SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARALLEL PROCESSING USING DYNAMICALLY CONFIGURABLE PROACTIVE CO-PROCESSING CELLS

• US 20140337850A1
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swarm Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Swarm Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Iniguez, Alfonso
• Granted Patent: US 9,852,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5017 Task decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

A parallel processing architecture includes a CPU, a task pool populated by the CPU, and a plurality of autonomous co-processing cells each having an agent configured to proactively interrogate the task pool to retrieve tasks appropriate for a particular so-processor. Each co-processor communicates with the task pool through a switching fabric, which facilitates connections for data transfer and arbitration between all system resources. Each so-processor notifies the task pool when a task or task thread is completed, whereupon the task pool notifies the CPU.

Claims

1. A processing system, comprising:

a task pool;

a controller configured to populate the task pool with a first task; and

a first co-processor configured to proactively retrieve the first task from the task pool.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first co-processor comprises a first agent configured to retrieve the first task from the task pool without communicating with the controller.

3. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the first task includes indicia of a first task type, the first co-processor is configured to perform tasks of the first type, and the first agent is configured to search the task pool for a task of the first type.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the first co-processor is further configured to process the first and notify the task pool upon completion of the first task.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the task pool is configured to notify the controller upon completion of the first task.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the controller and the first co-processor are configured communicate with each other only through the task pool.

7. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the controller and the first co-processor are configured communicate with each other directly and through the task pool.

8. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the first co-processor is configured to determine that it has available processing capacity, and to dispatch the agent to the task pool in response to the determination.

9. The processing system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to populate the task pool with a second task, and wherein the system further comprises a second co-processor having a second agent configured to proactively retrieve the second task from the task pool.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the second task includes indicia of a second task type, the second co-processor is configured to perform tasks of the second type, and the second agent is configured to search the task pool for a task of the second type.

11. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the controller and the task pool reside on a monolithic integrated circuit (IC), and the first co-processor does not reside on the IC.

12. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the controller, the task pool, and the first and second co-processors reside on a monolithic integrated circuit (IC).

13. A method of dynamically controlling processing resources in a network of the type including a central processing unit (CPU) configured to populate a task pool with a first task having a first task type, the method comprising the steps of:

programming a first cell to perform the first task type;

adding the programmed first cell to the network;

proactively sending a first agent from the first cell to the task pool;

searching the task pool, by the first agent, for a task of the first type;

retrieving, by the first agent, the first task from the task pool;

transporting, by the first agent, the first task to the first cell;

processing, by the first cell, the first task; and

sending a notification from the first cell to the task pool that the first task is completed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

marking, by the task pool, the first task as being completed; and

sending a notification from the task pool to the CPU that the first task is completed.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

configuring the first cell to determine that the first cell has available processing capacity as a predicate to proactively sending the first agent to the task pool.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

integrating the first cell into a first device prior to adding the programmed first cell to the network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first device comprises one of a sensor, light bulb, power switch, appliance, biometric device, medical device, diagnostic device, lap top, tablet, smartphone, motor controller, and security device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein adding the programmed first cell to the network comprises:

establishing a communication link between the first cell and the task pool.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the (CPU) is further configured to populate the task pool with a second task having a second task type, the method further comprising the steps of:

programming the second cell to perform the second task type;

establishing a communication link between the second cell and the task pool;

proactively sending a second agent from the second cell to the task pool;

searching the task pool, by the second agent, for a task of the second type;

retrieving, by the second agent, the second task from the task pool;

transporting, by the second agent, the second task to the second cell;

processing, by the second cell, the second task;

sending a notification from the second cell to the task pool that the second task is completed;

marking, by the task pool, the second task as being completed; and

sending a notification from the task pool to the CPU that the second task is completed.

20. A system for controlling distributed processing resources in an internet of things (IoT) computing environment, comprising:

a CPU configured to partition an aggregate computing requirement into a plurality of tasks and place the tasks in a pool; and

a plurality of devices each having a unique dedicated agent configured to proactively retrieve a task from the pool without direct communication with the CPU.