ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20110205071A1
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Namekawa, Kimiyasu, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/588
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/00 Application of thermometers in household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/425 Thermal management of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes: a temperature measurement section that measures a temperature of a heat generation source generating heat by consuming power or a temperature of an inner position of a casing of which the temperature changes due to the heat generation of the heat generation source; and an environmental temperature calculation section that calculates a temperature which is calculated using a predetermined relational equation that is different in accordance with a model from a difference between a first temperature measured by the temperature measurement section at a point in time when the heat generation source starts consuming a predetermined amount of power and a second temperature measured by the temperature measurement section at a point in time after the passage of a predetermined period from the start of consumption of a predetermined amount of power by the heat generation source as an environmental temperature in an environment where the casing is placed.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a temperature measurement section that measures a temperature of a heat generation source generating heat by consuming power or a temperature of an inner position of a casing of which the temperature changes due to the heat generation of the heat generation source; and

an environmental temperature calculation section that calculates a temperature which is calculated using a predetermined relational equation that is different in accordance with a model from a difference between a first temperature measured by the temperature measurement section at a point in time when the heat generation source starts consuming a predetermined amount of power and a second temperature measured by the temperature measurement section at a point in time after the passage of a predetermined period from the start of consumption of a predetermined amount of power by the heat generation source as an environmental temperature in an environment where the casing is placed.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environmental temperature calculation section holds a third temperature measured by the temperature measurement section at a point in time when the electronic apparatus is turned on, selects the lower temperature of the third temperature and the temperature calculated using the predetermined relational equation from the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, and uses the selected temperature as the environmental temperature.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation control section that outputs a warning signal when the difference between the environmental temperature calculated by the environmental temperature calculation section and the temperature measured by the temperature measurement section exceeds a predetermined first value.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the operation control section stops the supply of power to the heat generation source when the difference between the environmental temperature calculated by the environmental temperature calculation section and the temperature measured by the temperature measurement section exceeds a predetermined second value greater than the first value.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature measurement section is provided directly to the heat generation source.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature measurement section is provided on a substrate which is provided in contact with the heat generation source so as to drive the heat generation source.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat generation source is an imaging device.

8. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus, comprising the steps of:

measuring a first temperature of a heat generation source generating heat by consuming power or a temperature of an inner portion of a casing of which the temperature changes due to the heat generation of the heat generation source at a point in time when the heat generation source starts consuming a predetermined amount of power;

measuring a second temperature of the heat generation source or the inner portion of the casing at a point in time after the passage of a predetermined period from the start of consumption of a predetermined amount of power by the heat generation source; and

calculating a temperature which is calculated using a predetermined relational equation that is different in accordance with a model from a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature as an environmental temperature in an environment where the casing is placed.

9. The method of controlling the electronic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising measuring a third temperature of the heat generation source or the inner portion of the casing at a point in time when the electronic apparatus is turned on,

wherein in the step of calculating the environmental temperature, the lower temperature of the third temperature and the temperature calculated using the predetermined relational equation from the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is selected, and the selected temperature is used as the environmental temperature.

10. The method of controlling the electronic apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising outputting a warning signal when the difference between the environmental temperature and the temperature of the heat generation source or the inner portion of the casing exceeds a predetermined first value.

11. The method of controlling the electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the step of outputting the warning signal, when the difference between the environmental temperature and the temperature of the heat generation source or the inner portion of the casing exceeds a predetermined second value greater than the first value, the supply of power to the heat generation source is stopped.