1 December 2009

A patent which does not disclose assignment to the National Security Agency

United States Patent 7,411,187, Monroe , et al. August 12, 2008, Ion trap in a semiconductor chip

The patent above was filed on May 23, 2006 without naming NSA as a sponsor of the research, although the Distruptive Technology Office (DTO) was cited:

The invention was made with United States Government support under Contract No. W911NF-04-1-0234 from the Disruptive Technology Office (DTO), Army Research Office, and Grant No. G-41-A30-G1 from the National Science Foundation, Information Technology Research Program. The Government has certain rights in this invention.

The DTO was renamed later and it has been alleged that it was a continuation of the notorious Total Information Awarness program which was ostensibly cancelled after public outcry about its intrusiveness.

The NSA notice below cites an NSA patent application with the same title exactly a year earlier, on May 23, 2005, but this earlier application cannot be found at the US Patent Office. What is intriguing is NSA's claim below that the patent applies to cryptography although that term appears neither in the patent application nor the patent issued even though quantum cryptography research is common.

The ion trap research by the patent holders has been widely published since 2006 as a breakthrough in atomic physics. More at the Trapped Ion Quantum Information Group: http://www.iontrap.umd.edu/

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[DOD-2006-OS-0085]
 
Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive License; University of 
Michigan

AGENCY: Office the Secretary, DoD.

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Security Agency hereby gives notice of its intent 
to grant University of Michigan a revocable, nonassignable, exclusive, 
license to practice the following Government-Owned invention as 
described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/683,559 
entitled: ``Ion Trap on a Semiconductor Chip,'' filed 23 May 2005, in 
the field of cryptography.
    The above-mentioned invention is assigned to the United States 
Government as represented by the National Security Agency.

DATES: Anyone wishing to object to the grant of this license has 
fifteen (15) days from the date of this notice to file written 
objections along with any supporting evidence, if any.

ADDRESSES: Written objections are to be filed with the Domestic 
Technology Transfer Program, 9800 Savage Rd., Ste. 6541, Fort George G. 
Meade, Maryland 20755-6541.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela L. Porter, Director, Domestic 
Technology Transfer Program, 9800 Savage Road, Suite 6541, Fort George 
G. Meade, Maryland 20755-6541, telephone (443) 479-0310.

    Dated: May 10, 2006.
L.M. Bynum,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, DoD.
[FR Doc. 06-4548 Filed 5-15-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-M