Autonomous Data Center Servicing Through Secure Barrier Bypass
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Operating autonomous vehicles within data centers poses challenges due to varying terrains and security concerns, particularly in environments with multiple enterprise organizations where sensitive information is stored, requiring secure navigation and access control.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vehicle system that navigates through a data center by determining paths automatically, bypasses movable barriers, and provides identification information to access restricted zones, utilizing a local data center control system to manage access and log time within secure areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a person is used to service computing systems in a data center, then maintenance tasks can be performed, but security risks arise from unauthorized access to sensitive information of competing enterprise organizations
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle performs maintenance tasks on computing systems independently without human intervention. The vehicle navigates to servers, identifies them through RFID tags, and executes maintenance procedures autonomously, eliminating the security risk of human access while maintaining full operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human technicians with an autonomous vehicle equipped with sensors, RFID readers, and maintenance tools. This substitution eliminates human security risks while preserving maintenance functionality through automated navigation, identification, and service execution
2Object-affected harmful factors
If movable barriers are deployed to prevent unauthorized access to zones, then security is improved, but navigation complexity increases for autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle uses RFID readers to detect tags on movable barriers, receiving feedback about barrier states and access authorization. The vehicle's navigation system processes this feedback to determine whether to attempt passage, request authorization, or select alternative routes, resolving navigation complexity through intelligent decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag system acts as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle and movable barriers. The vehicle reads RFID tags to identify barriers and determine access permissions, while barrier control systems use RFID authentication to grant or deny passage. This intermediary layer simplifies the interaction between vehicle and barriers
Data Source
AI summary
A system for servicing a data center using an autonomous vehicle (AV) is provided. The system comprises the AV and the AV is configured to: receive a task to perform within the data center, wherein the data center comprises a plurality of servers associated with a plurality of enterprise organizations; navigate from an initial location within the data center to a new location within the data center along a path extending through a portion of the data center, the path being determined automatically; and while navigating the path and in response to encountering a movable barrier disposed along the path, performing a procedure to bypass the movable barrier such that the AV can continue navigating along the path.