Patents by Inventor Sean M. James

Sean M. James has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130190936
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, Sean M. James
  • Patent number: 8032767
    Abstract: An illustrative power-efficient data center is described for operating in an uncontrolled environment in one scenario. The data center includes an air moving system that applies unconditioned air to resource items. The resource items are stripped down to provide a substantially minimum set of components for performing the data center'core functions. Various illustrative techniques for managing a power-efficient data center are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, James R. Hamilton, Sean M. James
  • Patent number: 7961463
    Abstract: An illustrative power-efficient data center is described for operating in an uncontrolled environment in one scenario. The data center includes an air moving system that applies unconditioned air to its resource items. The resource items are stripped down to provide a substantially minimum set of components for performing the data center's core functions. Various illustrative techniques for managing a power-efficient data center are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, James R. Hamilton, Sean M. James
  • Publication number: 20090254763
    Abstract: An illustrative power-efficient data center is described for operating in an uncontrolled environment in one scenario. The data center includes an air moving system that applies unconditioned air to resource items. The resource items are stripped down to provide a substantially minimum set of components for performing the data center'core functions. Various illustrative techniques for managing a power-efficient data center are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, James R. Hamilton, Sean M. James
  • Publication number: 20090251860
    Abstract: An illustrative power-efficient data center is described for operating in an uncontrolled environment in one scenario. The data center includes an air moving system that applies unconditioned air to its resource items. The resource items are stripped down to provide a substantially minimum set of components for performing the data center's core functions. Various illustrative techniques for managing a power-efficient data center are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, James R. Hamilton, Sean M. James