SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA FOR THERMALLY MANAGING ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING DYNAMIC OPTICAL COMPONENTS

• US 20120228392A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cameron, Gordon, Garrone, Ryan Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20427 having radiation enhancing surface treatment, e.g. black coating

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media. for thermally managing electronic devices using dynamic optical components are provided. At least one of the reflectance and the transmittance of incident electromagnetic radiation of a dynamic optical component on an electronic device may be adjusted based on a detected variable device characteristic of the device, such as a temperature of a device component. By adjusting the reflectance and/or the transmittance of the dynamic optical component, different portions of the incident electromagnetic radiation may be directed from the dynamic optical component for changing the variable device characteristic.

Claims

1. A method for thermally managing an electronic device comprising:

detecting a variable device characteristic of the electronic device; and

based on the detected variable device characteristic, adjusting at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance of incident electromagnetic radiation of a dynamic optical component of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of the following:

increasing the percentage of a first spectrum band of the incident electromagnetic radiation that is transmitted through the dynamic optical component; and

decreasing the percentage of a second spectrum band of the incident electromagnetic radiation that is transmitted through the dynamic optical component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting changes the variable device characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable device characteristic is the temperature of a portion of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of the electronic device is at least one of a power supply of the electronic device, a memory component of the electronic device, the dynamic optical component of the electronic device, and a housing of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance when one of the following is true:

the detected variable device characteristic is above an upper threshold value; and

the detected variable device characteristic is below a lower threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises one of:

heating the dynamic optical component to a temperature above a first transition temperature; and

cooling the dynamic optical component to a temperature below a second transition temperature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises one of:

applying a first electrical charge to the dynamic optical component that is above a first transition charge; and

applying a second electrical charge to the dynamic optical component that is below a second transition charge.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises:

adjusting at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance of a first spectrum band of the incident electromagnetic radiation by a first amount; and

adjusting at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance of a second spectrum band of the incident electromagnetic radiation by a second amount.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, based on the detected variable device characteristic, adjusting at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance of second incident electromagnetic radiation of a second dynamic optical component of the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a second characteristic of a second dynamic optical component of the electronic device, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance based on both the detected variable device characteristic and the detected second characteristic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the detecting comprises detecting the variable device characteristic within a cavity defined by a housing of the electronic device; and

the incident electromagnetic radiation is from a source external to the cavity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the incident electromagnetic radiation is from a source external to a cavity defined by a housing of the electronic device; and

the adjusting comprises adjusting the at least one of the reflectance and the transmittance based on both the detected variable device characteristic and an appearance of at least a portion of the housing,

14. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a variable device characteristic; and

a dynamic optical component configured to adjust the amount of incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component based on the detected variable device characteristic.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising a housing that comprises at least one wall defining a cavity, wherein the dynamic optical component is a coating on a surface of the at least one wall.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising a housing that comprises at least one wall defining a cavity, wherein the dynamic optical component is positioned at least partially within an opening through the at least one wall.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising a housing that comprises at least one wall defining a cavity, wherein the incident electromagnetic radiation is from a source external to the cavity.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

the sensor is configured to detect the variable device characteristic within the cavity; and

the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component is configured to change the variable device characteristic.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component is configured to change the variable device characteristic.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a power supply configured to:

receive at least some of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component;

convert the received incident electromagnetic radiation into power; and

store the power.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the dynamic optical component is configured to adjust the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component based on the detected variable device characteristic and based on a power supply characteristic.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the variable device characteristic is an operating temperature of a first component of the power supply; and

the power supply characteristic is one of;

the effectiveness with which the power supply converts different portions of the received incident electromagnetic radiation into power;

the amount of power being converted by the power supply;

the amount of power stored by the power supply; and

the amount of power being drawn from the power supply,

23. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the variable device characteristic is the temperature of a portion of the electronic device.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the dynamic optical component is configured to decrease the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component when the detected variable device characteristic is above a first threshold.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the dynamic optical component is configured to increase the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component when the detected variable device characteristic is below a first threshold.

26. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein:

the variable device characteristic is a temperature of a first component of the electronic device;

an operating temperature range of the first component is below a first threshold and above a second threshold; and

the dynamic optical component is configured to;

decrease the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component when the detected variable device characteristic is above the first threshold; and

increase the amount of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the dynamic optical component when the detected variable device characteristic is below the second threshold.

27. A method for thermally managing an electronic device comprising:

determining the temperature of a dynamic optical component of the electronic device when the temperature of a device component of the electronic device is a first constraint temperature of an operating temperature range of the device component; and

configuring the dynamic optical component to be in;

a first optical state when the temperature of the dynamic optical component is less than the determined temperature; and

a second optical state when the temperature of the dynamic optical component is greater than the determined temperature.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the device component is a power supply.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the dynamic optical component is a thermochromic system.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein:

when the dynamic optical component is in the first optical state, the dynamic optical component is configured to transmit a first percentage of a first portion of incident electromagnetic radiation; and

when the dynamic optical component is in the second optical state, the dynamic optical component is configured to transmit a second percentage of the first portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first percentage is greater than the second percentage.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a heat component of the first percentage is greater than a heat component of the second percentage.

33. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising at least one wall defining a cavity;

a temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature within the cavity; and

a dynamic optical component that is in a first optical state when the internal temperature is detected to be below a first temperature threshold and that is in a second optical state when the internal temperature is detected to be above the first temperature threshold.

34. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein the dynamic optical component receives incident electromagnetic radiation from a source external to the cavity.

35. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein the reflectance of the dynamic optical component in the first optical state is lower than the reflectance of the dynamic optical component in the second optical state.

36. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein the heat component of incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the dynamic optical component in the first optical state is higher than the heat component of the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the dynamic optical component in the second optical state.

37. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein, when the dynamic optical component switches from the first optical state to the second optical state, the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the dynamic optical component is configured to lower the internal temperature.

38. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein, when the dynamic optical component switches from the second optical state to the first optical state, the incident electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the dynamic optical component is configured to raise the internal temperature.

39. Computer-readable media for controlling an electronic device, comprising computer-readable code recorded thereon for:

detecting a variable device characteristic of the electronic device; and

based on the detected variable device characteristic, adjusting the reflectivity of incident electromagnetic radiation of a dynamic optical component of the electronic device.