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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claims 16-19 describe “a computer readable storage medium”.
Further, Applicant's specification, at paragraphs 106,107,120 fails to explicitly define the scope of “a computer readable storage medium”. Thus, in giving the term its plain meaning (see MPEP 2111.01), the claimed **computer readable medium** is considered to include data signals per se. Data signals per se are not statutory as they fail to fall into one of the four statutory categories of invention.
As an additional note, a non-transitory computer readable medium having executable programming instructions stored thereon is considered statutory as non-transitory computer readable media excludes transitory data signals.
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 1,2,16,17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Han et al.(KR 20180135780 A: Submitted as an IDS).
Considering Claim 1 Han discloses a method used by a communication device in a quantum communication system, the method comprising: obtaining configuration information regarding a quantum signal used in quantum communication(See Paragraph 310, fig. 1,3 i.e. the second device(120 of fig. 1) obtaining configuration information(quantum message) regarding a quantum signal used in quantum communication(S310 of fig. 3) ); receiving a first block sequence over a quantum channel, wherein the first block sequence includes a plurality of first single photons related to the quantum signal(See Paragraph 35,52, fig. 1,3 i.e. a second communication device(120) for receiving a first block sequence(quantum signature pair) over a quantum channel, wherein the first block sequence includes a plurality of first single photons related to the quantum signal(S330 of fig. 3)); generating a plurality of second single photons based on the configuration information(See Paragraph 35, fig. 1 i.e. spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) (111) of the first communication device(110) for generating a plurality of second single photons based on the configuration information); inputting first and second single photons related to each other into a beam splitter (BS) (See Paragraph 40,57, fig. 1 i.e. inputting first and second single photons related to each other into a beam splitter (BS)(122) of the second communication device(120)); and determining whether there are errors in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS(See Paragraph 38,41,58, fig. 1 i.e. photodetectors(123,124) for determining whether there are errors(verify a quantum signature) in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS).
Considering Claim 2 Han discloses 2 the method of claim 1, wherein the first single photons have N-dimensional properties, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2(See Paragraph 46,48, fig. 1 i.e. the first single photons have N-dimensional properties, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2(since the photons are rotated by three dimensional vector by polarization plates(114-1…114-3))).
Claim 16 rejected for the same reason as in claim 1.
Claim 17 rejected for the same reason as in claim 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 6,7,11,12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lukens et al.(US 2020/0274703) in view of Han et al.(KR 20180135780 A: Submitted as an IDS)
Considering Claim 6 Lukens discloses a communication device used in a quantum communication system, the communication device comprising: at least one transceiver(See Paragraph 56, fig. 7 i.e. at least one transceiver(Alice,Bob, Eve)); at least one processor(See Paragraph 56, fig. 7 i.e. at least one processor(712,718,714)); and at least one computer memory operably connected to the at least one processor (See Paragraph 62, fig. 9 i.e. at least one computer memory(924) operably connected to the at least one processor(922) ) and configured to, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: obtaining configuration information regarding a quantum signal used in quantum communication(See Paragraph 64, fig. 11i.e. obtaining configuration information(listing to QKD(Quantum Key distribution) request) regarding a quantum signal used in quantum communication(1102)); receiving a first block sequence over a quantum channel(See Paragraph 56,64, fig. 7,11i.e. receiving a first block sequence over a quantum channel(1108 of fig. 11). Further shown in fig. 7, processor(712,714,718) receiving a first block sequence over a quantum channel via optical paths(704,706)), wherein the first block sequence includes a plurality of first single photons related to the quantum signal (See Paragraph 56, fig. 7 i.e. wherein the first block sequence includes a plurality of first single photons(Photon A, Photon B) related to the quantum signal); generating a plurality of second single photons based on the configuration information(See Paragraph 56, fig. 7 i.e. generating a plurality of second single photons(Photon A, Photon B) based on the configuration information)
Lukens does not explicitly disclose inputting first and second single photons related to each other into a beam splitter (BS); and determining whether there are errors in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS.
Han teaches generating a plurality of second single photons based on the configuration information(See Paragraph 35, fig. 1 i.e. spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) (111) of the first communication device(110) for generating a plurality of second single photons based on the configuration information); inputting first and second single photons related to each other into a beam splitter (BS)(See Paragraph 40,57, fig. 1 i.e. inputting first and second single photons related to each other into a beam splitter (BS)(122) of the second communication device(120)); and determining whether there are errors in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS(See Paragraph 38,41,58, fig. 1 i.e. photodetectors(123,124) for determining whether there are errors(verify a quantum signature) in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Lukens, and have first and second single photons related to each other to be inputted into a beam splitter (BS); and determine whether there are errors in the quantum channel based on a number of detection paths of a photon output from the BS, as taught by Han, thus improving transmission signal quality by optimizing security by creating unforgeable quantum signature pair using a splitter, as discussed by Han (Paragraph 1,57).
Considering Claim 7 Lukens and Han disclose the communication device of claim 6, wherein the first single photons have N-dimensional properties, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2(See Paragraph 46,48, fig. 1 i.e. the first single photons have N-dimensional properties, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2(since the photons are rotated by three dimensional vector by polarization plates(114-1…114-3)).
Claim 11 is rejected for the same reason as in claim 6.
Claim 12 is rejected for the same reason as in claim 7.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5,8-10,13-15 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
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/HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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