Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/616,108

PERIODIC FILTERS FOR QUANTUM COMMUNICATION LINKS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Mar 25, 2024
Examiner
GHEYAS, SYED I
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
International Business Machines Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
87%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allowance Rate
559 granted / 677 resolved
+22.6% vs TC avg
Minimal +4% lift
Without
With
+4.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 0m
Avg Prosecution
37 currently pending
Career history
696
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
80.0%
+40.0% vs TC avg
§102
11.7%
-28.3% vs TC avg
§112
3.6%
-36.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 677 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on March 25, 2024 was in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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, 6, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bronn et al. (“Broadband filters for abatement of spontaneous emission in circuit quantum electrodynamics” - (2015)). Regarding Claim 1, Bronn et al. discloses an interconnect system, comprising: a first unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends”); and PNG media_image1.png 750 394 media_image1.png Greyscale a second unit section having an inner conductor with a impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends”), wherein the first unit section and the second unit section are alternatingly repeated to result in a cable structured as a periodic filter having a selected passband and a selected stopband (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends … modeled and measured transmission and reflection characteristics of our filter are shown in Fig. 1(c), featuring a wide stopband from 2–6 GHz and passband around 6.5 GHz”). Regarding Claim 6, Bronn et al., as applied to claim 1, discloses the interconnect system, wherein: the first unit section and second unit section each have a conducting shield (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – the first unit section and the second unit section each have two coplanar ground planes and they can be considered as conducting shields); and the inner conductor of the first unit section has a width that is smaller than a width of the inner conductor of the second unit section (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – first unit section comprising Zhi and second unit section comprising Zlo). Regarding Claim 10, Bronn et al., as applied to claim 1, discloses the interconnect system, wherein: the first and second unit sections are different in structure (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1); and the alternately repeated first and second unit sections are configured as a stepped impedance filter (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1). Regarding Claim 11, Bronn et al., as applied to claim 1, discloses the interconnect system, wherein the first unit section has a gap, between the inner conductor and a conducting shield, that is larger than a gap between the inner conductor and the conducting shield of the second unit section ((Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – first unit section comprising Zhi and second unit section comprising Zlo; the first unit section and the second unit section each have two coplanar ground planes and they can be considered as conducting shields). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 14-20 are allowed. The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding Claim 14: The prior art of record to the examiner’s knowledge does not teach or render obvious the instant invention, particularly characterized by a quantum communication link, comprising: a first unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance; a second unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance, and an inductance, wherein the first unit section and the second unit section are alternatingly repeated to result in a cable structured as a periodic filter having a selected passband and a selected stopband; a first qubit coupled to a first end of the cable; and a second qubit coupled to a second end of the cable. The most relevant prior art reference due to Bronn et al. (“Broadband filters for abatement of spontaneous emission in circuit quantum electrodynamics” - (2015)) substantially discloses a quantum communication link, comprising: PNG media_image1.png 750 394 media_image1.png Greyscale a first unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends”); a second unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance, and an inductance, wherein the first unit section and the second unit section are alternatingly repeated to result in a cable structured as a periodic filter having a selected passband and a selected stopband (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends … modeled and measured transmission and reflection characteristics of our filter are shown in Fig. 1(c), featuring a wide stopband from 2–6 GHz and passband around 6.5 GHz”); a first qubit coupled to a first end of the cable (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1); and This prior art, however, does not disclose a quantum communication link, comprising: a first qubit coupled to a first end of the cable; and a second qubit coupled to a second end of the cable. Additionally, the prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892. However, none of these prior art references indicated above or the prior arts made of record in form PTO-892, disclose all the limitations of claim 14 (the individual limitations may be found in a plurality of prior arts but there is no motivation to combine). Because no reference alone teaches all the limitations, nor is there any motivation to combine the prior arts to construct all the limitations of this independent claim, claim 14 is deemed patentable over the prior arts. Regarding Claims 15-19: these claims are allowed because of their dependency status from claim 14. Regarding Claim 20: The prior art of record to the examiner’s knowledge does not teach or render obvious the instant invention, particularly characterized by a method of providing a quantum communication link, comprising: providing a first unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance; providing a second unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance; alternatingly repeating the first unit section and the second unit section to result in a cable structured as a periodic filter having a selected passband and a selected stopband; coupling a first qubit to a first end of the cable; and coupling a second qubit coupled to a second end of the cable. The most relevant prior art reference due to Bronn et al. (“Broadband filters for abatement of spontaneous emission in circuit quantum electrodynamics” - (2015)) substantially discloses a quantum communication link, comprising: a first unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance and an inductance (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends”); PNG media_image1.png 750 394 media_image1.png Greyscale a second unit section having an inner conductor with a predetermined impedance based on a capacitance, and an inductance, wherein the first unit section and the second unit section are alternatingly repeated to result in a cable structured as a periodic filter having a selected passband and a selected stopband (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1 – states “we present the SIPF, consisting of alternating sections of high and low impedance coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines … alternating Zlo = 25Ω and Zhi = 120 Ω CPW sections with the Zlo sections forming the ends … modeled and measured transmission and reflection characteristics of our filter are shown in Fig. 1(c), featuring a wide stopband from 2–6 GHz and passband around 6.5 GHz”); a first qubit coupled to a first end of the cable (Pages 1-2; Fig. 1); and This prior art, however, does not disclose a method of providing a quantum communication link, comprising: coupling a first qubit to a first end of the cable; and coupling a second qubit coupled to a second end of the cable. Additionally, the prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892. However, none of these prior art references indicated above or the prior arts made of record in form PTO-892, disclose all the limitations of claim 20 (the individual limitations may be found in a plurality of prior arts but there is no motivation to combine). Because no reference alone teaches all the limitations, nor is there any motivation to combine the prior arts to construct all the limitations of this independent claim, claim 20 is deemed patentable over the prior arts. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2-5, 7-9 and 12-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Abdo (Pub. No.: US 9,787,278 B1) – This prior art is a relevant prior art teaching a lossless microwave switch comprising: a plurality of ports; and tunable filters, wherein each of the plurality of ports is operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the tunable filters, wherein the tunable filters are lossless low-pass filters. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED I GHEYAS whose telephone number is (571)272-0592. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Britt Hanley, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal. Should you have questions about access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. 07/02/2026 /SYED I GHEYAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 25, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 07, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
87%
With Interview (+4.2%)
2y 0m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 677 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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