TRANSMISSION-BASED TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE

• US 20150189788A1
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Champagne, Gerald, Mervine, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,525,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/036 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits

Abstract

A method includes estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit, which is associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit. The method includes, based on the estimated temperature change, regulating at least one parameter that is associated with the pending transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a temperature threshold

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit; and

based on the estimated temperature change, regulating at least one parameter associated with the pending transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a temperature threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises regulating a timing of the transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises regulating a power level of the transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises delaying the transmission to allow a temperature of the integrated circuit to decrease.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a thermal conductivity derived from an observed history of the temperature of the integrated circuit in association with a previous transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a scheduled transmission power level and an expected time over which the transmission is to occur.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a power level associated with the pending transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises selectively aborting the transmission.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a temperature sensor to sense an ambient temperature;

a radio; and

a processing core to;

estimate a temperature change to the apparatus in response to a pending transmission by the radio; and

control the radio to regulate at least one parameter of the pending transmission based at least in part on the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the estimated temperature change.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing core is adapted to selectively use a back off time period associated with a transmission protocol to regulate a timing of the transmission to maintain the ambient temperature below the predetermined temperature.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing core is adapted to selectively change a power level at which the transmission occurs based at least in part on the sensed ambient temperature and the estimated temperature change.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing core is adapted to, in response to determining that the ambient temperature will exceed the predetermined temperature during the transmission, delay the transmission for a predetermined period, and at the end of the predetermined period, selectively reduce power associated with the transmission based at least in part on another sensor of the ambient temperature by the temperature sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pending transmission comprises a wireless transmission of bits associated with a data packet.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a scheduled transmission power level associated with the pending transmission and an expected time associated with the transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a transmission level associated with the pending transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a lighting element; and

an integrated circuit comprising a packet radio and a processing core to use the radio to communicate with a lighting controller to regulate operation of the lighting element,

wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate a temperature change to the integrated circuit associated with a pending transmission by the radio, and based at least in part on the estimated temperature change, regulate at least one parameter associated with the pending transmission.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a power level associated with the transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a light assembly housing, wherein the lighting element and the integrated circuit are mounted to the housing.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing core selectively regulates a transmission power of the radio to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit below the predetermined temperature.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing core regulates the pending transmission to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit below the predetermined temperature based at least in part on a sensed ambient temperature of the integrated circuit.