Data center with free-space optical communications

• US 9,716,548 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lustig, Kenneth, Manos, Michael J., Rashid, Richard F., Hyde, Roderick A., Davidson, Howard Lee, Hamilton, James Robert, Josefsberg, Arne, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Welland, Robert V., Kare, Jordin T., Lord, Robert W., Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Smith, Burton J., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Jung, Edward K. Y., Mangione-Smith, William Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): DOBSON, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US14/456,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20140348510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 Details of coding or modulation

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

1. 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;

an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links to at least a first of the plurality of data center units;

a modulator co-disposed with the first of the plurality of data center units in the region, wherein the modulator is configured to modulate a raw light beam and transmit a modulated light beam over the one or more free space optical communication links; and

at least one light beam source disposed external to the first of the plurality of data center units and configured to provide the raw light beam to the modulator.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the modulator is configured to modulate one or more of an amplitude, a pulse format, a phase, a frequency and/or polarization of the raw light beam.

3. The data center of claim 1, further comprising, a demodulator configured to remove modulation from a modulated light beam.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one light beam source comprises an off-board laser-device.

5. The data center of claim 4, wherein a light beam generated by the off-board laser device is piped to the modulator via an optical fiber and/or a free-space link.

6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the at least one light beam source comprises a laser device disposed outside the region.

7. The data center of claim 1, further comprising, an optical beam splitter configured to split a light beam generated by the at least one light beam source into multiple light beams.

8. The data center of claim 1, wherein a light beam generated by the at least one light beam source is piped to the modulator via free space and/or an optical fiber.

9. The data center of claim 1, further comprising, a network controller configured to connect or disconnect the plurality of data center units from the internal network.

10. The data center of claim 1, wherein each nodal point in the internal network comprises one or more optical elements that are configurable to establish the one or more free space optical communication links.

11. The data center of claim 10, wherein the one or more optical elements comprise at least one of a reflecting mirror, a steerable telescope, a hemispherical lens, an optical router, an electro-optical beam steering element, an acoustic-optical beam steering element, and/or a mechanically steerable optical element.

12. The data center of claim 1, further comprising, an access interface coupling the data center to an external network.

13. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one of the DCU is a mobile DCU configured to move from a first position to a second position in the data center.

14. The data center of claim 1, wherein the internal network comprises links between one or more central hubs, sub-hubs, and/or DCUs.

15. The data center of claim 14, wherein the one or more central hubs and/or sub-hubs comprise a hologram.

16. 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;

providing an internal network of one or more free space optical communication links to at least a first of the plurality of data center units;

providing a modulator associated with the first of the plurality of data center units in the region, wherein the modulator is configured to modulate a raw light beam and transmit a modulated light beam over the one or more free space optical communication links; and

providing at least one light beam source disposed external to the first of the plurality of data center units and configured to provide the raw light beam to the modulator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modulator is configured to modulate one or more of an amplitude, a pulse format, a phase, a frequency and/or polarization of the raw light beam.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, providing a demodulator configured to remove modulation from a modulated light beam.

19. 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 using a plurality of data processing units (DPUs) coupled to an intra-DCU network; and

a plurality of optical interface units (OIUs) configurable to communicatively couple the plurality of DCUs in an internal network, wherein each OIU is configured to couple the intra-DCU network of a respective one of the DCUs to the internal network through one or more free space optical communication links, and wherein the OIUs include one or more independently steerable transmitting elements, independently steerable redirecting elements, and/or independently steerable receiving elements for communications over the free space optical communication links.

20. The data center of claim 19, 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.

21. The data center of claim 19, wherein the optical interface unit comprises at least one of an optical signal pass-through device, an optical beam generator, an optical beam modulator, an optical beam director, a steerable optical element, a beam-forming circuitry, an optical signal receiver/detector, an electrical-to-optical signal convertor, an optical-to-electrical signal converter, electrical and/or optical switchgear.

22. The data center of claim 19, wherein a nodal point in the internal network is external to the plurality of data center units.

23. The data center of claim 19, wherein a nodal point in the internal network corresponds to an external network access interface.

24. The data center of claim 19, wherein each nodal point in the internal network comprises one or more optical elements that are configurable to establish the one or more free space optical communication links.

25. The data center of claim 19, wherein the one or more optical elements comprise at least one of a reflecting mirror, a steerable telescope, a hemispherical lens, an optical router, an electro-optical beam steering element, and/or an acoustic-optical beam steering element, and/or a mechanically steerable optical element.

26. The data center of claim 19, further comprising, a network controller configured to connect or disconnect the plurality of data center units from the internal network.

27. The data center of claim 26, wherein the network controller is configured to control the OIU with free space optical control signals.

28. The data center of claim 26, wherein the network controller is configured to establish a dynamic link during data center operations using a search or scanning process.

29. The data center of claim 28, wherein the network controller is configured to establish the dynamic link during data center operations in response to a data center process value and/or an external process value or command.

30. The data center of claim 19, wherein the one or more free space optical communication links across the data center comprise a nodal point-to-nodal point link and/or a nodal point-to-multinodal point link.

31. The data center of claim 19, wherein the internal network of one or more free space optical links comprises an optical arrangement configured to redirect light from a first nodal point to a second nodal point in the internal network.

32. The data center of claim 31, wherein the optical arrangement comprises a mirror disposed at any one of a data center region wall, ceiling, floor, and/or boundary.

33. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of data center units (DCUs) disposed in a data center, wherein each DCU is configured to run a part or all of a data processing application using a plurality of data processing units (DPUs) coupled to an intra-DCU network; and

providing a plurality of optical interface units (OIUs) configurable to couple the plurality of DCUs in an internal network, wherein each OIU is configured to connect the intra-DCU network of a respective one of the plurality of DCUs to the internal network by use of one or more free space optical communication links, and wherein the OIUs include one or more acousto-optically and/or electrooptically steerable elements for transmitting, redirecting, and/or receiving communications over the free space optical communication links.