Patents by Inventor Catherine McGeoch

Catherine McGeoch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11900264
    Abstract: Hybrid quantum-classical approaches for solving computational problems in which results from a quantum processor are combined with an exact method executed on a classical processor are described. Quantum processors can generate candidate solutions to a combinatorial optimization problem, but since quantum processors can be probabilistic, they are unable to certify that a solution is an optimal solution. A hybrid quantum-classical exact solver addresses this problem by combining outputs from a quantum annealing processor with a classical exact algorithm that is modified to exploit properties of the quantum computation. The exact method executed on a classical processor can be a Branch and Bound algorithm. A Branch and Bound algorithm can be modified to exploit properties of quantum computation including a) the sampling of multiple low-energy solutions by a quantum processor, and b) the embedding of solutions in a regular structure such as a native hardware graph of a quantum processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Catherine McGeoch, William W. Bernoudy
  • Publication number: 20220092152
    Abstract: The systems, devices, articles, and methods generally relate to sampling from an available probability distribution. The samples may be used to create a desirable probability distribution, for instance for use in computing values used in computational techniques including: Importance Sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo systems. An analog processor may operate as a sample generator, for example by: programming the analog processor with a configuration of the number of programmable parameters for the analog processor, which corresponds to a probability distribution over qubits of the analog processor, evolving the analog processor, and reading out states for the qubits. The states for the qubits in the plurality of qubits correspond to a sample from the probability distribution. Operation of the sampling device may be summarized as including updating a set of samples to include the sample from the probability distribution, and returning the set of samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, James King, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Jack Raymond, Jason Rolfe, William G. Macready, Aaron Lott, Murray C. Thom
  • Patent number: 11238131
    Abstract: The systems, devices, articles, and methods generally relate to sampling from an available probability distribution. The samples maybe used to create a desirable probability distribution, for instance for use in computing values used in computational techniques including: Importance Sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo systems. An analog processor may operate as a sample generator, for example by: programming the analog processor with a configuration of the number of programmable parameters for the analog processor, which corresponds to a probability distribution over qubits of the analog processor, evolving the analog processor, and reading out states for the qubits. The states for the qubits in the plurality of qubits correspond to a sample from the probability distribution. Operation of the sampling device may be summarized as including updating a set of samples to include the sample from the probability distribution, and returning the set of samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, James King, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Jack Raymond, Jason Rolfe, William G. Macready, Aaron Lott, Murray C. Thom
  • Publication number: 20200257987
    Abstract: Hybrid quantum-classical approaches for solving computational problems in which results from a quantum processor are combined with an exact method executed on a classical processor are described. Quantum processors can generate candidate solutions to a combinatorial optimization problem, but since quantum processors can be probabilistic, they are unable to certify that a solution is an optimal solution. A hybrid quantum-classical exact solver addresses this problem by combining outputs from a quantum annealing processor with a classical exact algorithm that is modified to exploit properties of the quantum computation. The exact method executed on a classical processor can be a Branch and Bound algorithm. A Branch and Bound algorithm can be modified to exploit properties of quantum computation including a) the sampling of multiple low-energy solutions by a quantum processor, and b) the embedding of solutions in a regular structure such as a native hardware graph of a quantum processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Catherine McGeoch, William W. Bernoudy
  • Patent number: 9881256
    Abstract: Computational systems implement problem solving using heuristic solvers or optimizers. Such may iteratively evaluate a result of processing, and modify the problem or representation thereof before repeating processing on the modified problem, until a termination condition is reached. Heuristic solvers or optimizers may execute on one or more digital processors and/or one or more quantum processors. The system may autonomously select between types of hardware devices and/or types of heuristic optimization algorithms. Such may coordinate or at least partially overlap post-processing operations with processing operations, for instance performing post-processing on an ith batch of samples while generating an (i+1)th batch of samples, e.g., so post-processing operation on the ith batch of samples does not extend in time beyond the generation of the (i+1)th batch of samples. Heuristic optimizers selection is based on pre-processing assessment of the problem, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, Andrew Douglas King, Jack Raymond, Aidan Patrick Roy, Robert Israel, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Mani Ranjbar
  • Publication number: 20170255872
    Abstract: Computational systems implement problem solving using heuristic solvers or optimizers. Such may iteratively evaluate a result of processing, and modify the problem or representation thereof before repeating processing on the modified problem, until a termination condition is reached. Heuristic solvers or optimizers may execute on one or more digital processors and/or one or more quantum processors. The system may autonomously select between types of hardware devices and/or types of heuristic optimization algorithms. Such may coordinate or at least partially overlap post-processing operations with processing operations, for instance performing post-processing on an ith batch of samples while generating an (i+1)th batch of samples, e.g., so post-processing operation on the ith batch of samples does not extend in time beyond the generation of the (i+1)th batch of samples. Heuristic optimizers selection is based on pre-processing assessment of the problem, e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, Andrew Douglas King, Jack Raymond, Aidan Patrick Roy, Robert Israel, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Mani Ranjbar
  • Publication number: 20170116159
    Abstract: The systems, devices, articles, and methods generally relate to sampling from an available probability distribution. The samples maybe used to create a desirable probability distribution, for instance for use in computing values used in computational techniques including: Importance Sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo systems. An analog processor may operate as a sample generator, for example by: programming the analog processor with a configuration of the number of programmable parameters for the analog processor, which corresponds to a probability distribution over qubits of the analog processor, evolving the analog processor, and reading out states for the qubits. The states for the qubits in the plurality of qubits correspond to a sample from the probability distribution. Operation of the sampling device may be summarized as including updating a set of samples to include the sample from the probability distribution, and returning the set of samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, James King, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Jack Raymond, Jason Rolfe, William G. Macready, Aaron Lott, Murray C. Thom
  • Patent number: 9588940
    Abstract: The systems, devices, articles, and methods generally relate to sampling from an available probability distribution. The samples maybe used to create a desirable probability distribution, for instance for use in computing values used in computational techniques including: Importance Sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo systems. An analog processor may operate as a sample generator, for example by: programming the analog processor with a configuration of the number of programmable parameters for the analog processor, which corresponds to a probability distribution over qubits of the analog processor, evolving the analog processor, and reading out states for the qubits. The states for the qubits in the plurality of qubits correspond to a sample from the probability distribution. Operation of the sampling device may be summarized as including updating a set of samples to include the sample from the probability distribution, and returning the set of samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: D-Wave Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, James King, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Jack Raymond, Jason Rolfe, William G. Macready, Aaron Lott, Murray C. Thom
  • Publication number: 20150269124
    Abstract: The systems, devices, articles, and methods generally relate to sampling from an available probability distribution. The samples maybe used to create a desirable probability distribution, for instance for use in computing values used in computational techniques including: Importance Sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo systems. An analog processor may operate as a sample generator, for example by: programming the analog processor with a configuration of the number of programmable parameters for the analog processor, which corresponds to a probability distribution over qubits of the analog processor, evolving the analog processor, and reading out states for the qubits. The states for the qubits in the plurality of qubits correspond to a sample from the probability distribution. Operation of the sampling device may be summarized as including updating a set of samples to include the sample from the probability distribution, and returning the set of samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Firas Hamze, James King, Evgeny Andriyash, Catherine McGeoch, Jack Raymond, Jason Rolfe, William G. Macready, Aaron Lott, Murray C. Thom