Patents by Inventor Brian A. Janous
Brian A. Janous 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).
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Patent number: 9812925Abstract: Processing units and electrical power generation are integrated with a botanical environment to form a closed loop system whereby the outputs of one component serve as the inputs of another. Additionally, humans can be added to the system while maintaining the closed loop nature. Heat generated by the electrical power generation and processing units aids in the growth of botanicals and in the conversion of waste organic materials into both fertilizer and fuel for the electrical power generation. Additionally, carbon dioxide output by the electrical power generation is consumed by the botanicals, which, in turn, output oxygen consumed by the electrical power generation. Water is obtained by passing the exhaust of the electrical power generation across condenser coils, and is utilized for adiabatic cooling, as well as a heat transfer medium. Water is also consumed by the botanicals, aiding their growth.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2014Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Christian L. Belady, Brian Janous, Sean James
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Publication number: 20170251574Abstract: A power supply system for a data center includes a cooling circuit, an electrochemical power generator, a sensor, and a processor. The cooling circuit includes a fluid configured to receive heat energy generated by a server located in the data center. The electrochemical power generator is configured to receive and/or generate the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid. The sensor is configured to obtain data regarding the server. The processor is configured to control an amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid based on the data.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Applicant: Elwha LLCInventors: Christian L. Belady, Douglas M. Carmean, William Gates, Shaun L. Harris, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Sean M. James, Brian A. Janous, Jordin T. Kare, Jie Liu, Max N. Mankin, Gregory J. McKnight, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Clarence T. Tegreene, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood,, JR., Victoria Y.H. Wood
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Patent number: 9655285Abstract: A power supply system for a data center includes a cooling circuit, an electrochemical power generator, a sensor, and a processor. The cooling circuit includes a fluid configured to receive heat energy generated by a server located in the data center. The electrochemical power generator is configured to receive and/or generate the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid. The sensor is configured to obtain data regarding the server. The processor is configured to control an amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid based on the data.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2014Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Elwha LLCInventors: Christian L. Belady, Douglas M. Carmean, William Gates, Shaun L. Harris, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Sean M. James, Brian A. Janous, Jordin T. Kare, Jie Liu, Max N. Mankin, Gregory J. McKnight, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Clarence T. Tegreene, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
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Patent number: 9588558Abstract: A self-powered processing device comprises both a processing device and a power generator that are physically, electrically, and thermally coupled to one another. The power generator can be a fuel cell that can be manufactured from materials that can also support processing circuitry, such as silicon-based materials. A thermal coupling between the power generator and the processing device can include a thermoelectric either generating electrical power from the temperature differential or consuming electrical power to generate a temperature differential. A computing device with self-powered processing devices also includes energy storage devices to store excess energy produced by the self-powered processing device and provide it back during times of need. The self-powered processing device comprises either a wireless or wired network connection, the latter being connectable to a slot on a backplane that can aggregate multiple self-powered processing devices and provide fuel delivery paths for them.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2013Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Gregory Joseph McKnight, Christian L. Belady, Brandon Aaron Rubenstein, Brian Janous, Sean M. James
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Publication number: 20160157388Abstract: A power supply system for a data center includes a cooling circuit, an electrochemical power generator, a sensor, and a processor. The cooling circuit includes a fluid configured to receive heat energy generated by a server located in the data center. The electrochemical power generator is configured to receive and/or generate the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid. The sensor is configured to obtain data regarding the server. The processor is configured to control an amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid based on the data.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2014Publication date: June 2, 2016Applicant: Elwha LLCInventors: Christian L. Belady, Douglas M. Carmean, William Gates, Shaun L. Harris, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Sean M. James, Brian A. Janous, Jordin T. Kare, Jie Liu, Max N. Mankin, Gregory J. McKnight, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Clarence T. Tegreene, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood,, JR., Victoria Y.H. Wood
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Publication number: 20160020669Abstract: Processing units and electrical power generation are integrated with a botanical environment to form a closed loop system whereby the outputs of one component serve as the inputs of another. Additionally, humans can be added to the system while maintaining the closed loop nature. Heat generated by the electrical power generation and processing units aids in the growth of botanicals and in the conversion of waste organic materials into both fertilizer and fuel for the electrical power generation. Additionally, carbon dioxide output by the electrical power generation is consumed by the botanicals, which, in turn, output oxygen consumed by the electrical power generation. Water is obtained by passing the exhaust of the electrical power generation across condenser coils, and is utilized for adiabatic cooling, as well as a heat transfer medium. Water is also consumed by the botanicals, aiding their growth.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Christian L. Belady, Brian Janous, Sean James
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Publication number: 20160011575Abstract: This document relates to management of computing devices using modulated electricity. One example includes assigning a set of time slices to a computing device for drawing electricity and subsequently causing the computing device to adjust consumption of the electricity by assigning a different set of time slices to the computing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Jie LIU, Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph MCKNIGHT, Sean JAMES, Ricardo BIANCHINI
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Publication number: 20160011607Abstract: This document relates to thermal management of computing devices. One example determines a cooling state associated with a computing device that has hardware resources including a processor and another hardware resource. The example also determines hardware utilization states of the computing device, including a processor utilization state and another hardware utilization state associated with the another hardware resource. The example also estimates a thermal impact on the computing device of operating in the cooling state and the hardware utilization states.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Sean JAMES, Jie LIU, Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph MCKNIGHT, Ricardo BIANCHINI
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Publication number: 20160011618Abstract: This document relates to analyzing electrical grid conditions using server installations. One example obtains first grid condition signals describing first grid conditions detected by a first server installation during a first time period. The first server installation is connected to a first electrical grid and first previous grid failure events have occurred on the first electrical grid during the first time period. The example also obtains second grid condition signals describing second grid conditions detected by a second server installation during a second time period. The second server installation is connected to a second electrical grid that is geographically remote from the first electrical grid and second previous grid failure events have occurred on the second electrical grid during the second time period. The example also includes using the first grid condition signals and the second grid condition signals to predict a future grid failure event on the second electrical grid.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph McKNIGHT, Sean JAMES, Ricardo BIANCHINI, Jie LIU
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Publication number: 20160013647Abstract: This document relates to electricity management using modulated waveforms. One example modulates electricity to obtain modulated electricity having at least two different alternating current frequencies including a first alternating current frequency and a second alternating current frequency. The example delivers the modulated electrical power having the at least two different alternating current frequencies to multiple different electrical devices, including a first electrical device configured to utilize the first alternating current frequency and a second electrical device configured to utilize the second alternating current frequency. The modulated electricity can be delivered at least partly over an electrical line shared by the first electrical device and the second electrical device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Jie LIU, Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph MCKNIGHT, Sean JAMES, Ricardo BIANCHINI
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Publication number: 20160011616Abstract: The description relates to smart energy usage. One example can obtain market information relating to power available to a consumer device and can obtain operational information relating to use of the consumer device. The example can also determine when to operate the device based upon the market information and the operational information.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph MCKNIGHT, David GAUTHIER
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Publication number: 20160011617Abstract: This document relates to power management of server installations. One example determines a current generator state of a generator in a server installation and an energy storage state of an energy storage device in the server installation. The example also selectively discharges the energy storage device and adaptively adjust workload performed by a server in the server installation based on the current generator state and the energy storage state.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Jie LIU, Brian JANOUS, Gregory Joseph McKnight, Sean JAMES, Ricardo BIANCHINI
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Publication number: 20150372538Abstract: Technology for concurrently powering equipment from multiple power sources, and the control thereof is disclosed. One example implementation of the technology includes a first power supply that powers equipment from a first power source and a second power supply that also powers the equipment from a second power source while the equipment is being powered by the first power supply. A target direct current (DC) output voltage of at least one of the power supplies is changed, thereby changing a ratio of the power being drawn from the first power supply to the power being drawn from the second power supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2014Publication date: December 24, 2015Inventors: John J. Siegler, Brian A. Janous, Sean M. James
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Publication number: 20140372772Abstract: A self-powered processing device comprises both a processing device and a power generator that are physically, electrically, and thermally coupled to one another. The power generator can be a fuel cell that can be manufactured from materials that can also support processing circuitry, such as silicon-based materials. A thermal coupling between the power generator and the processing device can include a thermoelectric either generating electrical power from the temperature differential or consuming electrical power to generate a temperature differential. A computing device with self-powered processing devices also includes energy storage devices to store excess energy produced by the self-powered processing device and provide it back during times of need. The self-powered processing device comprises either a wireless or wired network connection, the latter being connectable to a slot on a backplane that can aggregate multiple self-powered processing devices and provide fuel delivery paths for them.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2013Publication date: December 18, 2014Inventors: Gregory Joseph McKnight, Christian L. Belady, Brandon Aaron Rubenstein, Brian Janous, Sean M. James