On-demand modular fog computing resources

• US 10,555,054 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Byers, Charles Calvin, Salgueiro, Gonzalo, Clarke, Joseph Michael, Pignataro, Carlos M., Nainar, Nagendra Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lea-Edmonds, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US15/096,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/00 Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/025 Cabinets

Abstract

In one embodiment, an autonomous carrier transports a fog computing module to an enclosure at a location determined to be in need of a particular fog computing resource, and aligns and anchors the fog computing module to the enclosure, where the aligning and anchoring is based on mating mechanical connectors on the fog computing module and enclosure. One or more electronic components of the fog computing module may then interface to the enclosure due to the anchoring, and the fog computing module activates at the location, accordingly. In one particular embodiment, the particular fog computing resource of the fog computing module is an additive resource to an existing fog computing resource module at the enclosure, and the existing fog computing resource module provides the mechanical connectors and interfaced electronic components of the enclosure.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transporting, by an autonomous carrier, a fog computing module to an enclosure at a location determined to be in need of a particular fog computing resource;

aligning and anchoring the fog computing module to the enclosure by the autonomous carrier, the aligning and anchoring based on mating mechanical connectors on the fog computing module and enclosure;

interfacing one or more electronic components of the fog computing module to the enclosure due to the anchoring; and

activating the fog computing module at the location.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the particular fog computing resource is a portion of a fog computing solution provided at the enclosure, and wherein the fog computing module provides the portion of the fog computing solution as the needed particular fog computing resource.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the particular fog computing resource is an entire fog computing solution provided at the enclosure, and wherein the fog computing module provides the entire fog computing solution as the needed particular fog computing resource.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the particular fog computing resource of the fog computing module is an additive resource to an existing fog computing resource module at the enclosure, and wherein the existing fog computing resource module provides the mechanical connectors and interfaced electronic components of the enclosure.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the additive resource of the fog computing module is selected from a group consisting of:

a repair module to repair the existing fog computing resource module;

a replacement module to replace the existing fog computing resource module;

an upgrade to the existing fog computing resource module; and

a support module to amplify one or more capabilities of the existing fog computing resource module.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein interfacing comprises:

electronically inserting the electronic components of the fog computing module in series between a source of the electronic components at the enclosure and associated electronic components of the existing fog computing resource module, wherein the electronically inserting breaks a direct connection between the electronic components of the existing fog computing resource module and the source of the electronic components at the enclosure.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

multiplexing, by the fog computing module, electronic connectivity between the source of the electronic components at the enclosure and to one or both of the electronic components of the fog computing module and the electronic components of the existing fog computing resource module.

8. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

transferring, to the fog computing module, state from the existing fog computing resource module.

9. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

transferring data from the fog computing module to the existing fog computing resource module.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the autonomous carrier is selected from a group consisting of:

a robot;

a drone;

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

an autonomous vehicle; and

an autonomous watercraft.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the enclosure is selected from a group consisting of:

a roadside module receptacle;

a pole-top module receptacle;

a building-top module receptacle; and

a building-side garage-based module receptacle.

12. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

removing an existing fog computing resource module from the enclosure prior to aligning and anchoring the fog computing module to the enclosure.

13. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

adding an additional fog computing resource module to the fog computing module to the enclosure by aligning and anchoring the additional fog computing module to the fog computing module based on mating second mechanical connectors on the fog computing module and the additional fog computing resource module, and by further interfacing the one or more electronic components of the fog computing module to corresponding electronic components of the additional fog computing resource module.

14. The method as in claim 1, wherein the mechanical connectors are keyed connectors.

15. The method as in claim 1, wherein the need of the particular fog computing resource is temporary, the method further comprising:

removing the fog computing resource module from the enclosure when there is no longer a need of the particular fog computing resource.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein the need of the particular fog computing resource is selected from a group consisting of:

a subscribed location for fog as a Service (FaaS);

a determined location of increased fog activity;

a determined location of reduced fog capability;

a determined location of failed fog capability;

a determined location of insufficient fog capability;

a determined location of an upgrade to an existing fog computing resource module; and

a determined location of newly offered fog capability.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a transportation mechanism;

a processor adapted to control the transportation mechanism and to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

transport, by the transportation mechanism, a fog computing module to an enclosure at a location determined to be in need of a particular fog computing resource;

align and anchor the fog computing module to the enclosure by the autonomous carrier, the aligning and anchoring based on mating mechanical connectors on the fog computing module and enclosure; and

interface one or more electronic components of the fog computing module to the enclosure due to the anchoring, wherein the fog computing module activates at the location upon interfacing the one or more electronic components.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the particular fog computing resource is a portion of a fog computing solution provided at the enclosure, and wherein the fog computing module provides the portion of the fog computing solution as the needed particular fog computing resource.

19. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the particular fog computing resource of the fog computing module is an additive resource to an existing fog computing resource module at the enclosure, and wherein the existing fog computing resource module provides the mechanical connectors and interfaced electronic components of the enclosure.

20. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the apparatus and associated transportation mechanism is selected from a group consisting of:

a robot;

a drone;

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

an autonomous vehicle; and

an autonomous watercraft.

21. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the enclosure is selected from a group consisting of:

a roadside module receptacle;

a pole-top module receptacle;

a building-top module receptacle; and

a building-side garage-based module receptacle.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

an outer enclosure casing;

an access panel on the outer enclosure casing, the access panel accessible by an authorized autonomous carrier;

mating mechanical connectors accessible to the authorized autonomous carrier via the access panel, the mating mechanical connectors configured to provide alignment and anchoring of a fog computing module by the authorized autonomous carrier, the aligning and anchoring based on reciprocal mating mechanical connectors on the fog computing module; and

one or more electronic components configured to interface with one or more reciprocal electronic components of the fog computing module due to the anchoring, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic components is configured to supply power to the fog computing module sufficient for the fog computing module to activate at a location of the apparatus and provide a particular fog computing resource at the location.

23. The apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the apparatus is selected from a group consisting of:

a roadside module receptacle;

a pole-top module receptacle;

a building-top module receptacle; and

a building-side garage-based module receptacle.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor adapted to execute one or more processes;

a memory configured to store a fog computing resource process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to provide one or more fog computing resources;

mating mechanical connectors configured to provide alignment and anchoring of the apparatus by an autonomous carrier into an enclosure, the aligning and anchoring based on reciprocal mating mechanical connectors within the enclosure; and

one or more electronic components configured to interface with one or more reciprocal electronic components within the enclosure due to the anchoring, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic components is configured to receive power from the enclosure sufficient for the apparatus to activate the fog computing resource process at a location of the enclosure.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the fog computing resource process of the apparatus is an additive resource to an existing fog computing resource module at the enclosure, and wherein the existing fog computing resource module provides the reciprocal mechanical connectors and reciprocal electronic components within the enclosure.