System and method for information handling system cooling fan operating parameter selection

• US 20050128700A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Shields, James, Alperin, Joshua N., Kwatra, Ajay, Tyner, Benjamen G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

An information handling system cooling fan operating curve is automatically selected for use by a cooling fan controller by detecting the configuration of the information handling system and looking up cooling fan operating parameters from a table associated with the information handling system. For instance, central processing unit identification information is used to select associated cooling fan operating parameters so that adequate cooling is available to meet system cooling constraints for the heat characteristics of the central processing unit with reduced acoustic impact associated with operation of the information handling system.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

plural components operable to process information, one or more of the components having an identification code;

a chassis having an exterior and interior, the interior housing the plural components;

a cooling system associated with the chassis and operable to cool the components;

one or more sensors operable to sense cooling system performance;

a cooling system controller interfaced with the cooling system and the sensor, the cooling system controller operable to adjust cooling system performance according to one or more cooling system parameters; and

a cooling system parameter table interfaced with the cooling system controller and having plural cooling parameters, each cooling parameter associated with one or component identification codes;

wherein the cooling system controller is further operable to select one or more cooling parameters for adjusting cooling system performance, the selection by lookup of the component identification code from the cooling system parameter table.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the component comprises a central processing unit and the component identification code comprises a central processing unit identification code.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the component comprises a basic input output system and the component identification code comprises a chassis identification code.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the cooling system comprises a fan aligned to exchanged heated air from the chassis interior with cooling air from the chassis exterior.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the cooling system parameter comprises cooling fan speed.

6. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the cooling system parameter comprises the temperature in the chassis interior.

7. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the cooling system parameter comprises an operating curve defining cooling fan speeds in relation to sensed temperatures.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising an update module interfaced with the cooling system parameter table and operable to update the cooling system parameter table with updated component identification codes and associated cooling system parameters.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the cooling system parameter table comprises a default cooling system parameter for use with unknown component identification codes.

10. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the cooling system parameter comprises a central processor unit edge diode temperature.

11. A method for managing information handling system temperature control, the method comprising:

detecting a configuration of the information handling system;

looking up cooling system parameters associated with the configuration from a table stored on the information handling system;

configuring a cooling system of the information handling system with the cooling system parameters; and

managing the temperature of the information handling system with the cooling system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein detecting a configuration further comprises detecting a central processing unit identification code.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein detecting a configuration further comprises detecting a chassis identification code.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein looking up cooling system parameters further comprises retrieving cooling system parameters associated with an identification code of a component of the information handling system from a table stored in the basic input output system of the information handling system.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

downloading updated table information to the information handling system, the updated table information having one or more updated components, the updated component having associated updated cooling system parameters;

detecting a change to the configuration of the information handling system with an updated component; and

configuring the cooling system with the associated updated cooling system parameters.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein configuring a cooling system further comprises:

loading a fan controller with cooling system parameters to operate the fan within a performance curve correlating sensed temperatures and fan speed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sensed temperature comprises a processor edge diode temperature.

18. A system for cooling an information handling system, the system comprising:

a cooling fan operable to couple to an information handling system aligned to provide cooling air for cooling one or more components of the information handling system;

a fan controller interfaced with the cooling fan and operable to obtain temperature information associated with the information handling system and to control cooling fan speed according to an operating curve; and

an operating curve selector interfaced with the fan controller and operable to obtain component identification information from the one or more components and to select an operating curve associated with the component identification information for use by the fan controller.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the component comprises a central processing unit.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the component comprises a chassis.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising an operating curve look-up table having plural operating curves, each operating curve associated with one or more sets of component identification information.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the operating curve selector is further operable to calculate an operating curve from thermal characteristics associated with the identified components.