Information Processing Apparatus

• US 20090323277A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hosokawa, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a heating device, a heat radiation module, a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a first position on a printed circuit board, a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a second position on the printed circuit board, which is farther from the heating device than the first position, a temperature difference detection module configured to detect a temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position from the temperature at the first position, and a performance determination module configured to execute a monitoring process of monitoring the temperature difference between the temperature at the first position and the temperature at the second position, and to determine whether a performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board provided in the housing;

a heating device disposed on the printed circuit board;

a heat radiation module provided in the housing, configured to exhaust heat of the heating device to outside;

a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a first position on the printed circuit board;

a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a second position on the printed circuit board, which is farther from the heating device than the first position;

a temperature difference detection module configured to detect a temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor from the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor; and

a performance determination module configured to be activated when the detected temperature difference exceeds a threshold value, to execute a monitoring process of monitoring the temperature difference between the temperature at the first position and the temperature at the second position during a predetermined period from a time point when the detected temperature difference exceeds the threshold value, and to determine, based on a result of the monitoring process, whether a performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performance determination module is configured to repeatedly execute, during the predetermined period at predetermined time intervals, a process of acquiring pairs of a first temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor and a second temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor, and to determine whether the performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not, based on the pairs acquired during the predetermined period.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the performance determination module is configured to calculate a number of pairs which are included in the pairs acquired during the predetermined period and in which a difference that is obtained by subtracting the second temperature sample value from the first temperature sample value exceeds a reference value, and to determine, based on the calculated number, whether the performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performance determination module is configured to determine, at predetermined time intervals, whether the temperature difference exceeds the threshold value or not, to execute, on condition that the temperature difference exceeds the threshold, a process of acquiring pairs of a first temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor and a second temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor, and to determine whether the performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not, according to whether a predetermined number of pairs have been acquired during the predetermined period.

5. The Information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performance determination module is configured to determine, at predetermined time intervals, whether the temperature difference exceeds the threshold value or not, to execute, on condition that the temperature difference exceeds the threshold, a process of acquiring pairs of a first temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor and a second temperature sample value indicative of the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor, to calculate, in a case where a predetermined number of pairs have been acquired during the predetermined period, a number of pairs which are included in the predetermined number of pairs and in which a difference that is obtained by subtracting the second temperature sample value from the first temperature sample value exceeds a reference value, and to determine that the performance of the heat radiation module has lowered, in a case where the calculated number of pairs exceeds a reference number.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a temperature data storing process module configured to store pairs of the first temperature sample value and the second temperature sample value, which are acquired by the performance determination module each time the monitoring process is executed, in a storage device as one set of temperature data; and

a fault symptom detection module configured to analyze, after a plurality of sets of temperature data have been stored in the storage device, the plurality of sets of temperature data, and to detect a symptom relating to a fault of the heat radiation module, from a tendency of temperature variation at the first position, which is indicated by the plurality of sets of temperature data.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a third position on the printed circuit board, which is located between an air inlet port provided in the housing and the heat radiation module,

wherein the performance determination module is configured to detect clogging of the air inlet port in accordance with a temperature difference between the temperature detected by the third temperature sensor and the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat radiation module includes:

a heat radiation fin provided at a position in the housing, which is opposed to an air outlet port provided in the housing, and thermally connected to the heating device; and

a fan configured to cool the heat radiation fin.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a power supply current detection module configured to detect a power supply current which is supplied to the fan; and

a heat radiation fin abnormality detection module configured to detect clogging of the heat radiation fin, based on a relationship between a rotation number of the fan and the detected power supply current.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating device is a central processing unit.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board provided in the housing;

a heating device disposed on the printed circuit board;

a heat radiation module provided in the housing, configured to exhaust heat of the heating device to outside;

a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a first position on the printed circuit board;

a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a second position on the printed circuit board, which is farther from each of the heat radiation module and the heating device than the first position;

a temperature difference detection module configured to detect a temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor from the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor; and

a performance determination module configured to be activated when the detected temperature difference exceeds a threshold value, to execute a monitoring process of monitoring the temperature difference between the temperature at the first position and the temperature at the second position during a predetermined period from a time point when the detected temperature difference exceeds the threshold value, and to determine, based on a result of the monitoring process, whether a performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a third temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a third position on the printed circuit board, which is located between an air inlet port provided in the housing and the heat radiation module,

the performance determination module is configured to execute, in a case where another temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor from the temperature at the third position detected by the third temperature sensor exceeds a threshold, another monitoring process of monitoring the temperature difference between the temperature at the third position and the temperature at the second position during a predetermined period from a time point when said another temperature difference exceeds a threshold value, and to determine, based on a result of said another monitoring process, whether the performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board which is configured to be provided in the housing;

a heating device disposed on the printed circuit board;

a heat radiation module provided in the housing, configured to exhaust heat of the heating device to outside;

a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a first position on the printed circuit board, which is located between the heating device and the heat radiation module;

a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a second position on the printed circuit board, which is farther from the heating device than the first position;

a third temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a third position on the printed circuit board, which is closed to a side of the heating device, said side being other than a side thereof that is opposed to the heat radiation module;

a temperature difference detection module configured to detect a first temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor from the temperature at the first position detected by the first temperature sensor, and a second temperature difference which is obtained by subtracting the temperature at the second position detected by the second temperature sensor from the temperature at the third position detected by the third temperature sensor; and

a performance determination module configured to be activated when one of the detected first temperature difference and the detected second temperature difference exceeds a threshold value, to execute a monitoring process of monitoring the temperature at the first position, the temperature at the second position and the temperature at the third position during a predetermined period from a time point when the one of the detected first temperature difference and the detected second temperature difference exceeds the threshold value, and to determine, based on a result of the monitoring process, whether a performance of the heat radiation module has lowered or not.