Computing system including power nodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11669141-B2
Application number	US-202117334371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

Examples are disclosed that relate to computing systems having a common conductive pathway. One example provides a computing system comprising a power supply configured to output electrical power for delivery to one or more power nodes, and one or more power monitors configured to identify a power overload condition based on the power output by the power supply. The computing system further comprises a parent controller configured to, based at least on receiving an indication of the power overload condition, transmit an instruction to one or more child controllers that causes each child controller to effect a change in an operational state of a corresponding power node. The computing system also comprises a conductive pathway along which electrical power output from the power supply is transmitted for delivery to the one or more power nodes, and along which the instruction is transmitted to the one or more child controllers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system, comprising:
a power supply configured to output electrical power for delivery to one or more power nodes;
one or more power monitors configured to identify a power overload condition based on monitoring the electrical power output by the power supply;
a parent controller configured to, based at least on receiving an indication of the power overload condition, transmit an instruction to one or more child controllers that causes each child controller to effect a change in an operational state of a corresponding power node;
a conductive pathway, comprising at least a transformer, at least along which electrical power output from the power supply is transmitted for delivery to the one or more power nodes, and along which the instruction is transmitted to the one or more child controllers; and
a bridge configured to provide a data transmission pathway around the transformer via which the instruction is transmitted.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , where the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node includes migrating a workload executing at the corresponding power node to one or more other power nodes.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , where the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node is effected based on a priority level associated with the corresponding power node.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , where the conductive pathway includes one or more conductors at least along which electrical power is delivered to the one or more power nodes, and along which the instruction is transmitted to the one or more child controllers.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , where the parent controller is a first parent controller, and where the bridge includes a second parent controller communicatively coupled to a third parent controller.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , where the parent controller includes a powerline communication device configured to inject the instruction into electrical power transmissions along the conductive pathway.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , where the parent controller is further configured to:
in response to at least receiving the indication of the power overload condition, set a timer;
transmit the instruction to the one or more child controllers, the instruction causing each child controller to effect, during pendency of the timer, the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node without cutting power to the corresponding power node;
upon expiry of the timer, determine whether the power overload condition is resolved; and
where the power overload condition is not resolved, transmit an instruction to the one or more child controllers causing power to be cut to one or more selected power nodes.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the timer is variable.

9. At a parent controller in a computing system, a method, comprising:
receiving, from one or more power monitors, an indication of a power overload condition;
based at least on receiving the indication of the power overload condition, transmitting an instruction to one or more child controllers that causes each child controller to effect a change in an operational state of a corresponding power node before power supply to the corresponding power node from one or more power supplies is cut off;
in response to at least receiving the indication of the power overload condition, setting a timer;
transmitting the instruction to the one or more child controllers, the instruction causing each child controller to effect, during pendency of the timer, the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node without cutting power to the corresponding power node;
upon expiry of the timer, determining whether the power overload condition is resolved; and
where the power overload condition is not resolved, transmitting an instruction to the one or more child controllers causing power to be cut to one or more selected power nodes.

10. The method of claim 9 , where the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node includes migrating a workload executing at the corresponding power node to one or more other power nodes.

11. The method of claim 9 , where the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node is effected based on a priority level associated with the corresponding power node.

12. The method of claim 9 , where the instruction is transmitted along a conductive pathway at least along which electrical power output by the one or more power supplies is also transmitted.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising varying a duration of the timer based on one or more of a priority level associated with the corresponding power node, and a reduction of a load at the corresponding power node.

14. A parent controller, comprising:
a logic subsystem;
a communication subsystem; and
a storage subsystem comprising instructions executable by the logic subsystem to:
receive, via the communication subsystem, from one or more power monitors, an indication of a power overload condition;
based at least on receiving the indication of the power overload condition, transmit, via the communication subsystem, an instruction to a plurality of child controllers each coupled to a corresponding power node, the instruction causing each child controller to effect a change in an operational state of the corresponding power node before power supply to the corresponding power node from one or more power supplies is cut off;
in response to at least receiving the indication of the power overload condition, set a timer;
transmit the instruction to the plurality of child controllers;
upon expiry of the timer, determine whether the power overload condition is resolved; and
where the power overload condition is not resolved, transmit an instruction to the plurality of child controllers causing power to be cut to one or more selected power nodes.

15. The parent controller of claim 14 , where the change in the operational state of the corresponding power node includes migrating a workload executing at the corresponding power node to one or more other power nodes.

16. The parent controller of claim 14 , where the instruction is transmitted along a conductive pathway at least along which electrical power output by the one or more power supplies is also transmitted.

17. The parent controller of claim 14 , where the communication subsystem includes a powerline communication device configured to inject the instruction into electrical current transmissions along the conductive pathway.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Morales Osvaldo Patricio
• Czamara Michael P
• Priest Judith Ying
• Bravo Ferreira Adolfo
• Heath Scot Edward
• Keaney Kevin Carter
• Gupta Shashank

Classifications

• H02J2103/35

  Grid-level management of power transmission or distribution systems, e.g. load flow analysis or active network management · CPC title

• H02J13/14

  the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] · CPC title

• H02J13/1311

  using the power network as support for the transmission · CPC title

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• H04L12/10

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title