Back to results
US 7,478,782 B2Granted
System and method incorporating adaptive and reconfigurable cells
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames P. Huang, Peter A. HoSang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method by which specialized components (tenants) are mounted to an assembly comprising a plurality of modular units. Each modular unit has one or more interface connecting locations for one or more of a power connection, a thermal connection and data base connection, along with one or more of power, thermal and data transmission paths. Modular units can be united in an assembly, and at least some of the modular units have a switching system to selectively transmit and/or receive one or more of power, thermal and data transmissions.
Claims19
An operating assembly, comprising:
- a) a plurality of modular units, each of which comprises a plurality of interface surface regions, said modular units being arranged to be interconnected to form at least part of said assembly;
- b) at least some of said modular units being configured so as to be able to be located in said assembly in different position locations relative to each other in said assembly;
- c) at least some of said modular units having one or more interface connecting locations at one or more of their interface surface regions for one or more of a power connection, a thermal connection and data path connection, and having one or more of power, thermal and data transmission paths;
- d) one or more of said modular units having a switching system to selectively transmit and/or receive one or more of power, thermal and data transmissions;
- and e) one or more of the said modular units being arranged to have a tenant connection for at least one tenant being operatively connected thereto in a manner that one or more power, thermal, and data related functions can be provided for the tenant, wherein at least one or more of said modular units comprises a control section to control said switching system.
2 more elements
A modular unit which comprises:
- a) a plurality of interface surface regions, said modular unit being arranged to be interconnected to one or more other modular units to form at least part of an assembly;
- b) said modular unit being configured so as to be able to be located in an assembly configuration in an operating position in different position locations in said assembly configuration;
- c) said modular unit having one or more interface connecting locations at one or more of its interface surface regions for one or more of a power connection, a thermal connection and data path connection, and having one or more of power, thermal and data transmission paths;
- d) said modular unit having a switching system to selectively transmit and/or receive one or more of power, thermal and data transmissions in an assembly configuration;
- and
- e) said modular unit being arranged to have a tenant connection for at least one tenant being operatively connected thereto in a manner that one or more power, thermal, and data related functions can be provided for the tenant, wherein said modular unit comprises a control section to control said switching system.
3 more elements
A method of providing one or more tenants with one or more of power, data and thermal related transmissions by means of an operating assembly, said method comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of modular units, each of which comprises a plurality of interface surface regions, said modular units being arranged to be interconnected to form at least part of said assembly with at least some of said modular units being configured so as to be able to be located in said assembly in different position locations relative to each other in said assembly;
- b) operatively connecting at least some of said modular units to one another, so that one or more interface connecting locations of said some of said modular units at one or more of their interface surface regions are able to provide one or more of power connections, thermal connections and data path connections, for one or more of power, thermal and data transmission paths;
- c) providing one or more of said modular units with a switching system controlled by a control section of at least one or more of the modular units to at least one of selectively transmit and receive one or more power, thermal and data transmissions;
- and
- d) connecting one or more tenants to one or more of said modular units in a manner that one or more of power, thermal and data related functions can be provided for the tenant.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.