Practical, redundant, failure-tolerant, self-reconfiguring embedded system architecture
View Patent ↗This invention relates to system architectures, specifically failure-tolerant and self-reconfiguring embedded system architectures. The invention provides both a method and architecture for redundancy. There can be redundancy in both software and hardware for multiple levels of redundancy. The invention provides a self-reconfiguring architecture for activating redundant modules whenever other modules fail. The architecture comprises: a communication backbone connected to two or more processors and software modules running on each of the processors. Each software module runs on one processor and resides on one or more of the other processors to be available as a backup module in the event of failure. Each module and backup module reports its status over the communication backbone. If a primary module does not report, its backup module takes over its function. If the primary module becomes available again, the backup module returns to its backup status.
1. A self-reconfiguring architecture for activating redundant modules for failed modules, comprising:
a) a communication backbone;
b) two or more processors, each processor connected to the communication backbone;
c) two or more software modules, each software module residing on one processor as a primary module and residing on at least one other processor as a backup module, the primary and backup modules each having a functional state; and,
d) a module status message residing on the communication backbone, the module status message comprising the functional state of the primary module, the module status message monitored by the backup module, the backup module being activated when the module status message indicates the functional state of the primary module is inactive.
2. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 1 , further comprising sensing hardware, communicating sensor data and connecting with at least one of the processors.
3. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 2 , wherein the sensing hardware comprises:
a) a sensor, in communication with one processor; and
b) a backup sensor, in communication with another processor, for redundant sensing.
4. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 1 , wherein the two or more processors are distributed processors.
5. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 1 , wherein the architecture is a mobile system.
6. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 5 , wherein each processor is mobile.
7. The self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 5 , wherein the mobile system comprises a robot.
8. A method for self-reconfiguring an architecture, the architecture comprising a module status message residing on a communication backbone, two or more processors connected to the backbone, and two or more software modules, wherein for each software module the method comprises:
a) running the software module on one of the processors as a primary module;
b) loading the software module as a backup module on at least one other processor;
c) representing a functional state of the primary module in the module status message;
d) monitoring the module status message, by the backup module; and,
e) activating the backup module when the module status message indicates the functional state of the primary module is inactive.
9. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , the architecture further comprising one or more primary sensors and one or more backup sensors, wherein for each software module the method further comprises:
a) communicating sensed information from the primary sensor to the software module;
b) wherein the software module accesses the backup sensor upon failure of the primary sensor.
10. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein the architecture reconfigures itself upon failure of a primary module.
11. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein the architecture reconfigures itself upon failure of a primary sensor.
12. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein the two or more processors are distributed processors.
13. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein the architecture is a mobile system.
14. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein each processor is mobile.
15. The method for self-reconfiguring an architecture of claim 8 , wherein the architecture comprises a robot.
16. A distributed self-reconfiguring architecture for activating redundant modules in a distributed computing system, comprising:
a) a communication backbone;
b) two or more processors, each processor connected to the communication backbone;
c) two or more software modules, each software module residing on one processor as a primary module and residing on at least one other processor as a backup module, the primary module and backup modules each having a functional state; and,
d) a module status message residing on the communication backbone, the module status message comprising the functional state of the primary module, the module status message monitored by the backup module, the backup module being activated when the module status message indicates the functional state of the primary module is inactive.
17. The distributed self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 16 , further comprising sensing hardware, connecting with at least one of the processors and communicating sensor data.
18. A mobile self-reconfiguring architecture for activating redundant modules in a mobile computing system, comprising:
a) a communication backbone;
b) two or more processors, each processor connected to the communication backbone;
c) two or more software modules, each software module residing on one processor as a primary module and residing on at least one other processor as a backup module, the primary module and backup modules each having a functional state; and,
d) a module status message residing on the communication backbone, the module status message comprising the functional state of the primary module, the module status message monitored by the backup module, the backup module being activated when the module status message indicates the functional state of the primary module is inactive.
19. The mobile self-reconfiguring architecture of claim 18 , further comprising sensing hardware, connecting with at least one of the processors and communicating sensor data.