ADJUSTING THE THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF A COMPUTING SYSTEM USING INDIRECT INFORMATION ABOUT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
First Claim
1. A method for adjusting the thermal behavior of a computing system, comprising:
- accessing a thermal model that is stored in memory of a computing system, wherein the thermal model estimates temperature of a target location in the system based on temperature data from a plurality of temperature sensors that are not at the target location, wherein for the same power consumption state of the computing system, the thermal model computes a different estimate at a higher ambient temperature than at a lower ambient temperature;
receiving temperature data from the temperature sensors;
estimating the temperature of the target location using the thermal model; and
making a decision on a whether or not to change a power consuming activity limit in the computing system, based on the estimated temperature.
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Abstract
A computing system has a thermal manager that changes a power consuming activity limit in the device based on an estimate of temperature of a target location in the system. There are several temperature sensors that are not at the target location. An estimator computes the target location temperature estimate using a thermal model and, as input to the thermal model, data from the sensors. The thermal model produces different estimates of the target location temperature at different ambient temperatures but without computing or measuring the ambient temperatures. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
87 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for adjusting the thermal behavior of a computing system, comprising:
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accessing a thermal model that is stored in memory of a computing system, wherein the thermal model estimates temperature of a target location in the system based on temperature data from a plurality of temperature sensors that are not at the target location, wherein for the same power consumption state of the computing system, the thermal model computes a different estimate at a higher ambient temperature than at a lower ambient temperature; receiving temperature data from the temperature sensors; estimating the temperature of the target location using the thermal model; and making a decision on a whether or not to change a power consuming activity limit in the computing system, based on the estimated temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An article of manufacture comprising:
a machine-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that program a processor in a mobile device to perform thermal control in the device at different ambient temperatures, the programmed processor is to receive temperature data output by a plurality of temperature sensors in the system, compute temperature of a target location in the device that is spaced apart from the plurality of sensors, using a thermal model and the temperature data as input to the thermal model, and make a decision on whether or not to change a power consuming activity limit in the device based on the computed temperature, wherein the power consuming activity limit is changed differently at different ambient temperatures based on the computed temperature but without estimating or measuring ambient temperature. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A mobile device comprising:
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a thermal manager to change a power consuming activity limit in the mobile device based on an estimate of temperature of a target location in the device; a plurality of temperature sensors not at the target location; and an estimator to compute the estimate using a thermal model and, as input to the thermal model, temperature data from the sensors, wherein the thermal model produces different estimates of the target location temperature at different ambient temperatures but without computing or measuring the ambient temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for computing a thermal model, wherein the thermal model estimates temperature of a target location in a computing system during in-the-field use of the system based on temperature data from a plurality of temperature sensors that are not at the target location, the method comprising:
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recording temperature data from (a) a plurality of temperature sensors that are embedded in the computing system and (b) a testing temperature sensor that is temporarily placed at the target location in the computing system, wherein the data is collected while the system is operated at different ambient temperatures so that transient and steady state thermal behavior of the system at the different ambient temperatures is recorded; applying an offset to the recorded temperature data, or to a variable representing the recorded temperature data, that is obtained from the testing sensor at one ambient, relative to the recorded temperature data that is obtained from the testing sensor at another ambient; and fitting a curve or curved surface, that will be part of the thermal model, to the offset temperature data from the testing sensor, in relation to the recorded temperature data from the embedded sensors. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification