CPC Definition - Subclass G06E
This place covers:
All devices in which at least one computing function is performed by optical means. Optical computer is a device that uses the light beams, rather than electric current, to perform digital or analogue computations.
This place does not cover:
Digital storage using optical elements |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Light guides | |
Optical logic elements | |
Holographic processes or apparatus | |
Computer systems based on biological models using optical means | |
Recording or reproducing by optical means | |
Logic circuits using opto-electronic devices | |
Transmission systems using electromagnetic waves of optical range | |
Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red, light, UV radiation and adapted for the conversion of the such energy into electrical energy | |
Devices consisting of a plurality of solid-state components, including light sensitive semiconductor components, formed in or on a common substrate | |
Semiconductor devices adapted for light emission |
In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used as synonyms:
- "photonic computer" and "optic computer"
This place covers:
Optical computers working exclusively on digital data.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Optical logic elements | |
Electric digital data processing | |
Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena |
Documents should be classified in the subgroups of G06E 1/00 only if they deal with purely digital optical computing.
This place covers:
Optical computers operating not exclusively on digital data, but on analogue data or a combination of digital and analogue data (hybrid).
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Optical logic elements | |
Electric digital data processing | |
Devices in which the computing operation is performed by varying electric or magnetic quantities | |
Hybrid computing arrangements | |
Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena |
Documents should be classified in the subgroups of G06E 3/00 only if they deal with purely optical computing on a combination of digital and analogue data or on analogue data only.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Optical elements, systems or apparatus | |
Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics | |
Methods or arrangements for graph-reading or for converting the pattern of mechanical parameters, e.g. force or presence, into electrical signal |