U.S. patent application number 13/725686 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-02 for power and data hub.
The applicant listed for this patent is Aseem Gupta. Invention is credited to Aseem Gupta.
Application Number | 20130111234 13/725686 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45494525 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130111234 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gupta; Aseem |
May 2, 2013 |
Power and Data Hub
Abstract
The power and data hub is a fan-less modular electronic system
having a main housing member that forms a heat sink, which houses
an electronic switch fabric backbone. The electronic switch fabric
backbone connects multiple modular slots using a connection fabric
backplane, which provides low voltage power input and command
protocols. Cross-matrix switches are provided to interconnect
stand-alone audio-visual, computer and other data, such as audio
I/O, video I/O, and outputs via the integrated switch fabric
backbone. Multifunction modular cards are provided and securely
insert into modular slots disposed in the main housing unit. The
system includes a control and DC power injector management unit for
power control of connected units. Power management instructions can
be issued to the main unit and modular cards. A network-based
management utility controls, monitors and records operational
parameters, and also stores and translates programmed instructions
to the device.
Inventors: |
Gupta; Aseem; (Dubai,
AE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gupta; Aseem |
Dubai |
|
AE |
|
|
Family ID: |
45494525 |
Appl. No.: |
13/725686 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12843720 |
Jul 26, 2010 |
8370656 |
|
|
13725686 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
713/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/26 20130101; H04L
12/40039 20130101; Y02D 30/50 20200801; H04L 12/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
713/300 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/26 20060101
G06F001/26 |
Claims
1. A power and data hub, comprising: an enclosure for a plurality
of thin, modular, hot swappable electronic circuit boards, the
enclosure forming a heat dissipating, protective shell, the
enclosure including a peripheral wall framework having aeration
holes defined therein, the wall framework closing off front and
lateral sides of the circuit board enclosure and allowing further
heat dissipation from an interior of the circuit board enclosure; a
rear panel closing off the rear portion of the circuit board
enclosure, the rear panel having slots adapted for receiving hot
swappable configured electronic circuit board modules; a control
protocol server disposed in the modular circuit board enclosure; a
TCP/IP port operably connected to the control protocol server, the
TCP/IP port facilitating data exchange between an external data
network and the control protocol server; a PoE TCP/IP port operably
connected to the control protocol server, the PoE TCP/IP port
facilitating power control data exchange between the external data
network and the control protocol server; an externally accessible
AC mains receptacle disposed in the modular circuit board
enclosure; an AC distribution unit disposed in the modular circuit
board enclosure, the AC distribution unit accepting mains power
from the AC mains receptacle; a plurality of externally accessible
AC switched outlets disposed in the modular circuit board
enclosure, the outlets being connected to the AC distribution unit;
externally accessible DC outlets having a plurality of different DC
output voltage type connectors; a DC aggregator/distributor
disposed in the modular circuit board enclosure, the DC
aggregator/distributor outputting voltages to the DC outlets
according to the DC output voltage type connectors; a plurality of
AC/DC transformers interconnecting the AC distribution unit and the
DC aggregator/distributor; power control relays connected to the AC
distribution unit for selectively configuring the DC power
distribution; a DC power injector system accepting output from the
DC aggregator/distributor; a multipart TCP/IP router modular
circuit board disposed in the modular circuit board enclosure; a
switch fabric electronic backplane disposed in the modular circuit
board enclosure, the switch fabric electronic backplane being
operably connected to the control protocol server and to the DC
power injector system, the switch fabric electronic backplane being
operably connected to the modular circuit boards to inject low
voltage DC current and command protocols to inserted ones of the
hot swappable configured electronic circuit board modules, to the
multipart TCP/IP router modular circuit board, and to external
devices connected to the external data network; means for
controlling the switch fabric electronic backplane for cross-matrix
switching, wherein an input of any first of the devices/modules is
so switched to accept an output of any second of the
devices/modules; and means for controlling the switch fabric
electronic backplane for power injection switching, wherein the any
first of the devices/modules is powered up responsive to connection
to an active any second of the devices/modules, and the any first
of the devices/modules is completely powered down responsive to the
any first of the devices/modules entering a standby mode.
2. The power and data hub according to claim 1, wherein said
modular circuit board enclosure is made of 100% recycled
aluminum.
3. The power and data hub according to claim 1, wherein said
peripheral wall framework is made of 100% recycled aluminum.
4. The power and data hub according to claim 1, wherein said hot
swappable electronic circuit board modules are selected from the
group consisting of audio, video, data, analog signal input-output
and signal processing, digital signal input-output and signal
processing modules.
5. The power and data hub according to claim 4, further comprising
a configuration of said hot swappable electronic circuit board
modules in which said configuration allows for cross-matrix
switching of VGA, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, USB, Composite Video, Super
Video, Display-Port, Stereo Audio, and Digital Audio signals
connected to said electronic circuit board module.
6. The power and data hub according to claim 1, further comprising
means for remotely controlling said power and data hub over a
network.
7. The power and data hub according to claim 1, further comprising
means for collecting usage data of said devices/modules in a manner
that makes said usage data available for further processing and
reporting purposes.
8. The power and data hub according to claim 1, wherein said switch
fabric electronic backplane is a dual switch fabric electronic
backplane allowing for hot swappable connection of a hot swappable
digital video scaling engine module.
9. The power and data hub according to claim 1, further comprising
means for controlling remote said external devices over said
external data network.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to devices for the
distribution of electrical power and data to a plurality of
disparate devices, and particularly to a power and data hub having
improved heat dissipation and that saves energy.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Blade servers were developed as stripped down server
computers having a modular design optimized to minimize physical
space and energy usage. The design objective was to get away from
the standard rack-mount server which generally could only hold one
server.
[0005] A blade enclosure is a chassis that can house multiple thin,
modular electronic circuit boards, commonly known as server blades.
Moreover, the blade enclosure has resources that provide such
services as power, cooling, networking, and a variety of
interconnects and management options. Together, blades and the
blade enclosure form the blade system.
[0006] During operation, electrical and mechanical components
produce heat, which a system must displace to ensure the proper
functioning of its components. Most blade enclosures, like most
computing systems, remove heat by using fans.
[0007] A frequently underestimated problem when designing high
performance computer systems involves the conflict between the
amount of heat a system generates and the ability of its fans to
remove the heat. The blade's shared power and cooling means that it
does not generate as much heat as traditional servers. Newer blade
enclosure designs feature high-speed, adjustable fans and control
logic that tune the cooling to the system's requirements, or even
liquid cooling systems. This however, adds to the complexity and
expense of the system.
[0008] The blade enclosure provides one or more network buses to
which the blade will connect, and either presents these ports
individually in a single location (versus one in each computer
chassis), or aggregates them into fewer ports, reducing the cost of
connecting the individual devices. Available ports may be present
in the chassis itself, or in networking blades.
[0009] Since blade enclosures provide a standard method for
delivering basic services to computer devices, other types of
devices can also utilize blade enclosures. Blades providing
switching, routing, storage, SAN and fiber channel access can fit
into slots in the enclosure to provide these services to all
members of the enclosure. While multimedia matrix switches are
available on the market, it would be desirable to provide such a
switch in the form of a blade enclosure. Moreover it would be
desirable to inexpensively solve the aforementioned cooling problem
encountered by many devices that use a blade design.
[0010] Thus, a power and data hub solving the aforementioned
problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The power and data hub is a device that includes multiple
thin, modular electronic circuit boards, similar to blade server
boards, that can be configured to have zero watts electrical power
consumption when in standby mode. The device provides power
distribution and computer network distribution with access to
multiple modular slots that provide power and network communication
to connected modules, allowing, e.g., switching of audio-visual
computer camera inputs and other such data inputs and outputs via
an integrated backbone using multifunctional types of modular
cards, which can be securely inserted into modular slots in a main
housing unit and attached thereto. A control and energy management
processing unit issues instructions to the main unit and to the
modular cards. An electronic system includes the router and a
web-based energy management utility that controls, monitors, and
records information with respect to time the device is in use and
watts of electrical energy consumed during operation to calculate
the total energy saved by the device during standby mode. The
device stores and translates programmed instructions issued to the
device and to connected external input/output devices.
[0012] These and other features of the present invention will
become readily apparent upon further review of the following
specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power and data hub
according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exemplary rear view of the power and data hub
according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the power and data hub
according to the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a cross-matrix blade
configuration of the power and data hub according to the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an external extension
slave module of the power and data hub according to the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a rear view showing an exemplary dual backplane
embodiment of the power and data hub according to the present
invention.
[0019] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the power and data hub 10 is a
fan-less modular power and data system having a main housing member
12 that functions as an enclosure for an electronic switch fabric
backbone 310 connected to a TCP/IP router thin, modular, hot
swappable electronic circuit board 33a and a plurality of internal,
modular, hot swappable thin, electronic circuit boards 33b. Housing
member 12 has a substantially C-shaped front/rear cross section
defining parallel vertical peripheral edges and parallel horizontal
peripheral edges. The overall shape of housing member 12 enables
the member 12 to function as a heat sink, which provides cooling to
the hub components without the use of a fan.
[0021] The switch fabric is the network topology in which
interconnect architecture used by a switching device redirects the
data coming in on one of its ports out to another of its ports. The
word "fabric" comes from the resulting crisscrossed lines when all
the inputs on a switch with hundreds of ports are connected to all
possible outputs. The electronic switch fabric backbone 310
comprises a plurality of cross-matrix switches, which can
interconnect stand alone audio-visual, computer and other data,
such as audio I/O, video I/O VGA, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, USB,
Composite Video, Super Video, Display-Port, Stereo Audio, Digital
Audio, and other such analog or digital signal inputs from and to
connected audio-visual and computer devices, thereby allowing data
capture, network streaming, and transmission of video, audio and
data between switch fabric-connected inputs and outputs.
[0022] Control and automation of connected electronic and
electrical devices, sensors, electrical relays and other types of
analog and digital control interfaces is effected by control
management software resident in server 312 having programmed
instructions executed in accordance with the requirements of the
devices connected by the integrated switch fabric backbone 310. The
functional units, which are interconnectable via the backbone
switch 310, are multifunction modular cards, i.e., blades 33b that
securely insert into modular slots 33c disposed in the main housing
unit 10. The electronic switch fabric backbone 310 connects
multiple modular slots 33c using a connection fabric backplane,
which provides low voltage power input and command protocols for
connecting the multiple internal modular blades 33b.
[0023] The switch fabric backbone 310 can switch any device in the
external data network XNET designated as an input to any device in
the entire system (including the internal thin, modular, hot
swappable electronic circuit boards 33b) designated as an output.
Similarly any device in the system designated as an input can be
switched to any device in the system designated as an output.
[0024] External devices of external data network XNET can be
connected to the hub 10 via a Power over Ethernet (POE) TCP/IP Port
314, and a standard TCP/IP port 316, both ports 314 and 316 being
disposed inside housing 12 of the hub 10.
[0025] The hub 10 has a control protocol server 312, which is
operably connected to the ports 314 and 316 to support power
control and data communication exchange between external data
network XNET devices and internal modular thin, hot swappable
electronic circuit board devices 33b through switch fabric 310 via
a plurality of communication lines "COM" and power control lines
"DC".
[0026] The unit 10 is powered from an AC mains connection to an
external AC power source XAC. Power from the mains is then routed
to a plurality of switched outlets 300 and AC/DC transformers 304
via the hub's AC distribution unit 302. The control management
software issues instructions for power control of the internal
thin, modular, hot swappable electronic circuit boards 33b, as well
as external devices connected to the external data network XNET.
Control relays 303 route a selected DC voltage to a DC
aggregator/distributor 306. The DC distributor powers a plurality
of 12-volt and 5-volt DC outlets 350 but the invention is not
limited to exemplary outlets 350 and may power a range of DC
voltage outputs, generally ranging between 24-volts, 19-volts, or
the like. The DC outlets 350 and AC switched outlets 300 are
disposed on the rear panel 605.
[0027] Additionally, the DC aggregator/distributor 306 routes DC
power to a DC power injector system 308. Output of the power
injector system 308 is delivered to a portion of the switch fabric
310, wherein, under commands from the control protocol server 312,
DC power can be injected to or removed from any combination of
internal blade modules 33b. The control and DC power injector
management unit 308 provides power control of connected units
responsive to network commands sent via PoE port 314.
[0028] Power over Ethernet (or PoE) technology describes a system
to safely pass electrical power, along with data, on Ethernet
cabling. PoE requires category-5 cable or higher for high power
levels, but can operate with category-3 cable for low power levels.
Power can come from a power supply within a PoE-enabled networking
device, such as an Ethernet switch, or from a device built for
"injecting" power onto the Ethernet cabling. The DC power injection
system 308, being controllable via the PoE/TCP ports 314 and 316,
can power up or power down any of the cards 33b connected to the
switch fabric backbone 310. The power aggregator 306 can accumulate
the power consumption of individual blade components 33b and
compute power consumption of individual blades 33b, and can also
compute the total power consumption of the power and data hub
10.
[0029] Power management software can reside in the control protocol
server 312, from which power management instructions can be issued
to the main unit 10 and to the modular cards 33b. A network-based
management utility controls, monitors, and records operational
parameters, and also stores and translates programmed instructions
to the device 10. As shown in FIG. 4, a wide variety of blade
module types may be inserted into the hub to facilitate connection
of source devices 400a to output devices 400b. As shown in FIG. 5,
remotely located external devices can be controlled by the unit 10
via external slave module 500, which can be connected to the
external device XD. The external module has an external AC mains
input XAC, which feeds the internal AC/DC transformer and provides
for a plurality of switched AC and DC power outlets 509, which are
controlled by relay 503 in operable communication with a plurality
of copper and/or Fiber TCP/IP input ports 505 and/or wireless
receiver 511.
[0030] An integrated signal translator circuit provides a plurality
of outputs for AV signals, TCP/IP and serial port 507 which are
provided to further control operation of the external device XD and
provide remote connectivity to inputs connected to the main unit 10
over long cable distances using copper or fiber cable connectivity
505 or over wireless connectivity 511 using industry standard
802.11 wireless communication protocol.
[0031] Moreover, the unit provides web-based energy monitoring,
management, and control of device internal modules 33b, as well as
connected external devices XD, to stop electrical connection when
the device (XD or 33b) goes on standby mode. The web-based
management utility enables network communication and programming
via control software residing on a web server built into the unit
10, and also receives programmed inputs from other devices and user
inputs via the network from a server application that stores the
commands in a database. The server application also collects usage
data and monitors the device, thereby making this information
available for further processing and reporting purposes. The
ability to manage these devices via network-Internet connection is
also provided. The server 312 allows for continuous web-based
monitoring control and reporting of energy used/saved by the
device, as reported by the aggregator 306.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the device
10 has a dual backplane 600 that supports hot swappable connection
of digital video scaling engines 602. The device provides an
all-in-one integrated modular chassis, where each module 33b
performs specific functions, such as source signal switching and
input signal resolution scaling of audio-visual devices, data
input/output processing, control of other connected devices,
capture of camera inputs, etc. The hub 10 provides data
integration, web services and power management to the modules 33b
and the aforementioned externally connected devices XD, and, via
the control management software, stops all power usage for any of
the internal or external devices detected by the unit 10 to be in
standby mode. Moreover, the control management software issues
control protocol-based programmed instruction commands, which
enable an internal module 33b or an external device XD to power
itself up and perform its independent functions when the device
(33b or XD) is connected to a data network or directly to a
computer having device specific management software.
[0033] The main housing unit 12 of the hub 10 is preferably made of
100% recycled aluminum, which forms a protective shell for the
electronic components of the hub 10. Preferably 100% recycled
aluminum modular front peripheral wall framing 14a and lateral
peripheral wall framing 14b are enclosed by the main housing member
12, which, due to aeration holes in the peripheral wall framing 14a
and 14b in combination with the solid C-shaped main housing member
12, forms a natural heat sink, thereby dissipating heat generated
by the powered electronics housed in the main housing member 12.
The main housing member 12 may include an upper housing plate 20,
an intermediately located fix plate 40, and a lower housing plate
50, each of which is secured to the main housing member 12 by any
suitable fastening means, such as screws, nuts and bolts, or the
like. In the particular example illustrated, anchor supports 60 are
disposed through the bottom housing plate 50 and through bottom
peripheral edges of the main housing member 12 to provide firm
footing for placement of the hub 10 on a flat surface.
[0034] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *