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US 10,942,704 B2Granted
Mechanical computing systems
AssigneeCBN Nano Technologies Inc.
InventorsRalph C. Merkle, Robert A. Freitas, Jr., James Ryley, Matthew Moses, Tad Hogg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for creating mechanical computing mechanisms and Turing-complete systems which include combinatorial logic and sequential logic, and which are energy-efficient.
Claims19
A computing mechanism comprising:
- an anchor block;
- and
- a plurality of logic structures mounted to said anchor block, each of said logic structures being configured to operate on at least one data input to position at least one output, requiring only the use of primitives selected from the group consisting of rigid links, pulleys, cables, knobs, rotary joints, and flexure joints, such output position(s) being determined by a logic operation performed on at least one data input, where the logic operation includes at least one of a combinatorial logic function or a sequential logic function,
- wherein said logic structures are connected together such that the positions of outputs from one subset of logic structures serve to define the positions of inputs of another subset of logic structures and wherein at least a subset of logic structures in said plurality are operated by a mechanical clock signal, and wherein such logic structures are each configured such that any non-trivial storage and release of potential energy that is required to operate such logic structure occurs at a speed proportional to the speed of the mechanical clock signal.
1 more element
A computing mechanism comprising:
- an anchor block;
- and
- a plurality of logic structures mounted to said anchor block, each of said logic structures operating to set a position of at least one output of such logic structure, such position being determined by a logic operation performed on at least one input of said logic structure, where the logic operation includes at least one of a combinatorial logic function and a sequential logic function, and wherein the connections between parts of said logic structure remain unbroken as said logic structure operates to position said output(s),
- wherein said logic structures are connected together such that the positions of outputs from one subset of logic structures serve to define the positions of inputs of another subset of logic structures,
- further wherein at least a subset of logic structures in said plurality are operated by a mechanical clock signal, and where such logic structures are each configured such that any non-trivial storage and release of potential energy that is required to operate such logic structure occurs at a speed proportional to the speed of the mechanical clock signal.
2 more elements
A computing mechanism comprising:
- an anchor block;
- and
- a plurality of logic structures mounted to said anchor block, each of said logic structures operating to set a position of at least one output of said logic structure, such position being determined by a logic operation performed on at least one input of said logic structure, where the logic operation includes at least one of a combinatorial logic function and a sequential logic function,
- wherein said logic structures are connected together such that the positions of outputs from one subset of logic structures serve to define the positions of inputs of another subset of logic structures,
- further wherein, for at least a subset of logic structures in said plurality, said logic structures are operated by a mechanical clock signal and, storage or release of non-trivial amounts of potential energy is not required to position said output(s).
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.