberg paragraphs [0067]-[0071], wherein subsequent annealing utilizes different annealing parameters to meet design specifications).
Regarding Claim 12, Hertzberg further teaches wherein modifying the one or more aspects of the laser annealing process further comprises changing one or more of a yield target value, a frequency configuration, and the one or more quantum computing-based devices corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of computer systems (Hertzberg paragraph [0061], wherein frequency configurations are changed with annealing).
Regarding Claim 13, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises causing calibration of the plurality of computer systems prior to respective performance of the laser annealing process on the plurality of quantum computing-based devices (Hertzberg paragraph [0062], wherein the anneal database comprises calibration data which adjusts settings of the anneal process prior to fabrication).
Regarding Claim 14, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises receiving calibration data from the plurality of computer systems following calibration (Hertzberg paragraph [0069], wherein performance of annealing at different setpoints generates calibration data that is stored in the anneal database).
Regarding Claim 15, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises tracking in a database one or more qubit junctions in each of the plurality of quantum computing-based devices with respect to a chip identifier, a wafer identifier, and a laser annealing process identifier (Hertzberg paragraph [0062], wherein the anneals database keeps track of qubit junction information with respect to a chip, and includes laser annealing process information).
Regarding Claim 16, Hertzberg further teaches wherein at least part of centrally managing the plurality of computer systems is implemented via an inter-device control module (Hertzberg paragraphs [0057] and [0060], see network which has corresponding network devices).
Regarding Claim 17, Hertzberg teaches a method, comprising:
centrally managing a plurality of computer systems configured to respectively perform a laser annealing process on a plurality of quantum computing-based devices configured to function as a modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0056] and [0060]-[0061], wherein programs for laser annealing a quantum device comprising a plurality of qubits, i.e. quantum computing-based devices, may be on separate computing devices, with the device comprising the anneal program controlling the other computing devices comprising the other programs to perform annealing, e.g. qubit fabrication program and anneal database).
Regarding Claim 18, Hertzberg further teaches wherein centrally managing the plurality of computer systems further comprises generating a tuning plan for the modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0061], [0069] and [0078], wherein annealing strategies, e.g. tuning plans, are determined to modify the qubits to reduce collisions and reduce performance variations due to manufacturing).
Regarding Claim 19, Hertzberg further teaches wherein the tuning plan for the modular quantum device is based on at least one of: one or more modularity parameters, one or more modularity constraints, and one or more screening criteria (Hertzberg paragraphs [0073] and [0075], wherein tuning is performed as a result of monitoring or screening of parameters of the qubits).
Regarding Claim 20, Hertzberg teaches a computer system architecture, comprising:
a plurality of first computer systems, wherein the plurality of first computer systems is configured to respectively perform a laser annealing process on a plurality of quantum computing-based devices configured to function as a modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0056] and [0060]-[0061], wherein programs for laser annealing a quantum device comprising a plurality of qubits, i.e. quantum computing-based devices, may be on separate computing devices, with the devices not comprising the anneal program being a first plurality of computer systems); and
a second computer system operatively coupled to the plurality of first computer systems, wherein the second computer system is configured to centrally manage the laser annealing process respectively performed by the plurality of first computer systems on the plurality of quantum computing-based devices configured to function as the modular quantum device (Hertzberg paragraphs [0056] and [0060]-[0061], wherein the computing device comprising the annealing program is a second computer system which manages the other computing devices comprising the other programs for performing annealing).
Conclusion
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/ERIC D LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851
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