Heterogeneous radiation-hardened computing system

DWPI Title: Rad-hard computing system for use in certain environments, such as on spacecraft or near nuclear reactors that operate in high-radiation environments, has memory that includes instructions that are executed for providing compute-intensive task to second processor
Abstract: A radiation-hardened (rad-hard) computing system can include a rad-hard processor, a second processor, and a memory operably coupled to the rad-hard processor. The rad-hard processor can cause the second processor to execute compute-intensive tasks that can be performed more quickly or with fewer computing resources by the second processor than the rad-hard processor. The rad-hard processor can selectively cause the second processor to execute a compute-intensive task based upon determining that the second processor is in a normal operating state. The rad-hard processor can further evaluate computing results generate by the second processor to determine whether such computing results meet an applicable acceptability condition. The rad-hard processor can employ a computing result that meets an applicable acceptability condition in further computing operations.
Use: Radiation-hardened (rad-hard) computing system for use in certain environments, such as on spacecraft or near nuclear reactors that operate in high-radiation environments. Can also be used as a control system for a spacecraft, a land vehicle, a robot, and a physical plant of a nuclear reactor.
Advantage: The second processor is configured to perform a compute-intensive task such as video processing, sensor data analysis, computationally-complex system control, thus, the second processor performs computing tasks more quickly than the rad-hard processor, can perform tasks that require greater computational resources. Responsive to determining that the computing result does not meet the acceptability condition, the rad-hard processor can take various actions intended to correct or mitigate the effect of a potential radiation-induced error in the computing result. By retaining control of critical operations of an operational system to which the rad-hard computing system is coupled, the rad-hard processor can prevent radiation-induced errors of the second processor from negatively impacting performance of the operational system. By employing the rad-hard processor to check that the second processor is operating in a normal operating state, and is generating computing results that meet various criteria for acceptability, errors that may be introduced into such computing results can be avoided or mitigated.
Novelty: The radiation-hardened (rad-hard) computing system (102) comprises a second processor (112) operably coupled to a rad-hard processor (110). A memory (114,124) includes instructions that are executed for receiving an instruction to execute a compute-intensive task, determining whether the second processor is in a normal operating state, and providing the compute-intensive task to the second processor such that the second processor executes the compute-intensive task based upon determining that the second processor is in the normal operating state. A second memory includes second instructions. The rad-hard processor provide the compute-intensive task to the second processor for causing the second processor to execute the second instructions. Second processor executes the second instructions causes the second processor to execute the compute-intensive task.
Filed: 10/5/2022
Application Number: US17960291A
Tech ID: SD 15549.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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