System, controller, software and method for protecting against overheating of a CPU

• US 20040088593A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Seong-Geun
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for protecting against overheating of a CPU whose operation frequency is changed due to voltage variation of a driving power, includes a CPU temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the CPU, a reference temperature sensor to detect the temperature of a circuit block or multiple circuits heated due to the operation frequency of the CPU, a comparing part to output a signal indicating a higher temperature of the temperature of the CPU and the temperature of the circuit block or multiple circuits by comparing temperature values detected by the respective CPU and reference temperature sensors, and a CPU power supply to supply a stepwise decreasing driving power to decrease the operation frequency of the CPU in a stepwise fashion when the temperature value increases based on the signal indicating the higher temperature indicated by the comparing part. Thus, a system for protecting against overheating of a CPU enables only one overheating-protection circuit to solve the problem of overheating of multiple circuits that are easily heated due to the frequency of operation of the CPU, thus maximizing the operation efficiency of the CPU and also efficiently protecting the CPU from damage.

Claims

1. A system for protecting against overheating of a CPU when an operation frequency is changed in accordance with a voltage variation of driving power, comprising:

a CPU temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the CPU;

a reference temperature sensor to detect a temperature of a circuit block heated due to the operation frequency of the CPU;

a comparing part to output a signal of a higher temperature value obtained by comparing temperature values detected by the CPU temperature sensor and the reference temperature sensor; and

a CPU power supply to supply a stepwise decreasing driving power to decrease the operation frequency of the CPU in a stepwise fashion when the temperature value increases based on the signal for the higher temperature value outputted from the comparing part.

2. The system for protecting against the overheating of the CPU according to claim 1, wherein:

the reference temperature sensor detects the temperature of the CPU power supply to supply driving power to the CPU; and

the comparing part compares the temperature value of the CPU and the temperature value of the CPU power supply detected by the respective CPU and reference temperature sensors, and then outputs a signal indicating a higher temperature value of the temperature value of the CPU and the temperature value of the CPU power supply.

3. The system for protecting against the overheating of the CPU according to claim 1, wherein:

the CPU power supply includes a quantization circuit to quantize the signal for the higher temperature value received from the comparing part;

a driving power control circuit to control a driving power of the CPU to decrease the operation frequency of the CPU in a stepwise fashion when the temperature value increases based on the signal for the variation of the temperature value; and

a driving power supply circuit to supply the driving power to the CPU in accordance with the control of the driving power control circuit.

4. The system for protecting against the overheating of the CPU according to claim 1, further comprising a micom having an A/D input pin to receive the signal for the variation of temperature value outputted from the comparing part, and outputting a driving signal to enable a driving power of the CPU to be decreased in a stepwise fashion when the temperature value increases, in accordance with the temperature value inputted through the A/D input pin to be digitized;

and

wherein the CPU power supply supplies to the CPU the driving power in a stepwise decreasing fashion according to the driving signal received from the micom and decreases the operation frequency of the CPU in stepwise fashion.

5. A temperature-based CPU operation frequency controller of a CPU powered by a CPU power supply, comprising:

a CPU temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the CPU and output a first signal;

a reference temperature sensor to detect a temperature of a predetermined circuit block and output a second signal;

a comparison-quantization unit to determine a higher signal of the first signal and the second signal to provide the higher signal as a temperature signal, and to quantize the temperature signal to output a control signal to the CPU power supply wherein the control signal controls a driving power provided to the operation frequency controller.

6. The temperature-based CPU operation frequency controller of claim 5, wherein the comparison-quantization unit comprises:

a comparing unit, to compare the first signal and the second signal to provide the temperature variation signal in accordance with the predetermined scheme; and

a quantization unit, comprising;

a micom having an A/D input pin to receive the temperature variation signal outputted from the comparing unit, and outputting the control signal as a digital driving signal;

a D/A converter, converting the digital driving signal to an analog driving signal supplied to h CPU power supply to enable the driving power of the CPU to be decreased in a stepwide fashion when a temperature value increases, in accordance with the temperature variation signal.

7. The temperature-based CPU operation frequency controller of claim 6, wherein the CPU power supply comprises:

a driving power control circuit to control the driving power of the CPU to decrease the operation frequency of the CPU in a stepwise fashion in accordance with the analog driving signal, and

a driving power supply circuit to supply the driving power to the CPU in accordance with the driving power control circuit. wherein the CPU power supply supplies to the CPU the driving power in a stepwise decreasing fashion in accordance with the analog driving signal received from the D/A converter and decreases the operation frequency of the CPU in the stepwise fashion.

8. A temperature-based CPU operation frequency controller of a CPU powered by a CPU power supply, comprising:

a CPU temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the CPU and output a first digital signal;

a reference temperature sensor to detect a temperature of a predetermined circuit block and output a second digital signal; and

a comparator to output a control signal to the CPU power supply based on a comparison of the first digital signal and the second digital signal, wherein the control signal controls a driving power provided to the operation frequency controller.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the control signal outputted is a digital signal.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for temperature-based controlling an operation frequency of a CPU powered by a CPU power supply using a voltage variation of driving power, comprising:

detecting a temperature of the CPU;

detecting a reference temperature of a predetermined circuit block;

comparing the temperature of the CPU with the reference temperature of the predetermined circuit block to determine a higher temperature of the temperature of the CPU with the reference temperature of the predetermined circuit block; and

outputting a control signal based on the higher temperature to control a driving power provided by the CPU power supply to an operations frequency controller of the CPU.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the control signal outputted is a multi-step digital signal.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the control signal outputted is provided to a D/A converter that converts the control signal to an analog control signal, which is then provided to the CPU power supply.

13. A method of temperature-based controlling an operation frequency of a CPU powered by a CPU power supply using a voltage variation of driving power, comprising:

detecting a temperature of the CPU;

detecting a reference temperature of a predetermined circuit block;

comparing the temperature of the CPU with the reference temperature of the predetermined circuit block to determine a higher temperature of the temperature of the CPU and the reference temperature of the predetermined circuit block; and

outputting a control signal based on the higher temperature to control a driving power provided by the CPU power supply to an operation frequency controller of the CPU.

14. A temperature-based CPU operation frequency controller of a CPU powered by a CPU power supply, comprising:

a CPU temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the CPU and output a first digital signal;

a reference temperature sensor to detect a temperature of a predetermined circuit block and output a second digital signal; and

a comparator to output a quantized, multi-step control signal to the CPU power supply based on a comparison of the first digital signal and the second digital signal, wherein the control signal controls a driving power provided to the operation frequency controller.