Patents by Inventor Christopher Strickland Beall
Christopher Strickland Beall 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: 10534417Abstract: A rack computer system can provide data indicating electrical power consumption by separate sets of the mass storage devices, including separate individual mass storage devices, of the rack computer system. A power sensor can be electrically coupled to a power transmission line for each mass storage device. The power sensor can be coupled to the power transmission line externally to the mass storage device. The power sensor can be an internal power sensor of the mass storage device, where a mass storage device microcontroller transmits internally-generated data to an external power monitoring system. A microcontroller can transmit the data to a baseboard management controller via a side-band connection between the mass storage device and the controller. The data can be transmitted via an in-band connection between a baseboard management controller and an instance of firmware which accesses internally-generated data from mass storage device microcontrollers.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez, Jason Alexander Harland, Roey Rivnay, David Edward Bryan, Christopher Strickland Beall
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Patent number: 10510372Abstract: A tape library rack includes partitions defining a slot for receiving a tape cartridge. A hook is coupled with the rack to engage a notch in the cartridge and retain the cartridge within the rack slot. A gripper for retrieving the cartridge includes a ramped surface to engage the hook and laterally displace the hook from the cartridge notch as the hook travels along the ramped surface. The gripper engages the notch from which the hook has been displaced and pulls the cartridge from the slot.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kevin Bailey, Christopher Strickland Beall
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Publication number: 20190380229Abstract: A system for storing data includes a discrete cooling module that can enable discrete cooling of mass storage devices installed in the chassis interior of a data storage module coupled to a rack. The discrete cooling module includes an air moving device and an air cover. The air moving device can induce and airflow through the chassis interior of the data storage module to remove heat from heat producing components of mass storage devices installed in the chassis interior. The air cover directs the airflow through the chassis interior. The discrete cooling module can isolate rotational vibrations generated by the air moving device from the mass storage devices installed in the chassis. Partial isolation can include indirectly coupling the discrete cooling module to the chassis via directly coupling with the rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, David Edward Bryan, Darin Lee Frink, Jason Alexander Harland
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Patent number: 10499530Abstract: A system includes a rack and one or more server systems mounted in the rack. A server system includes a chassis with one or more arrays of devices in the chassis. Each array includes mass storage devices and a server device mounted in the array within the chassis of the server system. The server device occupies no more than an equivalent volume of space in the chassis as one of the mass storage devices. A set of mass storage devices of an array and the server device of the array form a logical node, and a server system may include multiple logical nodes in the same chassis. Each array of devices may be located in a sled that can move into and out of the chassis of the server system.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2016Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Darin Lee Frink, Roey Rivnay, Christopher Strickland Beall, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez
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Patent number: 10499546Abstract: A rack-mountable computer system enables an airflow that cools components in an upstream portion of the computer system interior to be cooled through mixing with a bypass airflow downstream of the components in the upstream portion. The mixed airflow can cool components in a downstream portion of the interior. The bypass airflow is directed by a bypass plenum that is unencompassed by the separate plenum that directs the airflow to cool the upstream portion components. The bypass plenum can be at least partially established by an external surface the computer system and one or more external structures, including an external surface of an adjacently mounted computer system. Relative flow rates through the separate plenums can be adjusted, via flow control elements, to separately control heat removal from components upstream and downstream of the air mixing, based at least in part upon air temperatures in the separate interior portions.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2017Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: David Edward Bryan, Christopher Strickland Beall, Darin Lee Frink
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Patent number: 10462925Abstract: A carrierless mass storage device retainer assembly for retaining a carrierless mass storage device in a vertical orientation comprises a generally horizontal supporting surface, a generally vertical backplane and a retainer. The supporting surface is configured to receive a first side surface of a carrierless mass storage device and to support it from below with its second side surface facing upwards in a generally vertical direction. The backplane is positioned adjacent an end of the horizontal supporting surface and has a connector configured to establish an electrical connection between the carrierless mass storage device and the backplane. The retainer comprises a bail coupled to the supporting surface and shaped to extend around the carrierless mass storage device and to contact at least its second side surface when it is installed.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Christopher Strickland Beall
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Patent number: 10444805Abstract: A brace can be installed over a juncture between releasably joined case pieces. The brace includes a first tab and a second tab interconnected by a transition portion. The tabs are arranged to deform or break apart from one another along the transition portion in response to relative rotation between the case pieces. The deformation or breakage along the transition portion provides a tamper-evident indication of the case having been opened by rotation for access to the interior of the case since the brace was installed on the case.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2016Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, Frank Charles Paterra, Darin Lee Frink, Robert Hastings, Scott Song, Felix An
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Patent number: 10425385Abstract: A data transport computing device includes a housing, a drive bay framing assembly including an upper platform bracket and a lower platform bracket, a first computing board mounted to an upper surface of the upper platform bracket, and a second computing board mounted to a lower surface of the lower platform bracket. The first computing board is secured between the upper platform bracket and front, rear, and top sides of the housing, and the second computing board is secured between the lower platform bracket and the front side, rear, and bottom sides of the housing. Data storage drives are mounted between the upper and lower platform brackets. In operation, the second computing board encrypts data from a customer and transmits the encrypted data to the first computing board over a network cable within the housing, and the first computing board writes the encrypted data to the data storage drives.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2016Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Bianca Nagy, Frank Charles Paterra, Christopher Strickland Beall, Darin Lee Frink
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Patent number: 10426060Abstract: A system for storing data includes a rack and one or more data storage modules mounted on the rack. The data storage modules may include a chassis, two or more vertically-oriented backplanes coupled to the chassis, two or more mass storage devices coupled to the backplanes, and one or more air passages extending beneath one or more of the backplanes. Each backplane is configured to preclude airflow through the backplane between opposite vertical faces and can couple mass storage devices on one or more of the opposite vertical faces. One or more of the air passages can supply an upwards-directed airflow along one of the opposite vertical faces of a backplane to remove heat from a heat producing component of a mass storage device coupled to the vertical face of the vertically-oriented backplane.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2018Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, David Edward Bryan, Darin Lee Frink, Jason Alexander Harland
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Patent number: 10398060Abstract: A system for storing data includes a discrete cooling module that can enable discrete cooling of mass storage devices installed in the chassis interior of a data storage module coupled to a rack. The discrete cooling module includes an air moving device and an air cover. The air moving device can induce and airflow through the chassis interior of the data storage module to remove heat from heat producing components of mass storage devices installed in the chassis interior. The air cover directs the airflow through the chassis interior. The discrete cooling module can isolate rotational vibrations generated by the air moving device from the mass storage devices installed in the chassis. Partial isolation can include indirectly coupling the discrete cooling module to the chassis via directly coupling with the rack.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Amazon technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, David Edward Bryan, Darin Lee Frink, Jason Alexander Harland
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Patent number: 10368466Abstract: A cooling canister includes a canister body and a sealing surface that seals with a subset of servers mounted in a rack. A cooling canister facilitates airflow isolation between subsets of servers mounted in a rack and is configured to couple with one or more fans that direct airflow through the subset of servers coupled with the cooling canister. In some embodiments, a cooling canister includes louvers configured to restrict airflow through empty rack slots to which the cooling canister is coupled.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2015Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Darin Lee Frink, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez, Christopher Strickland Beall, Peter George Ross
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Patent number: 10321608Abstract: A cooling canister includes a canister body with an opening in the canister body that is configured to couple with a corresponding opening in a canister body of an adjacent cooling canister in a rack. Servers are coupled with the cooling canister and a set of fans are coupled with the cooling canister. The cooling canister provides at least partial airflow isolation between an airflow through the set of servers coupled with the cooling canister and other airflows through other servers in the rack. In the event of a control anomaly, such as a fan failure, the opening in the canister body of the cooling canister is configured to permit airflow between the cooling canister and an adjacent cooling canister to supplement an airflow through the cooling canister. In some embodiments, a dampers is included in the opening in the canister body of the cooling canister.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez, Darin Lee Frink
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Publication number: 20180228057Abstract: A system for storing data includes a rack and one or more data storage modules mounted on the rack. The data storage modules may include a chassis, two or more vertically-oriented backplanes coupled to the chassis, two or more mass storage devices coupled to the backplanes, and one or more air passages extending beneath one or more of the backplanes. Each backplane is configured to preclude airflow through the backplane between opposite vertical faces and can couple mass storage devices on one or more of the opposite vertical faces. One or more of the air passages can supply an upwards-directed airflow along one of the opposite vertical faces of a backplane to remove heat from a heat producing component of a mass storage device coupled to the vertical face of the vertically-oriented backplane.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2018Publication date: August 9, 2018Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, David Edward Bryan, Darin Lee Frink, Jason Alexander Harland
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Patent number: 9949407Abstract: A rack-mountable computer system includes a horizontal divider that divides a chassis interior of the computer system into a first level and a second level. One or more heat-producing components are mounted on the first level and a plurality of heat-producing components are mounted on the second level. The horizontal divider includes one or more openings that allow air flowing in the first level to mix with air flowing in the second level. Combined air including the air flowing in the second level and at least a portion of the air flowing in the first level cool a portion of the plurality of heat-producing components mounted in the second level downstream from the one or more openings in the horizontal divider.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Christopher Strickland Beall
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Patent number: 9936611Abstract: A system for storing data includes a rack and one or more data storage modules mounted on the rack. The data storage modules may include a chassis, two or more vertically-oriented backplanes coupled to the chassis, two or more mass storage devices coupled to the backplanes, and one or more air passages extending beneath one or more of the backplanes. Each backplane is configured to preclude airflow through the backplane between opposite vertical faces and can couple mass storage devices on one or more of the opposite vertical faces. One or more of the air passages can supply an upwards-directed airflow along one of the opposite vertical faces of a backplane to remove heat from a heat producing component of a mass storage device coupled to the vertical face of the vertically-oriented backplane.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, David Edward Bryan, Darin Lee Frink, Jason Alexander Harland
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Publication number: 20180084665Abstract: A system includes a rack and one or more server systems mounted in the rack. A server system includes at least one sever node and each server node includes an array of devices including mass storage devices and at least one server device. Segments of the array of devices of a particular server node are mounted in sub-node chassis that include intra node connectors. Multiple sub-node chassis that each include devices such as mass storage devices or server devices of the sever node couple together via the intra node connectors when installed in a server system chassis to form a server node. Each server node of a server system may be a separate logical node. Also, the sub-node chassis of a server node may be configured for vertical airflow through the sub-node chassis in addition to cross airflow.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2017Publication date: March 22, 2018Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Roey Rivnay, Darin Lee Frink, Christopher Strickland Beall, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez
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Publication number: 20180054923Abstract: A rack-mountable computer system enables an airflow that cools components in an upstream portion of the computer system interior to be cooled through mixing with a bypass airflow downstream of the components in the upstream portion. The mixed airflow can cool components in a downstream portion of the interior. The bypass airflow is directed by a bypass plenum that is unencompassed by the separate plenum that directs the airflow to cool the upstream portion components. The bypass plenum can be at least partially established by an external surface the computer system and one or more external structures, including an external surface of an adjacently mounted computer system. Relative flow rates through the separate plenums can be adjusted, via flow control elements, to separately control heat removal from components upstream and downstream of the air mixing, based at least in part upon air temperatures in the separate interior portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2017Publication date: February 22, 2018Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: David Edward Bryan, Christopher Strickland Beall, Darin Lee Frink
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Patent number: 9883610Abstract: An electronic device may include a door filter that is moveable to transition between a first position that enables visibility of a display located behind or underneath the filter and a second position that causes air entering the electronic device to pass through an air filter. In some embodiments, the door filter may be moveable or rotatable relative to a door filter frame that is removably coupled to an electronic device housing and located over an aperture in the electronic device housing. The door filter may include a first portion that couples to a second portion to secure or at least partially enclose the air filter. When the door filter frame is decoupled from the electronic device, a security door may close the aperture by engaging the same coupling points in the electronic device housing as previously engaged by the door filter frame.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Strickland Beall, Frank Charles Paterra, Darin Lee Frink
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Patent number: 9870066Abstract: Input device manufacture techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a plurality of layers of a key assembly is positioned in a fixture such that one or more projections of the fixture are disposed through one or more openings in each of the one or more layers. The positioned plurality of layers is secured to each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: David Otto Whitt, III, Matthew David Mickelson, Joel Lawrence Pelley, Amey M. Teredesai, Timothy Carlyle Shaw, Christopher Strickland Beall, Christopher Harry Stoumbos
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Patent number: 9832905Abstract: A system includes a rack and one or more server systems mounted in the rack. A server system includes at least one sever node and each server node includes an array of devices including mass storage devices and at least one server device. Segments of the array of devices of a particular server node are mounted in sub-node chassis that include intra node connectors. Multiple sub-node chassis that each include devices such as mass storage devices or server devices of the sever node couple together via the intra node connectors when installed in a server system chassis to form a server node. Each server node of a server system may be a separate logical node. Also, the sub-node chassis of a server node may be configured for vertical airflow through the sub-node chassis in addition to cross airflow.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2016Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Roey Rivnay, Darin Lee Frink, Christopher Strickland Beall, Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez