Information processing apparatus and fan control method

• US 20060289505A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kitasato Institute (Kitasato University)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yato, Shinsuke
• Application Number:
  US11/443,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/704
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a fan which rotates from a stopping state upon supplying a voltage not less than a predetermined voltage value, a first detector which outputs a signal indicating whether the fan is rotating or not, a storage which stores voltage information indicating a voltage value supplied to the fan, a power supply which supplies a voltage corresponding to the voltage information stored in the storage to the fan, a second detector which detects a lowest rotation voltage value with which the fan rotates, and a setting section which sets the voltage information corresponding to the lowest rotation voltage value detected by the second detection section to the storage section.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a cooling fan which rotates from a stopping state upon supplying a voltage not less than a predetermined voltage value;

a first detection section which outputs a signal indicating whether the fan is rotating or not;

a storage section which stores voltage specification information indicating a voltage value supplied to the cooling fan;

a power supply which supplies a voltage corresponding to the voltage specification information stored in the storage section to the cooling fan;

a second detection section which detects a lowest rotation voltage value with which the cooling fan rotates, by setting the voltage specification information corresponding to the voltage value obtained by dropping voltage value by a predetermined step voltage value each from the predetermined voltage value, to the storage section while monitoring signals supplied from the first detection section; and

a setting section which sets the voltage specification information corresponding to the lowest rotation voltage value detected by the second detection section to the storage section.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second detection section sets the voltage specification information, to the storage section, in accordance with the voltage value with which the cooling fan is capable of rotating from a state that the cooling fan is stopped, before setting the voltage specification information in accordance with the lowest rotation voltage value to the storage section.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processor,

wherein the cooling fan is mounted on the processor.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a graphics controller which generates signals displayed on a display,

wherein the cooling fan is mounted on the graphics controller.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image quality adjustment processor to realize high image quality of a video displayed on the display,

wherein the cooling fan is mounted on the image quality adjustment processor.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a TV tuner,

wherein the cooling fan is mounted on the TV tuner.

7. A fan control method comprising:

supplying a predetermined voltage value with which the fan is capable of rotating, to a cooling fan;

detecting a lowest rotation voltage value of rotating the cooling fan, by monitoring existence of the rotation of the cooling fan while dropping a voltage value supplied to the cooling fan by a predetermined step voltage value each from the predetermined voltage value; and

supplying the lowest rotation voltage value to the cooling fan.

8. The fan control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

supplying, to the cooling fan, a voltage value with which the cooling fan is capable of rotating from a state in which the cooling fan is stopped, before supplying the lowest rotation voltage value to the cooling fan.

9. The fan control method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage value capable of rotating the fan is a lower limit value of an operation guarantee voltage range of the cooling fan.

10. The fan control method according to claim 7, wherein existence of the rotation of the cooling fan is monitored after a predetermined time elapses, after dropping the voltage value supplied to the cooling fan by a predetermined step.