Data center with free-space optical communications

• US 20110150480A1
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Davidson, Howard Lee, Mundie, Craig J., Manos, Michael, Smith, Burton, Lustig, Kenneth, Mangione-Smith, William Henry, Hamilton, James R., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Josefsberg, Arne, Rashid, Richard F., Welland, Robert V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/68
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/06 Polarisation multiplex systems

Abstract

A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.

Claims

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1139. A data center comprising:

a plurality of data center units (DCUs) disposed in a region, wherein each DCU is configured to run a part or all of a data processing application; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast optical control and/or data signals in the region over an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links.

1140. The data center of claim 1139, wherein the at least one of the plurality of DCUs comprises a broadcasting transmitter.

1141. The data center of claim 1139, wherein the at least one of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a multiplicity of optical control and/or data signals simultaneously and/or sequentially to a plurality of receivers.

1142. The data center of claim 1139, wherein the internal network includes one or more nodes associated individual DCUs and/or one or more nodes interposed between the DCUs.

1143. The data center of claim 1139, wherein at least a first of the plurality of DCUs includes an optical interface unit (OIU) configured to connect the first DCU to the internal network in response to a free space optical control signal.

1144. The data center of claim 1139, wherein a first of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a free space optical control/and or data signal over the internal network at different wavelengths, and wherein an intended recipient is designated by a respective wavelength.

1145. The data center of claim 1144, wherein a receiving DCU is configured to recognize that it is the intended recipient of a free space optical control/and or data signal broadcast over the internal network by recognizing its respective wavelength signal.

1146. The data center of claim 1144, wherein a first of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a free space optical control/and or data signal over the internal network at different polarizations, and wherein an intended recipient is designated by a respective polarization.

1147. The data center of claim 1139, wherein the one or more DCUs are configured to broadcast optical control and/or data signals over at least a color region (˜

1% wide frequency region).

1148. The data center of claim 1147, wherein the color region is a color region at about 1.44, 1.47, or 1.55 microns wavelength.

1149. The data center of claim 1147, wherein one or more of the DCUs are configured to broadcast optical control and/or data signals over of two or more color regions.

1150. The data center of claim 1139, wherein a multiplicity of the data center units are associated with respective identifying-wavelengths, wherein the multiplicity of the data center units is configured to simultaneously broadcast optical control and/or data signals at their respective identifying-wavelengths over the internal network, and wherein a receiving DCU comprises a detector configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal.

1151. The data center of claim 1150, wherein the detector configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal comprises an array of photodiodes operating at different wavelengths.

1152. The data center of claim 1151, wherein the detector is further configured to buffer the wavelength-demultiplexed signal.

1153. The data center of claim 1139, wherein the plurality of data center units comprise one or more of data center bottles and/or data processing units, wherein the data center bottles include a plurality of data processing units, wherein the data processing units include one or more data processing circuits, and wherein the data processing circuits include one or more electronic modules, boxes, servers, cards, boards, and/or racks or free standing assemblies thereof.

1154. A data center comprising:

a plurality of data center units (DCUs) disposed in a region,

wherein each DCU is configured to run a part or all of a data processing application,

wherein at least one DCU includes an optical receiver having a receiving position, and

wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive multiple optical control and/or data signals over a plurality of separate free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU.

1155. The data center of claim 1154, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive multiple optical control and/or data signals over a corresponding multiplicity of free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU simultaneously and/or sequentially.

1156. The data center of claim 1154, wherein the data center includes an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links including the one or more free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU.

1157. The data center of claim 1154, wherein one or more of the DCUs are associated with respective identifying-characteristics, and wherein the one or more of the DCUs are configured to transmit optical control and/or data signals including their respective identifying-characteristics.

1158. The data center of claim 1157, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to identify a sending DCU by the respective identifying-characteristics in the optical control and/or data signals transmitted by the sending DCU.

1159. The data center of claim 1157, wherein the respective identifying-characteristics include one or more of a signal wavelength, a signal polarization, a signal transmit time slot, a header and/or any combination any thereof.

1160. The data center of claim 1154, wherein the optical receiver includes an imaging device, and wherein the optical receiver is configured to recognize a sending DCU by recognizing an angular direction of a received signal.

1161. The data center of claim 1154, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive optical control and/or data signals over at least a color region (˜

1% wide frequency region).

1162. The data center of claim 1161, wherein the color region is a color region at about 1.44, 1.47, or 1.55 microns wavelength.

1163. The data center of claim 1161, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive optical control and/or data signals over two or more color regions.

1164. The data center of claim 1154, wherein a first of the plurality of DCUs is configured to transmit a free space optical control/and or data signal.

1165. The data center of claim 1154, wherein a multiplicity of the data center units are associated with respective identifying-wavelengths, wherein the multiplicity of the data center units is configured to simultaneously transmit optical control and/or data signals at the data center units respective indentifying-wavelengths over an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links, and wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal.

1166. The data center of claim 1165, wherein the optical receiver is configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal comprises an array of photodiodes operating at different wavelengths.

1167. The data center of claim 1166, wherein the optical receiver is further configured to buffer the wavelength-demultiplexed signal.

1168. The data center of claim 1154, wherein the plurality of data center units comprise one or more of data center bottles and/or data processing units, wherein the data center bottles include a plurality of data processing units, wherein the data processing units include one or more data processing circuits, and wherein the data processing circuits include one or more electronic modules, boxes, servers, cards, boards, and/or racks or free standing assemblies thereof.

1169. The data center of claim 1154, further comprising, a network controller configured to connect and/or disconnect individual DCUs from an internal network of free space optical communication links.

1170. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of data center units (DCUs) disposed in a region, wherein each DCU is configured to run a part or all of a data processing application; and

configuring at least one of the plurality of DCUs to broadcast optical control and/or data signals in the region over an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links.

1171. The method of claim 1170, wherein the at least one of the plurality of DCUs comprises a broadcasting transmitter.

1172. The method of claim 1170, wherein the at least one of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a multiplicity of optical control and/or data signals simultaneously and/or sequentially to a plurality of receivers.

1173. The method of claim 1170, wherein the internal network includes one or more nodes associated individual DCUs and/or one or more nodes interposed between the DCUs.

1174. The method of claim 1170, wherein at least a first of the plurality of DCUs includes an optical interface unit (OIU) configured to connect the first DCU to the internal network in response to a free space optical control signal.

1175. The method of claim 1170, wherein a first of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a free space optical control/and or data signal over the internal network at different wavelengths, and wherein an intended recipient is designated by a respective wavelength.

1176. The method of claim 1175, wherein a receiving DCU is configured to recognize that it is the intended recipient of a free space optical control/and or data signal broadcast over the internal network by recognizing its respective wavelength signal.

1177. The method of claim 1175, wherein a first of the plurality of DCUs is configured to broadcast a free space optical control/and or data signal over the internal network at different polarizations, and wherein an intended recipient is designated by a respective polarization.

1178. The method of claim 1170, wherein the one or more DCUs are configured to broadcast optical control and/or data signals over at least a color region (˜

1% wide frequency region).

1179. The method of claim 1178, wherein the color region is a color region at about 1.44, 1.47, or 1.55 microns wavelength.

1180. The method of claim 1178, wherein one or more of the DCUs are configured to broadcast optical control and/or data signals over of two or more color regions.

1181. The method of claim 1170, wherein a multiplicity of the data center units are associated with respective identifying-wavelengths, wherein the multiplicity of the data center units is configured to simultaneously broadcast optical control and/or data signals at their respective identifying-wavelengths over the internal network, and wherein a receiving DCU comprises a detector configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal.

1182. The method of claim 1181, wherein the detector configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal comprises an array of photodiodes operating at different wavelengths.

1183. The method of claim 1182, wherein the detector is further configured to buffer the wavelength-demultiplexed signal.

1184. The method of claim 1170, wherein the plurality of data center units comprise one or more of data center bottles and/or data processing units, wherein the data center bottles include a plurality of data processing units, wherein the data processing units include one or more data processing circuits, and wherein the data processing circuits include one or more electronic modules, boxes, servers, cards, boards, and/or racks or free standing assemblies thereof.

1185. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of data center units (DCUs) disposed in a region; and

configuring each DCU to run a part or all of a data processing application,

wherein at least one DCU includes an optical receiver having a receiving position, and

wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive multiple optical control and/or data signals over a plurality of separate free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU.

1186. The method of claim 1185, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to receive multiple optical control and/or data signals over a corresponding multiplicity of free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU simultaneously and/or sequentially.

1187. The method of claim 1185, wherein the data center includes an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links including the one or more free space optical communication links leading to the at least one DCU.

1188. The method of claim 1185, wherein one or more of the DCUs are associated with respective identifying-headers, and wherein the one or more of the DCUs are configured to transmit optical control and/or data signals including their respective identifying-headers.

1189. The method of claim 1188, wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to identify a sending DCU by the identifying-headers in the optical control and/or data signals transmitted by the sending DCU.

1190. The method of claim 1188, wherein one or more of the DCUs are associated with respective identifying-wavelengths, and wherein the one or more of the DCUs are configured to transmit optical control and/or data signals at their respective indentifying-wavelengths.

1191. The method of claim 1185, wherein a multiplicity of the data center units are associated with respective identifying-wavelengths, wherein the multiplicity of the data center units is configured to simultaneously transmit optical control and/or data signals at the data center units respective indentifying-wavelengths over an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links, and wherein the optical receiver in its receiving position is configured to wavelength-demultiplex a received optical control and/or data signal.