US3863234A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fast bubble logic gates
Assignee: Monsanto Co
•
Filing: 1973-02-23
•
Granted: 1975-01-28
•
Expires: 1993-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A pair of spaced linear magnetic boundaries form an instantaneous transmission channel or bubble wire in which a string of bubbles is normally constrained such that a magnetic impulse at one end of the channel is transmitted by bubble-bubble interaction along the string, resulting in the ejection of a magnetic bubble at the other end of the channel. An instantaneous bubble logic circuit is formed by providing a break at one point in the magnetic boundary of the channel with means for reconstituting or completing the boundary at that point on comamnd. If the boundary is broken when an impulse is applied to one end of the bubble string, the bubble nearest the break will escape from the string through the broken boundary and no output bubble will be ejected because the chain reaction will stop at the location of the break. If the bubble wire is reconstituted, an output bubble will be ejected as in the normal case when the magnetic impulse is applied. Multi-input AND gates can be implemented by providing controlled discontinuities at a number of positions along the magnetic boundaries of the same bubble wire. One or more breaks in the boundary cause removal of one bubble from the string through the break nearest the end to which an impulse is applied. If the impulse is an input bubble, it will either supplement the string of bubbles if one escapes, or cause an output bubble to be ejected.
Inventors
- 👤 Warren L Semon
- 👤 Luther D Rudolph
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 15:50
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K19/00; H03K19/02; H03K19/16; H03K19/168; G; G11; G11C; G11C19/00; G11C19/02; G11C19/08; G11C19/0808; G11C19/0833; G11C19/0875; G11C19/0883
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent magnetic bubbles in a string such that a magnetic impulse at one end is transferred through the string by means of a bubble-bubble chain reaction, means for generating said magnetic impulse at said one end of said string of bubbles, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to said chain reaction, and control means for controlling the chain reaction along said string of bubbles in response to a logic input variable, said control means including a bubble propagation circuit adjacent to said string of bubbles and intersecting an area of interaction therewith for causing selective removal of an intermediate bubble from the string responsive to said logic input variable being in one state thereby terminating said chain reaction at the point of said removal and alternatively for propagating a magnetic bubble representing another state of said logic input variable into and out of the area of interaction to prevent said removal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent magnetic bubbles in a string such that a magnetic impulse at one end is transferred through the string by means of a bubble-bubble chain reaction, means for generating said magnetic impulse at said one end of said string of bubbles, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to said chain reaction, and control means for controlling the chain reaction along said string of bubbles in response to a logic input variable, said control means including a bubble propagation circuit adjacent to said string of bubbles and intersecting an area of interaction therewith for causing selective removal of an intermediate bubble from the string responsive to said logic input variable being in one state thereby terminating said chain reaction at the point of said removal and alternatively for propagating a magnetic bubble representing another state of said logic input variable into and out of the area of interaction to prevent said removal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
121 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising a bubble wire including spaced elongated magnetic boundary means for containing a string of adjacent magnetic bubbles, means for applying a magnetic impulse to one end of said string of bubbles, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string of bubbles in response to said magnetic impulse, and means forming at least one controlled discontinuity in at least one of said magnetic boundaries for breaking and reconstituting said magnetic boundary on command, whereby a bubble is ejected from said other end of said string when a magnetic impulse is applied to said one end if and only if said magnetic boundary has been reconstituted at the site of every controlled discontinuity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
121 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising a bubble wire including spaced elongated magnetic boundary means for containing a string of adjacent magnetic bubbles, means for applying a magnetic impulse to one end of said string of bubbles, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string of bubbles in response to said magnetic impulse, and means forming at least one controlled discontinuity in at least one of said magnetic boundaries for breaking and reconstituting said magnetic boundary on command, whereby a bubble is ejected from said other end of said string when a magnetic impulse is applied to said one end if and only if said magnetic boundary has been reconstituted at the site of every controlled discontinuity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
The circuit of claim 2, wherein said means forming said controlled discontinuity includes a break in one of said boundary means through which a bubble can escape from said string and a bubble propagation circuit intersecting the location of said break for propagating an input bubble representing a logic input variable through said break location such that said break is temporarily sealed preventing escape of a bubble from said string when said input bubble is at said break location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The circuit of claim 2, wherein said magnetic boundary includes spaced lines of spaced dots of ferro-magnetic material providing stationary fence positions for corresponding magnetic bubbles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The circuit of claim 4, wherein said dots are equally spaced in both of said lines except at the location of said controlled discontinuity where the spacing between said dots is increased to provide an opening called a special fence position in said magnetic boundary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The circuit of claim 5, wherein said means for breaking and reconstituting said magnetic boundary includes a bubble propagation circuit intersecting said special fence position for propagating an input bubble representing a logic input variable through said special fence position to temporarily seal said opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The circuit of claim 6, wherein said propagation circuit has a bubble annihilator terminating the other end of said propagation circuit downstream of said special fence position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
163 words
A bubble logic gate, comprising a bubble wire including spaced elongated magnetic boundaries for containing a string of magnetic bubbles, means for supplying a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, at least one of said magnetic boundaries being discontinuous at a plurality of special fence positions such that under predetermined conditions a bubble on said string can escape from the bubble wire via one of said special fence positions when said magnetic impulse is applied, a plurality of control circuits responsive to respective logic input variables associated respectively with said special fence positions each including means for carrying away an escaped bubble and alternatively for reconstituting said magnetic boundary at said special fence position to prevent a bubble from leaving said string, and means for receiving an output bubble ejected from the other end of said string of bubbles in response to both said magnetic impulse and reconstitution of said magnetic boundary at all of said special fence positions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
163 words
A bubble logic gate, comprising a bubble wire including spaced elongated magnetic boundaries for containing a string of magnetic bubbles, means for supplying a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, at least one of said magnetic boundaries being discontinuous at a plurality of special fence positions such that under predetermined conditions a bubble on said string can escape from the bubble wire via one of said special fence positions when said magnetic impulse is applied, a plurality of control circuits responsive to respective logic input variables associated respectively with said special fence positions each including means for carrying away an escaped bubble and alternatively for reconstituting said magnetic boundary at said special fence position to prevent a bubble from leaving said string, and means for receiving an output bubble ejected from the other end of said string of bubbles in response to both said magnetic impulse and reconstitution of said magnetic boundary at all of said special fence positions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The gate of claim 8, wherein said magnetic boundaries are formed by spaced lines of spaced dots of ferromagnetic material providing stationary positions for respective fence bubbles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The circuit of claim 9, wherein said dots are approximately equally spaced in corresponding fence positions along said boundaries except at said special fence positions where the spacing between dots is increased to provide an opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
111 words
The circuit of claim 10, wherein said control circuits each include a bubble propagation circuit intersecting a respective special fence position for propagating a corresponding input bubble through said special fence position, such that when said special fence position is thus occupied by said input bubble, the magnetic boundary is reconstituted at that special fence position, and when said special fence position is unoccupied by said input bubble at the time of said magnetic impulse, a bubble on said string of bubbles is caused to move onto said propagation circuit at said special fence position, if it is the nearest unoccupied special fence position to the one end of said string.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The gate of claim 11, wherein bubble annihilators terminate at least some of said propagation paths downstream of said intersected special fence positions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The circuit of claim 10, wherein said lines of dots are arranged relative to each other to provide relatively stable positions for the bubbles in said string.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The circuit of claim 10, wherein said lines of dots are arranged to define relatively stable positions for the bubbles in said string longitudinally between corresponding fence positions on said lines.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
232 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising means for maintaining a string of adjacent bubbles, means for generating a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, means defining a normally available escape path for a bubble on said string at a predetermined intermediate location along said string, means for blocking said escape path in response to the condition of a logic variable, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to a bubble-bubble chain reaction initiated by said magnetic impulse, if and only if said escape path is blocked, escape of a bubble on said string via said escape path terminating said chain reaction at said intermediate location when said escape path is available, said means for maintaining a string of bubbles including two-sided magnetic boundary means for applying repulsive force in a predetermined repetitive pattern from both sides of said string to restrain said bubbles in said string to a linear path alternating between high and low levels of force along said path so as to define relatively stable spaced positions for said bubbles along said path at locations corresponding to said low levels, and between adjacent locations corresponding to said low levels said boundary means providing on at least one side of said string a region of repulsive force sufficiently lower than said low level to form said escape path for a bubble.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
232 words
A bubble logic circuit, comprising means for maintaining a string of adjacent bubbles, means for generating a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, means defining a normally available escape path for a bubble on said string at a predetermined intermediate location along said string, means for blocking said escape path in response to the condition of a logic variable, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to a bubble-bubble chain reaction initiated by said magnetic impulse, if and only if said escape path is blocked, escape of a bubble on said string via said escape path terminating said chain reaction at said intermediate location when said escape path is available, said means for maintaining a string of bubbles including two-sided magnetic boundary means for applying repulsive force in a predetermined repetitive pattern from both sides of said string to restrain said bubbles in said string to a linear path alternating between high and low levels of force along said path so as to define relatively stable spaced positions for said bubbles along said path at locations corresponding to said low levels, and between adjacent locations corresponding to said low levels said boundary means providing on at least one side of said string a region of repulsive force sufficiently lower than said low level to form said escape path for a bubble.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
156 words
A bubble logic circuit comprising means for maintaining a string of adjacent bubbles, means for generating a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, means defining a normally available escape path for a bubble on said string, means for blocking said escape path in response to the condition of a logic variable, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to a bubble-bubble chain reaction initiated by said magnetic impulse, if and only if said escape path is blocked, escape of a bubble on said string via said escape path terminating said chain reaction at said intermediate location when said escape path is available, said means for blocking said escape path including a bubble path for placing a blocking bubble representing said logic variable at the entrance to said escape path from said string, said blocking bubble being removed thereafter from said entrance via said escape path.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
156 words
A bubble logic circuit comprising means for maintaining a string of adjacent bubbles, means for generating a magnetic impulse at one end of said string of bubbles, means defining a normally available escape path for a bubble on said string, means for blocking said escape path in response to the condition of a logic variable, means for receiving a bubble ejected from the other end of said string due to a bubble-bubble chain reaction initiated by said magnetic impulse, if and only if said escape path is blocked, escape of a bubble on said string via said escape path terminating said chain reaction at said intermediate location when said escape path is available, said means for blocking said escape path including a bubble path for placing a blocking bubble representing said logic variable at the entrance to said escape path from said string, said blocking bubble being removed thereafter from said entrance via said escape path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3735145A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-27 | 1978-07-29 | 1979-01-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-27 | 1982-07-29 | 1983-01-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-27 | 1986-07-29 | 1987-01-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |