US 2014/0372772 A1 · ON-CHIP INTEGRATED PROCESSING AND POWER GENERATION

Abstract

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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A self-powered processing device comprising:

a power generator configured to generate electrical power in a form and potential that is natively consumable by a processing circuitry;
a processing device comprising the processing circuitry;
at least one electrical connection between the power generator and the processing device, the at least one electrical connection enabling the processing device to consume the electrical power generated by the power generator;
a thermal coupling between the power generator and the processing device, the thermal coupling transferring heat from the processing device to the power generator;
and
a physical coupling between the power generator and the processing device causing the power generator and the processing device to form a single unitary structure.

3 more elements

A system comprising:

a first self-powered processing device comprising a first power generator, a first processing device and a first physical coupling between the first power generator and the first processing device causing the first power generator and the first processing device to form a first single unitary structure;
a second self-powered processing device comprising a second power generator, a second processing device and a second physical coupling between the second power generator and the second processing device causing the second power generator and the second processing device to form a second single unitary structure;
and
a communicational connection between the first self-powered processing device, the second self-powered processing device and a network of further computing devices;
wherein the first self-powered processing device and the second self-powered processing device are either joined either by a inter-device physical coupling or by an inter-device electrical power coupling.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

On-chip integrated processing and power generation

Life of this patent

On-chip integrated processing and power generation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20