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 .
Detailed Action
This action is in response to the claims filed 6/4/2024:
Claims 1 – 23 are pending.
Claims 1, 8, 15, and 21 are independent.
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 10 and 15-20 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.
Regarding claim 15 "the group of relay oscillators" lacks antecedent basis. "A group of one or more relay oscillators" is recommended.
Regarding claims 10, 11, 17, and 18, "the on-chip classical controller" lacks antecedent basis. "The controller" is recommended.
Claims 16, 19, and 20 are rejected with respect to their dependence on rejected claim 15.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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, 8, and 15 are rejected under U.S.C. §102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai (US20240070510A1).
PNG
media_image1.png
580
456
media_image1.png
Greyscale
FIG. 6A of Tsai
Regarding claim 1, Tsai teaches A system comprising: one or more thermodynamic chips, wherein the one or more thermodynamic chips comprise:([¶0040] "Quantum processor 126 may include at least one superconducting integrated circuit using systems and methods described in the present application" [¶0003] "In quantum annealing, thermal effects and other noise may be present.")
an output oscillator, an input oscillator, and a set of relay oscillators ([¶0052] "A quantum flux parametron (QFP) is a superconducting Josephson junction device similar in some respects to a compound RF-SQUID." [¶0096] "pulses are loaded into the third stage of DAC 602 will be discussed. A bias is applied to first QFP stage 622 through flux bias line 650 to introduce a current in QFP loop 622. [...] This causes the current introduced in first QFP loop 622 to be transferred into second QFP loop 624. [...] A signal is then introduced to Josephson junction annealing line 652 c, resulting in the current being introduced to third QFP loop 638 in the direction of the original signal. To then introduce a pulse to DAC storage loop 630" A QFP is interpreted as an oscillator. See also FIG. 6. output oscillator interpreted as QFP loop 624 and input oscillator is interpreted as programmable qubit 612 which is consistent with the instant specification ([¶0190] "the oscillators 2604 may be implemented using superconducting flux elements (e.g., qubits)"). QFP loop 638 is interpreted as relay oscillator)
configured to implement a relay gadget for relaying information between the output oscillator and the input oscillator, wherein the set of relay oscillators configured to implement the relay gadget comprises: a group of one or more relay oscillators; and ([¶0095] "the reverse in direction that occurs when transferring a pulse between QFP stages results in the need for an odd number greater than one (e.g., three) of QFP stages in line to transmit a state to a target QFP stage. The first QFP stage receives the state intended for the target QFP stage, and transfers it to the intermediate QFP stage, where it is in the reverse direction. The intermediate QFP stage then transfers the state to the target QFP stage, where it is returned to the original direction" Tsai explicitly discloses a chain whose stated purpose is to transmit a state through intermediate QFP stages. The disclosed operation is therefore a relay in the ordinary functional sense. QFP loop 638 is interpreted as relay oscillator)
an additional relay oscillator; and([¶0092] " A pulse may be loaded into the target DAC storage loop via the target QFP stage by then applying a flux bias to a target Josephson junction of the target QFP stage in order to copy the state of the intermediate QFP stage into the target QFP stage." [¶0096] "resulting in the current being introduced to third QFP loop 638 in the direction of the original signal. To then introduce a pulse to DAC storage loop 630" DAC storage loop 630 is interpreted as the additional relay oscillator)
an on-chip classical controller configured to:([¶0049] "On-chip control circuitry may be used to selectively apply static flux biases to superconducting loops in order to realize control parameters.")
cause a first set of one or more pulses to be emitted, wherein the first set of pulses cause one or more relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators to be coupled to the output oscillator;([¶0096] "A signal is introduced to Josephson junction annealing line 652 a, and then Josephson junction annealing line 652 b, after which the signal to line 652 a is suppressed or set to zero. This causes the current introduced in first QFP loop 622 to be transferred into second QFP loop 624." After QFP 624 contains the state, Tsai applies the signal on annealing line 652c, causing the state/current to enter QFP 638. See also FIG. 6)
cause a second set of one or more pulses to be emitted, wherein the second set of pulses cause one or more relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators to be coupled to the additional relay oscillator; and([¶0093] "current is applied through one or more control lines to transfer flux into a target DAC storage loop. In some implementations, this may include introducing a current to a first control line in communication with the target DAC storage loop and introducing a current to a second control line in communication with the DAC Josephson junction to increase the current through the DAC Josephson junction over a threshold to cause the bias current to transfer from the target QFP stage into a galvanically coupled target DAC storage loop" Tsai applies control lines 620 and 654c so that the combined current exceeds JJ 634's threshold and the QFP state/current transfers into the galvanically coupled storage loop 630)
cause a third set of one or more pulses to be emitted, wherein the third set of pulses cause the additional relay oscillator to be coupled to the input oscillator.([¶0087] "At 708, a flux bias is transferred to the programmable component based on the combined flux within the first DAC storage loop and the second DAC storage loop through an interface carried by the first DAC storage loop that communicates with the programmable component." Tsai teaches that the storage loops of the multi-stage DAC collectively represent an intended value and that a flux bias based on the combined stored flux is transmitted through an interface to the programmable component (qubit)).
Regarding claim 8, claim 8 is substantially similar to claim 1. Therefore, the rejection applied to claim 1 also applies to claim 8.
Regarding claim 15, claim 15 is substantially similar to claim 1. Therefore, the rejection applied to claim 1 also applies to claim 15.
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2-4, 6, 7, 9-11, 13, 14, and 16-18 are rejected under U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy (US20200311591A1).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai teaches The system of claim 1, wherein: one or more couplings between the additional relay oscillator and the one or more relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators(Tsai [¶0095] "the reverse in direction that occurs when transferring a pulse between QFP stages results in the need for an odd number greater than one (e.g., three) of QFP stages in line to transmit a state to a target QFP stage. The first QFP stage receives the state intended for the target QFP stage, and transfers it to the intermediate QFP stage, where it is in the reverse direction. The intermediate QFP stage then transfers the state to the target QFP stage, where it is returned to the original direction" Tsai explicitly discloses a chain whose stated purpose is to transmit a state through intermediate QFP stages. The disclosed operation is therefore a relay in the ordinary functional sense.)
another coupling between the additional relay oscillator and the input oscillator causes the expectation value to be transferred to the input oscillator.(Tsai [¶0070] "multi-stage DAC 414 may be programmed with a number of flux quanta provided to each DAC storage loop 412 to provide an intended value to be transmitted to programmable component 402").
However, Tsai doesn't explicitly teach causes the additional relay oscillator to represent an expectation value of the output oscillator based at least in part on one or more sample values of the output oscillator received by at least one of the one or more relay oscillators in the group of relay oscillators; and.
Bernoudy, in the same field of endeavor, causes the additional relay oscillator to represent an expectation value of the output oscillator based at least in part on one or more sample values of the output oscillator received by at least one of the one or more relay oscillators in the group of relay oscillators; and([Abstract] " The quantum processor generates samples as potential solutions to an approximation of the problem. The digital processor updates the approximation by determining a second set of bias fields based at least in part on the first set of bias fields and a first set of mean fields that are based at least in part on the first set of samples and coupling strengths of one or more virtual coupling devices" [¶0023] "the first set of mean fields based at least in part on the first set of samples and coupling strengths of one or more virtual coupling devices, each virtual coupling device corresponding to a respective edge in the second set of edges; and updating the approximation of the computational problem by determining a second set of bias fields based at least in part on the first set of bias fields and the first set of mean fields by the digital processor" [¶0085] "the mean field is determined from a product of mean values of the one or more samples from the quantum processor and the coupling strength.").
Tsai as well as Bernoudy are directed towards superconducting quantum computing systems. Therefore, Tsai as well as Bernoudy are analogous art in the same field of endeavor. Bernoudy says obtain one or more samples from superconducting qubits and determine a sample-derived mean/magnetization/mean field. Tsai says classical programming information can be routed through QFP circuitry, converted into a stored superconducting-flux value, and subsequently applied to a programmable qubit. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would naturally encode Bernoudy's sample derived value in Tsai's storage loop 630. Bernoudy provides as additional motivation for combination ([¶0064] “in finding a suitable embedding and solving an embedded problem on a quantum processor, increased coupling precision can be beneficial in ensuring or at least improving fidelity to the problem”). This motivation for combination also applies to the remaining claims which depend on this combination.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The system of claim 2, wherein: the group of relay oscillators comprises a plurality of relay oscillators, (Tsai [¶0017] "the plurality of QFP based shift register stages")
wherein respective ones of the relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators are configured to store respective sample values of the output oscillator (Tsai [¶0069] "The state passed to DAC-QFPs 408 will determine if the corresponding DAC storage loop 412 will be programmed with a flux quanta when global signal line 420 and power line 418 are raised […] the direction of the current provided by the power line 418 may be used to determine if a positive or negative pulse will be stored in DAC storage loop 412 when the control lines are raised.")
based at least in part on respective couplings between the respective ones of the relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators and the output oscillator; and(Tsai [¶0068] "DAC-QFPs 408 are galvanically coupled to respective DAC storage loops 412 to form multi-stage DAC 414")
the on-chip classical controller is further configured to cause another set of one or more pulses to be emitted, (Tsai [¶0049] "On-chip control circuitry may be used to selectively apply static flux biases to superconducting loops in order to realize control parameters." [¶0066] "This series of control pulses formed by current introduced into signal lines may be repeated ")
wherein the other set of pulses: turns off the respective couplings between the output oscillator and the respective ones of the relay oscillator of the group of relay oscillators at different times; and(Tsai [¶0020] "suppressing the first Josephson junction of the first QFP stage")
wherein turning off the coupling causes the respective ones of the relay oscillators of the group of relay oscillators to store respective samples.(Tsai [¶0096] " after which the signal to line 652 a is suppressed or set to zero. This causes the current introduced in first QFP loop 622 to be transferred into second QFP loop 624. It will be understood that the direction of the current may be reversed during the transfer. A signal is then introduced to Josephson junction annealing line 652 c, resulting in the current being introduced to third QFP loop 638 in the direction of the original signal. To then introduce a pulse to DAC storage loop 630").
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The system of claim 2, wherein: the group of relay oscillators comprises a single relay oscillator, (Tsai [¶0092] "At 804, the bias current is shifted to a target QFP stage through an intermediate QFP stage" Tsai explicitly discloses one intermediate QFP)
wherein the single relay oscillator is configured to store a respective sample value of the output oscillator one at a time (Tsai [¶0093] "As the state remains in the intermediate QFP stage, these acts may be repeated")
based at least in part on a coupling between the single relay oscillator with the output oscillator; and(Tsai [¶0092] "the state of the first QFP stage is transferred to the intermediate QFP stage" In FIG. 6A the transfer from QFP 622 into QFP 624 is caused by controlled annealing-line operation)
the on-chip classical controller is further configured to cause the first set of one or more pulses and the second set of one or more pulses to be emitted in a sequential pulse sequence, (Tsai [¶0096] "A signal is introduced to Josephson junction annealing line 652 a, and then Josephson junction annealing line 652 b […] A signal is then introduced to Josephson junction annealing line 652 c" Tsai explicitly discloses a sequence of controlled sequence)
wherein repeatedly emitting the first and second sets of pulses in the pulse sequence causes a position of the additional relay oscillator to be incrementally adjusted.(Tsai [¶0093] "As the state remains in the intermediate QFP stage, these acts may be repeated to iteratively load pulses into the target DAC storage loop via the target QFP stage until an intended number of pulses have been introduced into the target DAC storage loop").
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The system of claim 2, wherein a distribution of the one or more sample values of the output oscillator correspond to a potential of the output oscillator.(Bernoudy [¶0021] "The analog computer can be operated to provide samples from a selected probability distribution, the probability distribution assigning a respective probability of being sampled to each data point in the population." [¶0012] "The energy landscape of HP may be crafted so that its global minimum is the answer to the problem to be solved, and low-lying local minima are good approximations" [¶0014] "Generally, a problem is solved by first casting the problem in a contrived formulation (e.g., Ising spin glass, QUBO, etc.) because that particular formulation maps directly to the particular embodiment of the quantum processor being employed. An Ising spin glass with N variables, or spins s∈[−1, +1], may be written as a cost function of the form: [See Eqn.] where hi and Jij are dimensionless quantities that specify a desired Ising spin glass instance. Solving this problem involves finding the spin configuration si that minimizes E for the particular set of hi and Jij provided." Bernoudy describes programming qubit biases/couplings, establishing energy landscape (potential), operating quantum processor, and obtaining samples according to a probability distribution).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The system of claim 2, wherein propagation from the output oscillator to the input oscillator via the relay oscillators is forwards and backwards compatible.(Tsai [¶0096] " after which the signal to line 652 a is suppressed or set to zero. This causes the current introduced in first QFP loop 622 to be transferred into second QFP loop 624. It will be understood that the direction of the current may be reversed during the transfer").
Regarding claims 9-11, 13, and 14, claims 9-11, 13, and 14 are substantially similar to claims 2-4, 6, and 7. Therefore, the rejections applied to claims 2-4, 6, and 7 also apply to claims 9-11, 13, and 14.
Regarding claims 16-18, claims 16-18 are substantially similar to claims 2-4. Therefore, the rejections applied to claims 2-4 also apply to claims 16-18.
Claims 5, 12, 19, and 20 are rejected under U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy and in further view of Zhang (“Coherent Transfer of Excitation in a Nanomechanical Artificial Lattice”, 2020).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The system of claim 2, wherein the group of relay oscillators comprises a plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series,(Tsai [¶0095] "The first QFP stage receives the state intended for the target QFP stage, and transfers it to the intermediate QFP stage, where it is in the reverse direction. The intermediate QFP stage then transfers the state to the target QFP stage, where it is returned to the original direction. In this manner, an array of QFP stages can be used to program one-third of the DAC storage loops for each programming act." See also FIG. 6).
However, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy doesn't explicitly teach and wherein the plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series is further arranged with incrementally increasing respective products of mass and frequency squared for the respective relay oscillators arranged in series..
Zhang, in the same field of endeavor, teaches and wherein the plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series is further arranged with incrementally increasing respective products of mass and frequency squared for the respective relay oscillators arranged in series.([p. 1] "Artificial nanomechanical lattice. (a) Microscope graph of the suspending Si3N4 nanobeams (dark yellow), the size of each is 200µm × 3µm × 100nm. For applying the voltages, 10-nm-thick Au is coated on the nanobeams" [Supplemental p. 1] "m(ω2 n −ω2 +iωnω/Qn)x(ω) = µFD" See supplementary material beams 5-7 Zhang's masses are equal (Si3N4 nanobeams with equivalent size of 200umx3umx100nm and coated with 10 nm Au) and frequencies are shown incrementally increasing.).
The combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are directed towards controlled state transfer system. Therefore, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are reasonably pertinent analogous art. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy with the teachings of Zhang by using Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer. Tsai already uses several superconducting stages in a row to pass a signal from one stage to the next. Zhang teaches that when several oscillators are lined up, choosing their vibration properties in a controlled way helps move energy through the chain. So a person of ordinary skill in the art would naturally use Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer.
Regarding claim 12, claim 12 is substantially similar to claim 5. Therefore, the rejection applied to claim 5 also applies to claim 12.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The controller of claim 16.
However, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy doesn't explicitly teach wherein the group of relay oscillators comprises a plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series, and wherein the plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series is further arranged with incrementally increasing respective products of mass and frequency squared for the respective relay oscillators arranged in series.
Zhang, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the group of relay oscillators comprises a plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series, and wherein the plurality of relay oscillators arranged in series is further arranged with incrementally increasing respective products of mass and frequency squared for the respective relay oscillators arranged in series.([p. 1] "Artificial nanomechanical lattice. (a) Microscope graph of the suspending Si3N4 nanobeams (dark yellow), the size of each is 200µm × 3µm × 100nm. For applying the voltages, 10-nm-thick Au is coated on the nanobeams" [Supplemental p. 1] "m(ω2 n −ω2 +iωnω/Qn)x(ω) = µFD" See supplementary material beams 5-7 Zhang's masses are equal (Si3N4 nanobeams with equivalent size of 200umx3umx100nm and coated with 10 nm Au) and frequencies are shown incrementally increasing.).
The combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are directed towards controlled state transfer systems. Therefore, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are reasonably pertinent analogous art. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy with the teachings of Zhang by using Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer. Tsai already uses several superconducting stages in a row to pass a signal from one stage to the next. Zhang teaches that when several oscillators are lined up, choosing their vibration properties in a controlled way helps move energy through the chain. So a person of ordinary skill in the art would naturally use Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy teaches The controller of claim 16.
However, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy doesn't explicitly teach, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the mass or frequencies of the relay oscillators.
Zhang, in the same field of endeavor, teaches The controller of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the mass or frequencies of the relay oscillators.([Supplemental p. 1] "m(ω2 n −ω2 +iωnω/Qn)x(ω) = µFD" See supplementary material beams 5-7 Zhang's masses are equal and frequencies are shown incrementally increasing.).
The combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are directed towards controlled state transfer system. Therefore, the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy as well as Zhang are reasonably pertinent analogous art. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Tsai and Bernoudy with the teachings of Zhang by using Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer. Tsai already uses several superconducting stages in a row to pass a signal from one stage to the next. Zhang teaches that when several oscillators are lined up, choosing their vibration properties in a controlled way helps move energy through the chain. So a person of ordinary skill in the art would naturally use Zhang's known oscillator setting idea to tune Tsai's already existing relay stages for predictable signal transfer.
Claims 21-23 are rejected under U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Zhang and Luo (“Strong indirect coupling between graphene-based mechanical resonators via a phonon cavity”, 2018).
Regarding claim 21, Zhang teaches A thermodynamic relay gadget, comprising: a relay oscillator;([p. 2] "Bottom: dynamic coupled three modes (cascaded, 1–2–3), measured on the first one of the three resonators." [pp. 2-3] "The dynamic coupling method enables the coherent transfer of mechanical excitation between adjacent resonators. However, the process in a lattice is more complicated. We consider the motion of three dynamic-coupled nanomechanical resonators, assuming that they are nearly identical" See also Eqn. 3)
and a controller configured to: cause a first set of one or more pulses to be emitted to couple the relay oscillator to a first oscillator;
([p. 2] "x1 +γ1˙x1 +ω2 1x1 = K1(t)(x2 −x1)")
cause another set of one or more pulses to be emitted to couple the relay oscillator to a second oscillator,
([p. 3] "x3 +γ3˙x3 +ω3 3x3 = K2(t)(x2 −x3)")
wherein the relay oscillator is configured to relay an expectation value from the first oscillator to the second oscillator. ([p. 3] "Figure 2(d) shows the excitation amplitudes {|βn|} versus time, demonstrating the coherent transfer of excitation from the 1st nanobeam to the 3rd nanobeam at a certain time TC = √2π/Ω. We represent this transfer as |φ(0)⟩ = (1,0,0)T → |φ(TC)⟩ = (0,0,−1)T,").
However, Zhang does not explicitly teach cause one or more control signals to be emitted to tune a product of mass times frequency squared of the relay oscillator.
Luo, in the same field of endeavor, teaches cause one or more control signals to be emitted to tune a product of mass times frequency squared of the relay oscillator; ([p. 3] "A driving microwave with frequency ωd+δω is applied to contact S and is detected at contact D3 after mixing with another driving tone with frequency ωd applied to one or more of the control gates. Scale bar is 1μm. b The differentiation of the mixed current dIx/dωd as a function of driving frequency ωd and gate voltage VDC g3 with VDC g1 ¼VDC g2 ¼0V.Here, the frequencies of all resonators can be tuned").
Zhang as well as Luo are directed towards controlled state transfer systems. Therefore, Zhang as well as Luo are reasonably pertinent analogous art. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhang with the teachings of Luo by tuning the frequencies. Luo provides as additional motivation for combination ([p. 1] “By controlling the resonant frequency of the phonon cavity, the indirect coupling can be tuned in a wide range. Our results may lead to the development of gate-controlled all-mechanical devices and open up the possibility of long-distance quantum mechanical experiments”). This motivation for combination also applies to the remaining claims which depend on this combination.
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Zhang and Luo teaches The thermodynamic relay gadget of claim 21 wherein the controller is further configured to tune a product of mass and frequency squared of the relay oscillator, wherein the product of mass and frequency squared of the relay oscillator is smaller than a product of mass and frequency squared of the first oscillator when the relay oscillator is coupled to the first oscillator.(Zhang [Supplemental p. 1] "m(ω2 n −ω2 +iωnω/Qn)x(ω) = µFD" See supplementary material beams 1-3 Taking beam 2 as the relay and beam 1 as the first oscillator therefore gives m2w2^2 < m1w1^2, because w2 < w1 and the masses are nominally equal so beam 1's mw^2 is about 9.4% greater).
Regarding claim 23, the combination of Zhang and Luo teaches The thermodynamic relay gadget of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to tune the product of mass and frequency squared of the relay oscillator to be larger than a product of mass and frequency squared of the second oscillator when the relay oscillator is coupled to the second oscillator. (Zhang [Supplemental p. 1] "m(ω2 n −ω2 +iωnω/Qn)x(ω) = µFD" See supplementary material beams 1-3 Taking beam 2 as the relay and beam 1 as the first oscillator therefore gives m2w2^2 < m1w1^2, because w2 < w1 and the masses are nominally equal so beam 1's mw^2 is about 9.4% greater).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang (“Study of Memristor based Oscillatory Neural Networks using PPV modeling”, 2015) is directed towards coupled oscillators for pulse based neural networks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIDNEY VINCENT BOSTWICK whose telephone number is (571)272-4720. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-5:00pm EST.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miranda Huang can be reached on (571)270-7092. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SIDNEY VINCENT BOSTWICK/Examiner, Art Unit 2124