Indirect Thermal Fan Control

• US 20140277821A1
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rubenstein, Brandon A.
• Application Number:
  US14/293,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277821A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Indirect thermal fan control is described. In one or more implementations, a speed of a fan may be adjusted based on indirect measurements of temperature. For example, a temperature of air entering an enclosure and a current draw of an electrical component within the enclosure may be determined. A speed of a fan may then be adjusted based on the temperature of the air and the current draw of the component to change a flow of the air over the electrical component.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a temperature of air entering an enclosure;

determining a current draw of an electrical component within the enclosure; and

adjusting, based on the determined temperature and the determined current draw, a speed of a fan within the enclosure to change an airflow over the electrical component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a power consumption of the electrical component based on the determined current draw and a voltage level of a power rail to which the electrical component is operably coupled, and wherein the adjusting of the speed of the fan is further based on the calculated power consumption and the determined temperature.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising estimating a temperature of the electrical component based on the determined temperature and the calculated power consumption, and wherein the adjusting of the speed of the fan is further based on the estimated temperature of the electrical component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a housing of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, a flat panel display, a television device, a gaming device, or a set-top box.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current draw comprises receiving an indication of the current draw from a sensor associated with a power rail to which the electrical component is operably coupled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the temperature of the air includes receiving an indication of the temperature from a sensor proximate an air inlet of the enclosure.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a current sensor configured to determine current draw of an electrical component;

a temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of air;

a fan configured to affect airflow proximate the electrical component;

one or more modules communicatively coupled to the current sensor, the temperature sensor, and the fan, the one or more modules configured to;

receive an indication of the current draw from the current sensor;

receive an indication of the temperature of the air from the temperature sensor; and

cause, based on the received indications of the current consumption and the temperature of the air, a change of the airflow over the electrical component.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a power supply operably coupled to the power rail to provide power to the electrical component.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the current sensor is an integrated sensor in the power supply.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an enclosure that is configured to house the current sensor, the temperature sensor, the fan, and the electrical component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the enclosure is a housing of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, a flat panel display, a television device, a gaming device, or a set-top box.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor is proximate an air inlet of the enclosure.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the indications from the temperature sensor and the current sensor are received via a System Management Bus (SMBus), 1-wire, or Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) communication protocol.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 8, the one or more modules are further configured to calculate a power consumption of the electrical component based on the indicated current draw and a voltage level of a power rail to which the electrical component is operably coupled, and wherein the change of the airflow over the electrical component is further based on the calculated power consumption and the indicated temperature.

15. A computing device comprising:

a display enclosure housing a plurality of display components;

a current sensor configured to monitor current consumption of one or more of the plurality of display components within the display enclosure;

a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of air entering the display enclosure;

a fan configured to affect airflow proximate the display components;

one or more modules communicatively coupled to the current sensor, the temperature sensor, and the fan, the one or more modules configured to;

receive an indication of the current consumption from the current sensor;

receive an indication of the temperature of the air from the temperature sensor;

calculate a power consumption of the one or more display components based on the indication of the current consumption and a voltage level of a power rail operably coupled with the one or more display components;

estimate a temperature of the one or more display components based on the indication of the temperature of the air and the calculated power consumption of the one or more display components;

cause, based on the indications of the current consumption, the calculated power consumption, the estimated temperature of the one or more display components, and the temperature of the air, a change to a speed of the fan.

16. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising a power supply that is operably coupled to the power rail to provide power to the one or more display components.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the current sensor is an integrated sensor in the power supply.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the indications received from the temperature sensor and the current sensor are received via a System Management Bus (SMBus), 1-wire, or Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) communication protocol.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device is a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, a flat panel display, a television device, a gaming device, or a set-top box.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the display enclosure houses a touchscreen assembly.