Recirculating Optical Loop for Data Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data storage systems face challenges such as high maintenance costs, vulnerability to physical and remote hacking, power outages, natural disasters, and inefficiencies in data transmission over long distances due to signal loss and noise in electromagnetic communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A data storage system utilizing a recirculating loop of laser signals transmitted between satellites or vessels, where data is stored in motion using a network of satellites or vessels that reflect or regenerate the signal, maintaining it in a continuous loop with amplification and filtering to ensure data integrity and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data is stored in conventional data centers using multiple racks with hard drives and computers, then data storage capacity is achieved, but operating expenses, physical space requirements, power consumption, cooling needs, and maintenance costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical data storage systems (hard drives, racks, data centers) with an optical storage system using laser beams transmitted through optical fibers or free space. Data is stored as light signals in a recirculating loop between transmitters and reflectors, eliminating the need for physical storage media and significantly reducing power consumption and cooling requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies of data in the form of laser beams that can be transmitted and stored in motion. Instead of storing data statically on physical media, the patent uses light signals that circulate in a closed loop, allowing data to be accessed by detecting the presence or state of the light signal without requiring physical contact or mechanical read/write heads.
2Length of stationary object
If data is transmitted over long distances in electromagnetic communication systems, then communication range is extended, but signal loss, spreading due to dispersion, and noise from scattering events increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recirculating loop system where laser beams continuously circulate between transmitters and reflectors without termination. This continuous circulation allows data to be stored in motion indefinitely, with the light signals maintaining their integrity through multiple round trips. The system uses high-reflectivity mirrors and low-loss optical fibers to minimize energy loss during continuous circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical isolators and circulators as intermediary components that manage the direction and flow of light signals in the recirculating loop. These intermediaries ensure that light travels only in the intended direction, prevent back-reflections that could cause interference, and enable efficient coupling between different components of the storage system while minimizing signal loss.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional data centers are used for data storage, then data storage is achieved, but vulnerability to hacking, physical disasters, and data recovery after erasure increases
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing physical storage media with optical signals in a recirculating loop, the system eliminates the physical vulnerabilities of conventional data centers. There are no hard drives to steal, no servers to physically access, and no storage media that can be recovered after erasure. The data exists only as light signals in transit, making it inherently more secure against physical attacks and disasters.
4Productivity
If laser beams are used for optical communication over distances orders of magnitude greater than conventional satellite communication, then data transfer rates are improved, but signal regeneration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculating loop enables continuous circulation of laser beams without interruption or regeneration. The system is designed to maintain signal integrity over many round trips through careful selection of optical components with low loss and high reflectivity, eliminating the need for intermediate signal regeneration stations that would increase system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances data storage efficiency by reducing physical infrastructure needs, improving data security, and maintaining data integrity over long distances with reduced signal loss and noise, while allowing for asynchronous regeneration and error correction.
Implementation Method 1
a laser signal generator configured to generate a laser signal carrying the digital data
Implementation Method 2
data is stored in motion using a network of satellites or vessels that reflect or regenerate the signal
Implementation Method 3
maintaining it in a continuous loop with amplification and filtering to ensure data integrity
Implementation Method 4
maintaining it in a continuous loop with amplification and filtering to ensure data integrity
Data Source
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AI summary
A data storage system is disclosed that includes a recirculating loop storing data in motion. The data may be carried by a signal via the loop including one or more satellites or other vessels that return, for example by reflection or regeneration, the signals through the loop. The loop may also include a waveguide, for example an optical fiber, or an optical cavity. Signal multiplexing may be used to increase the contained data. The signal may be amplified of each roundtrip and sometimes a portion of the signal may be regenerated.