Data plant—a raw material powered data generator

• US 9,252,598 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Belady, Christian L., James, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US13/357,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A “data plant” accepts power-generation-capable raw materials and outputs processed data. The processed data can be delivered to consumers more efficiently than other forms of power transfer, including power transfer through electricity, steam, physical motion, and the like. Consequently, data plants can be located where power-generation-capable raw materials can be obtained inexpensively, for free, or where power-generation-capable raw materials are waste products for which the operator of the data plants can be compensated for processing. Self-powered data plants need not even be continuously fed with power-generation-capable raw materials and, if such data plants receive and output data via wireless communications, the self-powered data plants can require no physical connection or attachment at all. For example, a single piece of silicon comprising a silicon solar cell that generates electrical power and silicon circuitry that consumes it to perform data processing can be a silicon self-powered data plant.

Claims

1. A data plant comprising:

data processing circuitry etched onto a silicon wafer;

at least one solar cell comprising the silicon wafer, the at least one solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the data processing circuitry;

one or more electrical pathways etched onto the silicon wafer, the electrical pathways electrically connecting the at least one solar cell to the data processing circuitry; and

a wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the data processing circuitry and also etched into the silicon wafer;

wherein the wireless data communication circuitry is wirelessly communicationally coupled to a second data plant, the second data plant comprising;

a second data processing circuitry etched onto a second silicon wafer;

a second solar cell comprising the second silicon wafer, the second solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the second data processing circuitry;

a second set of electrical pathways etched onto the second silicon wafer, the second set of electrical pathways electrically connecting the second solar cell to the second data processing circuitry; and

a second wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the second data processing circuitry and also etched into the second silicon wafer.

2. The data plant of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication circuitry is also etched onto the silicon wafer.

3. The data plant of claim 2, wherein the at least one solar cell generates direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the wireless data communication circuitry.

4. The data plant of claim 3, wherein the native voltage of the at least some of the wireless data communication circuitry is 48 VDC.

5. The data plant of claim 1, wherein the native voltage of the at least some of the data processing circuitry is 380 VDC.

6. The data plant of claim 1, wherein the data plant is in a form of a roofing tile.

7. The data plant of claim 1, further comprising a cooling component electrically connected to the at least one solar cell.

8. The data plant of claim 1, wherein the at least one solar cell further comprises a power converter to generate the direct current electrical power at the native voltage of the at least some of the data processing circuitry.

9. A standalone data processing system comprising:

a first data plant comprising;

a first data processing circuitry etched onto a first silicon wafer;

a first one solar cell comprising the silicon wafer, the first solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the first data processing circuitry;

a first set of electrical pathways etched onto the silicon wafer, the first set of electrical pathways electrically connecting the first solar cell to the first data processing circuitry; and

a first wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the first data processing circuitry and also etched onto the silicon wafer; and

a second data plant, physically separate and physically decoupled from the first data plant, the second data plant comprising;

a second data processing circuitry etched onto a second silicon wafer;

a second one solar cell comprising the silicon wafer, the second solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the second data processing circuitry;

a second set of electrical pathways etched onto the silicon wafer, the second set of electrical pathways electrically connecting the second solar cell to the second data processing circuitry; and

a second wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the second data processing circuitry and also etched onto the silicon wafer;

wherein the first wireless data communication circuitry and the second wireless data communication circuitry are wirelessly communicationally coupled.

10. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, wherein the second data plant provides processing redundancy for the first data plant through the wireless communicational coupling between the first wireless data communication circuitry and the second wireless data communication circuitry.

11. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first solar cell generates direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the first wireless data communication circuitry.

12. The standalone data processing system of claim 11, wherein the native voltage of the at least some of the first wireless data communication circuitry is 48 VDC.

13. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, wherein the native voltage of the at least some of the first data processing circuitry is 380 VDC.

14. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first data plant and the second data plant are both in a form of a roofing tile.

15. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, further comprising a cooling component electrically connected to the first solar cell.

16. The standalone data processing system of claim 9, wherein the first and second solar cells each further comprise a power converter to generate the direct current electrical power at the native voltage of the at least some of the first and second data processing circuitry.

17. A roof comprising:

roofing tiles; and

a first silicon data plant roofing tile comprising;

a first data processing circuitry etched onto a first silicon wafer;

a first one solar cell comprising the silicon wafer, the first solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the first data processing circuitry;

a first set of electrical pathways etched onto the silicon wafer, the first set of electrical pathways electrically connecting the first solar cell to the first data processing circuitry; and

a first wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the first data processing circuitry and also etched onto the silicon wafer; and

a second silicon data plant roofing tile, physically separate and physically decoupled from the first silicon data plant roofing tile, the second data plant roofing tile comprising;

a second data processing circuitry etched onto a second silicon wafer;

a second one solar cell comprising the silicon wafer, the second solar cell generating direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the second data processing circuitry;

a second set of electrical pathways etched onto the silicon wafer, the second set of electrical pathways electrically connecting the second solar cell to the second data processing circuitry; and

a second wireless data communication circuitry communicationally coupled to the second data processing circuitry and also etched onto the silicon wafer;

wherein the first wireless data communication circuitry and the second wireless data communication circuitry are wirelessly communicationally coupled.

18. The roof of claim 17, wherein the first silicon data plant roofing tile provides processing redundancy for the second silicon data plant roofing tile through the wireless communicational coupling established among the first wireless data communication circuitry and the second wireless data communication circuitry.

19. The roof of claim 17, wherein the first solar cell generates direct current electrical power at a native voltage of at least some of the first wireless data communication circuitry.

20. The roof of claim 17, wherein the first silicon data plant roofing tile further comprises a cooling component electrically connected to the first solar cell.