SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REAL-TIME QUANTUM COMPUTER-BASED CONTROL OF MOBILE SYSTEMS

• US 20140214257A1
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D-Wave Systems Inc. (D-Wave Quantum, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: D-Wave Systems Inc. (D-Wave Quantum, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Colin P., Hilton, Jeremy P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 10/00 Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrating quantum computing systems into mobile systems for the purpose of providing real-time, quantum computer-based control of the mobile systems are described. A mobile system includes a data extraction subsystem that extracts data from an external environment of the mobile system and a quantum computing subsystem that receives data from the data extraction subsystem and performs a quantum computing operation in real-time using the data from the data extraction subsystem. A result of the quantum computing operation influences a behavior of the mobile system, such as the navigation of the mobile system or an action performed by the mobile system. The on-board quantum computing subsystem includes on-board quantum computing infrastructure that is adapted to suit the needs and spatial constraints of the mobile system.

Claims

1. A mobile system comprising:

a mobility subsystem that controllably propels and steers the mobile system;

a data extraction subsystem that extracts data from an external environment of the mobile system; and

a quantum computing subsystem that receives data from the data extraction subsystem and performs a quantum computing operation in real-time using the data from the data extraction subsystem, wherein a result of the quantum computing operation influences a behavior of the mobile system.

2. The mobile system of claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation subsystem that is communicatively coupled to both the quantum computing subsystem and the mobility subsystem, wherein the navigation subsystem controls the mobility subsystem, and wherein the result of the quantum computing operation is used by the navigation subsystem to influence the mobility subsystem.

3. The mobile system of claim 2 wherein the quantum computing operation performed by the quantum computing subsystem includes a real-time optimization of at least one parameter of the navigation subsystem based on data from the data extraction subsystem.

4. The mobile system of claim 3 wherein the at least one parameter of the navigation subsystem influences at least one of:

a speed of the mobile system, a direction of the mobile system, a velocity of the mobile system, an acceleration of the mobile system, a trajectory of the mobile system, a travel route of the mobile system, a travel time of the mobile system, and a destination of the mobile system.

5. The mobile system of claim 1, further comprising:

an action subsystem that is communicatively coupled to the quantum computing subsystem, wherein the action subsystem controllably causes the mobile system to perform an action, and wherein the result of the quantum computing operation is used by the action subsystem to influence at least one parameter of the action performed by the mobile system.

6. The mobile system of claim 5 wherein the at least one parameter of the action performed by the mobile system includes at least one of:

a timing of the action, a duration of the action, a frequency of the action, a type of the action, a magnitude of the action, and a direction of the action.

7. The mobile system of claim 1 wherein the quantum computing subsystem comprises:

a superconducting quantum processor; and

an on-board cryogenic refrigeration system that is thermally coupled to the superconducting quantum processor.

8. The mobile system of claim 7 wherein the on-board cryogenic refrigeration system includes at least one of:

a bath of liquid cryogen, a pulse tube cryocooler, a Stirling cryocooler, a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler, a Joule-Thomson cryocooler, an adsorption refrigerator, a dilution refrigerator, and an adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration system.

9. The mobile system of claim 7 wherein the on-board cryogenic refrigeration system includes a single-shot refrigeration system.

10. The mobile system of claim 7 wherein the on-board cryogenic refrigeration system is physically structured to accommodate a form factor of the mobile system.

11. A system comprising:

a dock system including;

a docking structure, and a first cryogenic refrigeration system for long-term cryogenic refrigeration;

a mobile system to be selectively held by the docking structure including a second cryogenic refrigeration system for single-shot cryogenic refrigeration; and

a thermal coupler that selectively detachably thermally couples the first cryogenic refrigeration system to the second cryogenic refrigeration system when the mobile system is docked to the dock system.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a quantum computing subsystem which is physically coupled to the mobile system for movement therewith independent of whether the mobile system is docked to the dock system, and which is thermally coupled to the second cryogenic refrigeration system.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a mobility subsystem physically coupled to the mobile system and operable to controllably propel and steer the mobile system; and

a navigation subsystem that is communicatively coupled to both the quantum computing subsystem and the mobility subsystem, wherein the navigation subsystem controls the mobility subsystem, and wherein a result of a quantum computing operation is used by the navigation subsystem to provide input to the mobility subsystem.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a data extraction subsystem that extracts data from an external environment, wherein the external environment is external to the mobile system; and

a quantum computing subsystem that receives data from the data extraction subsystem and performs a quantum computing operation in real-time using the data from the data extraction subsystem, wherein a result of the quantum computing operation influences a behavior of the mobile system.