Packetized power

• US 8,286,006 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Reeves, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US12/021,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/330, 439/70, 439/330
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for producing and delivering packetized power within a DC computing environment. Within the DC computing environment a power requirement or request is communicated to a power router. The power router then determines a power source capable of fulfilling the power requirement and then causes the power to be delivered in packetized form. The packetized power is appended to a message header which allows the power packet to be received by the requesting device.

Claims

1. A method for receiving electric power within a computing environment comprising:

broadcasting a power request message from a first electronic component within the computing environment, the power request message establishing at least an amount of power requested;

receiving a power delivery message comprising a delivery message header and a power packet, the power packet including at least a portion of the requested power; and

receiving an acknowledgement message confirming that the power packet is being addressed to the first electronic component, wherein the acknowledgement message defines the size of the power packet and establishes when the power packet will be dispatched.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery message header comprises a portion of the requested power.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the power request message includes an identification of the first electronic component, indicates when the power packet is desired and indicates a delivery priority.

4. A power router comprising:

a plurality of power sources; and

a power router logic module, the power router logic module operative to;

receive a power request message from an electronic component within a computing environment,

determine a best available power source from the plurality of power sources based at least in part upon information contained in the power request message,

initiate the transmission of a power delivery message including a delivery message header and a power packet in at least partial satisfaction of the power request message; and

initiate the transmission of a power request acknowledgement message to the electronic component, wherein the power request acknowledgement message defines the size of the power packet and establishes when the power packet will be dispatched.

5. The power router of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of power sources is a capacitor.

6. The power router of claim 5 wherein the power router logic module controls a switch in series with the capacitor.

7. The power router of claim 6 wherein the switch in series with the capacitor is a solid state device.

8. The power router of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of power sources is a voltage regulator.

9. The power router of claim 4 wherein the power router logic module monitors the computing environment for power request messages, power delivery messages, and power status messages.

10. A power distribution system distributing power packets within a computing environment comprising:

a source of direct current (DC) power thermodynamically isolated from the computing environment and delivering DC power to the computing environment; and

within the computing environment;

a power router,

a computing device comprising at least one electronic component, and

a DC power bus connecting the power router to the computing device, wherein the DC power bus distributes a power request message and a power delivery message between the power router and the computing device, the power delivery message including a delivery message header and a power packet in at least partial satisfaction of the power request message, wherein the DC power bus distributes a power request acknowledgement message between the power router and the computing device, wherein the power request acknowledgement message defines the size of the power packet and establishes when the power packet will be dispatched.

11. The power distribution system of claim 10 further comprising a messaging bus that transmits messages between the power router and the computing device.

12. The power distribution system of claim 11 wherein the message bus is asynchronous.