Computing units using directional wireless communication

• US 10,110,504 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Ji Yong, Kirovski, Darko, Harper, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zuniga Abad, Jackie
• Application Number:
  US15/164,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/803 Free space interconnects, e.g. between circuit boards or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric

Abstract

A data center includes a plurality of computing units that communicate with each other using wireless communication, such as high frequency RF wireless communication. The data center may organize the computing units into groups (e.g., racks). In one implementation, each group may form a three-dimensional structure, such as a column having a free-space region for accommodating intra-group communication among computing units. The data center can include a number of features to facilitate communication, including dual-use memory for handling computing and buffering tasks, failsafe routing mechanisms, provisions to address permanent interface and hidden terminal scenarios, etc.

Claims

1. A computing unit comprising:

a processing resource configured to perform a computing function;

a memory resource configured to store payload data; and

a wireless radio frequency (RF) communication element configured to;

form a directionally-focused wireless RF beam having a defined beam spread angle, the directionally-focused wireless RF beam being oriented in a fixed direction relative to the computing unit;

use the directionally-focused wireless RF beam to establish a connection with a second computing unit that is located within the defined beam spread angle of the directionally-focused wireless RF beam and communicate the payload data over the connection;

while the connection to the second computing unit remains established, detect that a third computing unit that is also within the defined beam spread angle of the directionally-focused wireless RF beam has sent an acknowledgement to a fourth computing unit in response to a connection request sent by the fourth computing unit; and

responsive to detecting the acknowledgement sent by the third computing unit to the fourth computing unit, send a disconnection message to the second computing unit.

2. The computing unit of claim 1, the wireless radio frequency (RF) communication element being configured to:

wait until an assigned time slot becomes available to the computing unit; and

establish the connection by communicating control data to the second computing unit during the assigned time slot.

3. The computing unit of claim 2, the wireless radio frequency (RF) communication element being configured to:

receive another acknowledgement from the second computing unit; and

transfer the payload data to the second computing unit over the connection responsive to the another acknowledgement.

4. A method comprising:

establishing a connection between a first computing unit and a second computing unit using a first directionally-focused radio frequency (RF) beam pointed in a fixed direction relative to the first computing unit, the second computing unit using a second directionally-focused RF beam to communicate over the connection with the first computing unit;

while the connection between the first computing unit and the second computing unit remains established, detecting that a third computing unit has sent an acknowledgement to a fourth computing unit in response to a connection request sent from the fourth computing unit to the third computing unit, the first computing unit falling within a third directionally-focused RF beam used by the third computing unit to communicate the acknowledgement; and

responsive to the detecting the acknowledgement sent by the third computing unit to the fourth computing unit, disconnecting the first computing unit from the second computing unit.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the detecting the acknowledgement sent by the third computing unit to the fourth computing unit, sending a disconnection message from the first computing unit to the second computing unit.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

managing a time division multiple access strategy for the first, second, third, and fourth computing units by assigning different time slots to different computing units.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

defining guard time regions between individual time slots, the guard time regions reducing interference among the different time slots.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

managing a frequency division multiple access strategy for the first, second, third, and fourth computing units by assigning different frequency slots to different computing units.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

defining guard frequency regions between individual frequency slots, the guard frequency regions reducing interference among the different frequency slots.

10. The method of claim 4, the first directionally-focused RF beam having a frequency between 57 and 64 Gigahertz.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting from the second computing unit to transmit to the first computing unit using the second directionally-focused RF beam,

wherein the third computing unit falls within the first directionally-focused RF beam of the first computing unit and does not fall within the second directionally-focused RF beam of the second computing unit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the connection request from the fourth computing unit to the third computing unit via a fourth directionally-focused RF beam; and

via the third directionally-focused RF beam, sending the acknowledgement from the third computing unit in response to the connection request.

13. A system comprising:

a first computing unit configured to communicate using a first directionally-focused RF beam that is pointed in a first fixed direction relative to the first computing unit;

a second computing unit configured to communicate using a second directionally-focused RF beam that is pointed in a second fixed direction relative to the second computing unit;

a third computing unit configured to communicate using a third directionally-focused RF beam that is pointed in a third fixed direction relative to the third computing unit; and

a fourth computing unit configured to communicate using a fourth directionally-focused RF beam that is pointed in a fourth fixed direction relative to the fourth computing unit,

the first computing unit being configured to establish a connection with the second computing unit,

the fourth computing unit being configured to send a connection request to the third computing unit,

the third computing unit being configured to send an acknowledgement in response to the connection request sent by the fourth computing unit,

the first computing unit being configured to, while the connection with the second computing unit is currently established;

detect the acknowledgement sent by the third computing unit to the fourth computing unit; and

terminate the connection with the second computing unit responsive to detecting the acknowledgement.

14. The system of claim 13,

the first computing unit having a first housing and the first directionally-focused RF beam being fixed with respect to the first housing,

the second computing unit having a second housing and the second directionally-focused RF beam being fixed with respect to the second housing,

the third computing unit having a third housing and the third directionally-focused RF beam being fixed with respect to the third housing,

the fourth computing unit having a fourth housing and the fourth directionally-focused RF beam being fixed with respect to the fourth housing.

15. The system of claim 14, the first computing unit falling within the third directionally-focused RF beam.

16. The system of claim 15, the first computing unit falling outside the fourth directionally-focused RF beam.

17. The system of claim 16, the third computing unit falling within both the first directionally-focused RF beam and the fourth directionally-focused RF beam.

18. The system of claim 17, the third computing unit falling outside the second directionally-focused RF beam.

19. The system of claim 18, the second computing unit falling outside the fourth directionally-focused RF beam.

20. The system of claim 13,

the first computing unit having a first communication element that is user-adjustable relative to the first computing unit to point in the first fixed direction,

the second computing unit having a second communication element that is user-adjustable relative to the second computing unit to point in the second fixed direction,

the third computing unit having a third communication element that is user-adjustable relative to the third computing unit to point in the third fixed direction, and

the fourth computing unit having a fourth communication element that is user-adjustable relative to the fourth computing unit to point in the fourth fixed direction.

21. The system of claim 13, the first directionally-focused RF beam, the second directionally-focused RF beam, the third directionally-focused RF beam, and the fourth directionally-focused RF beam each having respective lateral spreads of 30 degrees or less.

22. The system of claim 21, the first directionally-focused RF beam, the second directionally-focused RF beam, the third directionally-focused RF beam, and the fourth directionally-focused RF beam each having respective vertical spreads of 30 degrees or less.