METHOD AND DEVICE FOR HEATING ELECTRONIC COMPONENT AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20130098891A1
• Filed: 01/14/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
• Inventors: WANG, Chun-Chi, CHIU, Chia-Chang
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a device for heating an electronic component and an electronic apparatus using the method/device. A heater is disposed at the electronic component. The heating method includes following steps: driving the heater according to a duty ratio by using electrical energy of a power module. If the output voltage of the power module is greater than a first threshold, set the duty ratio as a first ratio. If the output voltage of the power module is less than a second threshold, set the duty ratio as a second ratio. If the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold, adjust the duty ratio so that the difference between the output voltage of the power module and the second threshold is positively proportional to the duty ratio.

Claims

1. A method for heating an electronic component in a low-temperature environment, wherein a first heater is disposed at the electronic component, the method comprising:

driving the first heater according to a duty ratio to use electrical energy of a power module;

setting the duty ratio as a first ratio if an output voltage of the power module is greater than a first threshold;

setting the duty ratio as a second ratio if the output voltage of the power module is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold and greater than zero, and the second ratio is less than the first ratio; and

adjusting the duty ratio so that the difference between the output voltage of the power module and the second threshold is positively proportional to the duty ratio if the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

2. The method for heating an electronic component in a low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first ratio is 100% and the second ratio is 0%.

3. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step of adjusting the duty ratio, the duty ratio is between the first ratio and the second ratio.

4. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of adjusting the duty ratio comprises:

setting the duty ratio as (DH−

DL)×

[(V−

VL)/(VH−

VL)], wherein DH is a positive number less than or equal to 1, DL is a positive number less than DH, V is the output voltage of the power module, VH is the first threshold and VL is the second threshold.

5. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first ratio and DH are 75%, the second ratio is 0%, DL is 10%, the first threshold VH is 8.1 and the second threshold VL is 7.1.

6. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a second heater at a second electronic component; and

driving the second heater according to the duty ratio to use electrical energy of the power module;

wherein an enabling duration of the first heater does not overlap with an enabling duration of the second heater.

7. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 6, wherein a duty cycle of the duty ratio is evenly distributed to the first heater and the second heater.

8. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the duty cycle of the duty ratio is entirely distributed to the second heater when a temperature of the first electronic component reaches a normal operation temperature.

9. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a second heater at a second electronic component; and

enabling the second heater by using electrical energy of the power module according to the duty ratio;

wherein the enabling duration of the first heater overlaps with the enabling duration of the second heater, and the total time of the enabling duration of the first heater and the enabling duration of the second heater is not greater than the duty cycle of the duty ratio.

10. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the temperature of the first electronic component;

when the temperature of the first electronic component reaches a normal operation temperature, stop driving the first heater; and

when the temperature of the first electronic component reaches the normal operation temperature, activating the first electronic component.

11. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electronic component is a hard disk drive.

12. The method for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power module is a battery module or an AC adapter.

13. A device for heating an electronic component in a low-temperature environment, comprising:

a first heater, disposed at a first electronic component;

a power module, configured for providing the first heater with required electrical energy; and

a controller, coupled to the first heater and the power module,

wherein the controller controls the first heater to use the electrical energy of the power module to heat the first electronic component according to a duty ratio;

the controller sets the duty ratio as a first ratio if an output voltage of the power module is greater than a first threshold;

the controller sets the duty ratio as a second ratio if the output voltage of the power module is less than a second threshold;

the second threshold is less than the first threshold and greater than zero;

the second ratio is less than the first ratio; and

the controller adjusts the duty ratio so that the difference between the output voltage of the power module and the second threshold is positively proportional to the duty ratio if the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

14. The device for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as acclaimed in claim 13, wherein the controller adjusts the duty ratio to be between the first ratio and the second ratio if the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

15. The device for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as acclaimed in claim 14, wherein the controller sets the duty ratio as (DH−

DL)×

[(V−

VL)/(VH−

VL)], wherein DH is a positive number less than or equal to 1, DL is a positive number less than DH, V is the output voltage of the power module, VH is the first threshold and VL is the second threshold.

16. The device for heating the electronic component in the low-temperature environment as acclaimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a temperature sensor, disposed at the first electronic component to detect a temperature of the first electronic component, the temperature sensor is coupled to the controller;

wherein the controller controls the first heater to stop heating when the temperature of the first electronic component reaches a normal operation temperature.

17. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a first electronic component;

a first heater, disposed at the first electronic component;

a power module, configured for providing the electrical energy the electronic apparatus and the first heater require; and

a controller, coupled to the first heater and the power module, wherein the controller controls the first heater to use the electrical energy of the power module for heating the first electronic component according to a duty ratio;

wherein the controller sets the duty ratio as a first ratio if an output voltage of the power module is greater than a first threshold;

the controller sets the duty ratio as a second ratio if the output voltage of the power module is less than a second threshold;

the second threshold is less than the first threshold and greater than zero;

the second ratio is less than the first ratio; and

the controller adjusts the duty ratio so that the difference between the output voltage of the power module and the second threshold is positively proportional to the duty ratio if the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

18. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein if the output voltage of the power module is between the first threshold and the second threshold, the controller adjusts the duty ratio to be between the first ratio and the second ratio.

19. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the controller sets the duty ratio as (DH−

DL)×

[(V−

VL)/(VH−

VL)], wherein DH is a positive number less than or equal to 1, DL is a positive number less than DH, V is the output voltage of the power module, VH is the first threshold and VL is the second threshold.

20. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a temperature sensor, disposed at the first electronic component to detect a temperature of the first electronic component, the temperature sensor is coupled to the controller;

wherein the controller controls the first heater to stop heating when the temperature of the first electronic component reaches a normal operation temperature.