Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Keller

Thomas W. Keller 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).

  • Patent number: 11029739
    Abstract: A computer controls power distribution. The computing system determines a power budget for a portion of a topography for a power delivery system. The computing system generates a pool of worker programs for the portion of the topography. The computing system generates a first number of power management tasks to manage power consumption in the portion of the topography based on the power budget. The computing system sends the first number of power management tasks to at least one worker program included in the pool of worker programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Kanak B. Agarwal, Charles Lefurgy, Guillermo J. Silva, Thomas W. Keller, Karthick Rajamani, Yang Li, Ramakrishnan Rajamony
  • Publication number: 20200159301
    Abstract: A computer controls power distribution. The computing system determines a power budget for a portion of a topography for a power delivery system. The computing system generates a pool of worker programs for the portion of the topography. The computing system generates a first number of power management tasks to manage power consumption in the portion of the topography based on the power budget. The computing system sends the first number of power management tasks to at least one worker program included in the pool of worker programs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Kanak B. Agarwal, Charles Lefurgy, Guillermo J. Silva, Thomas W. Keller, Karthick Rajamani, Yang Li, Ramakrishnan Rajamony
  • Patent number: 10571983
    Abstract: A computer controls power distribution. The computing system determines a topography for a power delivery system that powers a group of computing devices. The computing system determines a number of worker programs for a pool of worker programs based on the topography. The computing system generates the pool of worker programs. The pool of worker programs includes both the number of worker programs and a number of back-up worker programs. The computing system generates a number of power management tasks to manage power consumption through one or more power elements included in the topography of the power delivery system. The computing system sends one or more power management tasks to a worker program included in the pool of worker programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Kanak B. Agarwal, Charles Lefurgy, Guillermo J. Silva, Thomas W. Keller, Karthick Rajamani, Yang Li, Ramakrishnan Rajamony
  • Publication number: 20190004579
    Abstract: A computer controls power distribution. The computing system determines a topography for a power delivery system that powers a group of computing devices. The computing system determines a number of worker programs for a pool of worker programs based on the topography. The computing system generates the pool of worker programs. The pool of worker programs includes both the number of worker programs and a number of back-up worker programs. The computing system generates a number of power management tasks to manage power consumption through one or more power elements included in the topography of the power delivery system. The computing system sends one or more power management tasks to a worker program included in the pool of worker programs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Kanak B. Agarwal, Charles Lefurgy, Guillermo J. Silva, Thomas W. Keller, Karthick Rajamani, Yang Li, Ramakrishnan Rajamony
  • Patent number: 10088643
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include an optical shuffle box. The optical shuffle box may include a set of optical connector ports and a set of optical fiber pigtails. Each optical fiber pigtail may have a first end and a second end. The second end of each optical fiber pigtail may include an optical connector. Each optical connector port may be communicatively coupled to the first end of two or more optical fiber pigtails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Kevin Clarke, John Considine, Thomas W. Keller, Daniel M. Kuchta, David D. Wright
  • Patent number: 9880599
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for throttling power utilized by a set of power consumption devices using priority-aware power capping. Responsive to unassigned power budget remaining in the overall power budget after a minimum power budget value has been assigned to the child device based on an associated priority of the child device, an additional power budget value equal to a remaining priority-based exposed power demand value of the child device is assigned to the child device in response to the remaining unassigned power budget being greater than or equal to the remaining priority-based demanded power value thereby forming a total power budget for the child device. Responsive to design limitations of power distribution equipment in the data processing system or contractual limits of the data processing system being reached, a throttling is implemented by each child device based on the total power budget assigned to the child device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Charles R. Lefurgy, Yang Li, Karthick Rajamani, Samuel W. Shanks, Guillermo J. Silva, Eddie L. Smith, James Yanes
  • Patent number: 9684019
    Abstract: A wire management method using a wire manager including current sensing features provides input for power measurement and management systems. The wire manager may be a single wire or single bundle retaining device with a current sensor such as a hall effect sensor integrated therein, or may be a multi-wire management housing with multiple current sensing devices disposed inside for measuring the current through multiple wires. The wires may be multiple branch circuits in a power distribution panel or raceway, and the wire manager may be adapted for mounting in such a panel or raceway. Voltage sensing may also be incorporated within the sensors by providing an electrically conductive plate, wire or other element that capacitively couples to the corresponding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary D. Carpenter, Wael El-Essawy, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 9588160
    Abstract: A wire manager including current sensing features provides input for power measurement and management systems. The wire manager may be a single wire or single bundle retaining device with a current sensor such as a hall effect sensor integrated therein, or may be a multi-wire management housing with multiple current sensing devices disposed inside for measuring the current through multiple wires. The wires may be multiple branch circuits in a power distribution panel or raceway, and the wire manager may be adapted for mounting in such a panel or raceway. Voltage sensing may also be incorporated within the sensors by providing an electrically conductive plate, wire or other element that capacitively couples to the corresponding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary D. Carpenter, Wael El-Essawy, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 9135577
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for statistical determination of power circuit connectivity based on signal detection in a circuit. Signal data from the circuit gathered and a determination is made as to whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data. The statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range. The confidence range is compared to a first threshold and a second threshold. A determination is made that the signal is present in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold. A determination is made that the signal is not present in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R. El-Essawy, Alexandre P. Ferreira, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Sani R. Nassif, Karthick Rajamani, Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8914495
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for automatically detecting and locating equipment within an intelligent equipment rack. The intelligent equipment rack comprises a rack controller that determines whether a signal has been received indicating that a rack space in a plurality of rack spaces in the intelligent equipment rack has been occupied by a piece of electronic equipment. Responsive to receiving the signal indicating that the rack space has been occupied by the piece of electronic equipment, the rack controller updates a rack information table in the memory with occupation information related to the rack space occupied by the piece of electronic equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rajarshi Das, Wael R. El-Essawy, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Jeffrey O. Kephart, Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8909954
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for dynamically changing power caps for a set of powered elements. Current being consumed by the set of powered elements P on a branch circuit is measured and available current on the branch circuit is determined. A new total power cap for a current time period t is identified based on a current total power cap and the measured current. A difference in total power caps (?TPC) is determined and, for each powered element p in the set of powered elements P at the current time period, a new power cap PC (p,t) is determined based on the previous power cap PC(p,t?1) and the difference of the total power caps to the set of powered elements P. A power cap of each powered element p is then dynamically set to the new power cap PC (p,t).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Thomas M. Brey, Wael R. El-Essawy, Alexandre P. Ferreira, Thomas W. Keller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8903551
    Abstract: Data center environmental sensing is provided by a measurement system that detects environmental events from inputs received from a plurality of movable sensors. The sensors are moved in response to detection of an event to a region of the data center associated with the event, providing increased spatial resolution of the measurement in the region of the event. Events such as leakage between hot and cold aisles of a data center can be detected by the system, which may use one or more movable devices that can be moved around, between and over equipment, to carry multiple sensors toward the source of the event, providing both diagnostic and detailed environmental information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael El-Essawy, Heather L. Hanson, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8787015
    Abstract: A processing module is provided that comprises a set of processing module sides, each comprising a circuit board, a plurality of connectors coupled to the circuit board, and a plurality of processing nodes coupled to the circuit board. Each processing module side couples to another processing module side to form a modular processing module. The modular processing module comprises an exterior connection to a power source and a communication system and a plurality of cold plates coupled to the plurality of processing nodes. Liquid coolant is circulated through the plurality of cold plates via a closed loop by at least one pump through a plurality of tubes and through at least one heat exchanger. The at least one heat exchanger is coupled to an exterior portion of the processing module. The at least one heat exchanger cools the liquid coolant using air surrounding the processing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R. El-Essawy, Thomas W Keller, Jarrod A. Roy, Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8780552
    Abstract: A computing system is provided. In the computing system, a plurality of modules physically arranged in a three dimensional hexadron configuration. In the computing system, the at least one module is either a liquid-tight module filled with a non-conductive liquid coolant or a module cooled with a liquid coolant circulating through cold plates mounted on electronic components. In the computing system, the liquid coolant is circulated in a closed loop by at least one pump through a plurality of hoses through at least one of a plurality of heat exchangers. In the computing system, the plurality of heat exchangers is coupled to an exterior portion of the surface of the computing system. In the computing system, the plurality of heat exchangers cool the liquid coolant through tinned tubes exposed to the surrounding air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R El-Essawy, Thomas W Keller, Jarrod A. Roy, Juan C. Rubio
  • Publication number: 20140100804
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for statistical determination of power circuit connectivity based on signal detection in a circuit. Signal data from the circuit gathered and a determination is made as to whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data. The statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range. The confidence range is compared to a first threshold and a second threshold. A determination is made that the signal is present in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold. A determination is made that the signal is not present in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R. El-Essawy, Alexandre P. Ferreira, Thomas W. Keller, JR., Sani R. Nassif, Karthick Rajamani, Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8547692
    Abstract: A modular processing module allowing in-situ maintenance is provided. The modular processing module comprises a set of processing module sides. Each processing module side comprises a circuit board, a plurality of connectors, and a plurality of processing nodes. Each processing module side couples to another processing module side using at least one connector in the plurality of connectors such that, when all of the set of processing module sides are coupled together, the modular processing module is formed. The modular processing module comprises an exterior connection to a power source and a communication system and at least one heatsink that couples to at least a portion of the plurality of processing nodes on one of the processing module sides and is designed such that, when a set of heatsinks in the modular processing module are installed, an empty space is left in a center of the modular processing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R. El-Essawy, Elmootazbellah N. Elnozahy, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Juan C. Rubio
  • Patent number: 8519843
    Abstract: A communications system is provided for direct communications between powered elements. A controller hub injects a first message via a modulated communication signal onto a branch circuit using a hub-side power line communication (PLC) coupler. An element-side PLC coupler associated with a powered element in a set of powered elements detects the first message and sends an interrupt to a mini-controller in the powered element. The mini-controller receives the interrupt from the element-side PLC coupler, extracts the first message using the element-side PLC coupler; reads a destination identifier in the first message; compares the destination identifier in the first message to a mini-controller identifier in the mini-controller; sends an acknowledgement message back to the controller hub in response to the destination identifier in the first message matching the mini-controller identifier, and forwards the first message to the powered element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael R. El-Essawy, Thomas W. Keller, Jr., Juan C. Rubio
  • Publication number: 20130054981
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for dynamically changing power caps for a set of powered elements. Current being consumed by the set of powered elements P on a branch circuit is measured and available current on the branch circuit is determined. A new total power cap for a current time period t is identified based on a current total power cap and the measured current. A difference in total power caps (?TPC) is determined and, for each powered element p in the set of powered elements P at the current time period, a new power cap PC (p,t) is determined based on the previous power cap PC(p,t?1) and the difference of the total power caps to the set of powered elements P. A power cap of each powered element p is then dynamically set to the new power cap PC (p,t).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Thomas M. Brey, Wael R. El-Essawy, Alexandre P. Ferreira, Thomas W. Keller, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130054032
    Abstract: Data center environmental sensing is provided by a measurement system that detects environmental events from inputs received from a plurality of movable sensors. The sensors are moved in response to detection of an event to a region of the data center associated with the event, providing increased spatial resolution of the measurement in the region of the event. Events such as leakage between hot and cold aisles of a data center can be detected by the system, which may use one or more movable devices that can be moved around, between and over equipment, to carry multiple sensors toward the source of the event, providing both diagnostic and detailed environmental information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wael El-Essawy, Heather L. Hanson, Thomas W. Keller, JR., Juan C. Rubio
  • Publication number: 20130054985
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for dynamically changing power caps for a set of powered elements. Current being consumed by the set of powered elements P on a branch circuit is measured and available current on the branch circuit is determined. A new total power cap for a current time period t is identified based on a current total power cap and the measured current. A difference in total power caps (?TPC) is determined and, for each powered element p in the set of powered elements P at the current time period, a new power cap PC (p,t) is determined based on the previous power cap PC(p,t?1.) and the difference of the total power caps to the set of powered elements P. A power cap of each powered element p is then dynamically set to the new power cap PC (p,t).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm S. Allen-Ware, Thomas M. Brey, Wael R. El-Essawy, Alexandre P. Ferreira, Thomas W. Keller, JR.