Information processing apparatus and fan control method

• US 20070046230A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsutsui, Tomonori
• Application Number:
  US11/500,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/268
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, a heating device provided in the main body, a cooling fan provided in the main body, which cools the heating device, and a fan control unit provided in the main body, which supplies the cooling fan with a control signal having a first value for rotating the cooling fan at a given rotation speed that is higher than a target rotation speed, and which supplies the cooling fan with a control signal having a second value for rotating the cooling fan at the target rotation speed when a rotation speed of the cooling fan reaches a given rotation speed which is lower than the target rotation speed and which allows the cooling fan to rotate at a constant speed.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a main body;

a heating device provided in the main body;

a cooling fan provided in the main body, which cools the heating device; and

a fan control unit provided in the main body, which supplies the cooling fan with a control signal having a first value for rotating the cooling fan at a given rotation speed that is higher than a target rotation speed, and which supplies the cooling fan with a control signal having a second value for rotating the cooling fan at the target rotation speed when a rotation speed of the cooling fan reaches a given rotation speed which is lower than the target rotation speed and which allows the cooling fan to rotate at a constant speed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan control unit is configured to monitor the rotation speed of the cooling fan while supplying the cooling fan with the control signal having a first value.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan control unit is configured to monitor the rotation speed of the cooling fan using a rotation speed signal output from the cooling fan.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the given rotation speed is one of a minimum value within a rotation speed range which allows the cooling fan to rotate at a constant speed and a specific value close to the minimum value.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is a central processing unit (CPU).

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is a display controller.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor provided in the main body, which senses a temperature of the heating device, and

wherein the fan control unit is configured to control the rotation speed of the cooling fan in accordance with the temperature of the heating device sensed by the temperature sensor.

9. A fan control method of controlling a cooling fan provided in an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

supplying the cooling fan with a control signal having a first value for rotating the cooling fan at a given rotation speed that is higher than a target rotation speed; and

supplying the cooling fan with a control signal having a second value for rotating the cooling fan at the target rotation speed when a rotation speed of the cooling fan reaches a given rotation speed which is lower than the target rotation speed and which allows the cooling fan to rotate at a constant speed.

10. The fan control method according to claim 9, wherein the supplying the cooling fan with a control signal having a second value includes monitoring the rotation speed of the cooling fan while supplying the cooling fan with the control signal having a first value.

11. The fan control method according to claim 10, wherein the rotation speed of the cooling fan is monitored using a rotation speed signal output from the cooling fan.

12. The fan control method according to claim 9, wherein the given rotation speed is one of a minimum value within a rotation speed range which allows the cooling fan to rotate at a constant speed and a specific value close to the minimum value.