Thermal management device and method for a computer processor

• US 5,713,030 A
• Filed: 10/11/1995
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Evoy, David Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US08/540,714
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750, 364/232.8, 364/270, 364/557, 364/492, 340/584, 340/588, 340/590, 340/622
• US Class Current: 713/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

A thermal management device for controlling the temperature of a computer processor chip, by controlling the operating speed of the processor, including a temperature sensitive circuitry incorporated within a packaged clock chip for connection to a processor. A thermal management method for controlling the temperature of a computer processor chip includes sensing a temperature with a temperature dependent circuitry integrally formed in a packaged clock chip, in which the sensed temperature is a function of the temperature of the computer processor chip, generating a clock control signal with the temperature dependent circuitry and sending the clock control signal to a clock generator also integrally formed in the clock chip, and sending a clock signal from the clock generator to the computer processor chip in order to control the operating frequency, and thus the temperature, of the processor.

Claims

1. An active thermal management system comprising:

a packaged computer processor chip adapted for operating at variable frequency;

a separately packaged clock chip having a temperature sensitive circuitry and a clock generator both integrated therein, said temperature sensitive circuitry being operative to produce a clock control signal dependent upon a temperature sensed by said temperature sensitive circuitry, said clock generator being connected with said temperature sensitive circuitry for receiving said clock control signal therefrom, said clock generator being operative to produce a clock signal dependent upon said clock control signal from said temperature sensitive circuitry, said computer processor chip being connected with said clock generator for receiving said clock signal therefrom for controlling the frequency of operation of the computer processor, said packaged clock chip being positioned adjacent to said packaged computer processor chip, but not in physical contact with said packaged computer processor chip, such that said packaged clock chip is thermally influenced by at least a portion of a heat energy generated by said packaged computer processor chip; and

a thermal coupling positioned between said computer processor chip and said clock chip said thermal coupling being capable of transferring at least a portion of said heat energy to said temperature sensitive circuitry of said clock chip so as to thermally influence said clock chip.

2. The active thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensitive circuitry comprises a comparator circuit and a thermistor circuit for providing a variable voltage signal to said comparator circuit, said comparator circuit being adapted for sending said clock control signal dependent upon said variable voltage signal, said clock control signal being a digital output signal.

3. The active thermal management system of claim 2, wherein said clock generator has an input for receiving said digital output signal from said comparator circuit and an output for sending said clock signal to said computer processor chip.

4. The active thermal management system of claim 3, wherein said computer processor chip comprises a control unit integrally formed in said computer processor chip, said control unit being operative to receive said clock signal from said clock generator.

5. The active thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a spatial arrangement between said computer processor chip and said clock chip so as to define a minimized heat flow distance between said computer processor chip and said clock chip.

6. The active thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a flow of air over said computer processor chip and over said clock chip which is arranged downstream in said flow of air with respect to said computer processor chip.

7. The active thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a heat sink element arranged in proximity to both said computer processor chip and said clock chip.

8. The active thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a metal connector between said computer processor chip and said clock chip.

9. An active thermal management method for controlling the temperature of a packaged computer processor chip adapted to operate at a variable frequency, comprising the steps of:

positioning a packaged clock chip adjacent to a packaged computer processor chip, but not in physical contact with said packaged computer processor chip, where said packaged clock chip includes both a temperature sensitive circuitry and a clock generator, such that said packaged clock chip is thermally influenced by a temperature state of said packaged computer processor chip;

sensing a temperature with said temperature dependent circuitry, said temperature being a function of the temperature of said computer processor chip;

generating a clock control signal from an output of said temperature dependent circuitry, said clock control signal being dependent upon said temperature sensed by said temperature dependent circuitry;

sending said clock control signal to said clock generator;

generating a clock signal with said clock generator, said clock signal being dependent upon said clock control signal; and

sending said clock signal to said computer processor chip to control the operating frequency of said computer processor chip so as to control the temperature of said computer processor chip.

10. The method of claim 9, including sensing said temperature with a thermistor circuit and generating a variable voltage signal with said thermistor circuit, said variable voltage signal being a function of said sensed temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, further including sending said variable voltage signal to a comparator circuit and generating said clock control signal with said comparator circuit, wherein said clock control signal is a digital output signal.

12. The method of claim 11, including sending said clock signal to a control unit integrally formed in said computer processor chip.

13. A computer processor active thermal management system comprising:

a packaged integrated circuit computer processor chip arranged on a printed circuit board, said computer processor chip being adapted for operating in a range of frequencies;

a separately packaged integrated circuit clock chip arranged on said printed circuit board and coupled to said computer processor chip, said clock chip having a temperature sensing circuitry included integrally therein and adapted for providing a clock control signal which is a function of a temperature sensed by said temperature sensing circuitry, said clock chip further having a clock generator included integrally therein and adapted for providing a clock signal to said computer processor chip for controlling the operating frequency of said computer processor chip, said clock generator being coupled with said temperature sensitive circuitry for receiving said clock control signal therefrom such that said clock signal is a function of said clock control signal, said packaged clock chip being positioned adjacent to said packaged computer processor chip, but not in physical contact with said packaged computer processor chip, such that said packaged clock chip is thermally influenced by a temperature state resulting in part from a heat energy generated by said packaged computer processor chip of said packaged computer processor chip; and

a thermal coupling formed between said clock chip and said computer processor chip for providing at least a portion of said heat energy to said temperature sensing circuitry within said clock chip.

14. The computer processor active thermal management system of claim 13, wherein said temperature sensing circuitry comprises a comparator circuit and a thermistor circuit connected to said comparator circuit.

15. The computer processor active thermal management system of claim 13, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a spatial arrangement on the printed circuit board between said computer processor chip and said clock chip so as to define a distance between said computer processor chip and said clock chip for a detectable flow of heat between said computer processor chip and said clock chip through said distance.

16. The computer processor active thermal management system of claim 13, further comprising a device for creating an air flow, and wherein said thermal coupling comprises said air flow provided over said computer processor chip and over said clock chip which is arranged downstream in said air flow with respect to said computer processor chip.

17. The computer processor active thermal management system of claim 13, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a heat sink element arranged in proximity to both said computer processor chip and said clock chip.

18. The computer processor active thermal management system of claim 13, wherein said thermal coupling comprises a metal connector provided in said circuit board and interconnected between said computer processor chip and said clock chip.

19. A packaged integrated circuit clock chip operative to send a clock signal to a separately packaged computer processor chip for controlling the operating frequency of the computer processor chip, the clock chip comprising:

a temperature sensitive circuitry integrally formed in said packaged clock chip, said temperature sensitive circuitry being operative to generate a clock control signal which is a function of a temperature sensed by said temperature sensitive circuitry,

a clock generator integrally formed in said packaged clock chip, said clock generator being operative to generate said clock signal, said clock generator being coupled to said temperature sensitive circuitry for receiving said clock control signal therefrom such that said clock signal is a function of said clock control signal;

whereby said temperature sensitive circuitry and said clock generator share a common substrate a common package, responsive to a temperature of an ambient environment surrounding said common package.

20. The clock chip of claim 19, wherein said temperature sensitive circuitry comprises a comparator circuit and a thermistor circuit operative to send a variable voltage signal dependent upon said sensed temperature to said comparator circuit.

21. The clock chip of claim 20, wherein said comparator circuit is operative to send said clock control signal to said clock generator, said clock control signal being a digital output signal dependent upon said variable voltage signal.

22. The clock chip of claim 21, wherein said clock generator has an input for receiving said digital output signal from said comparator circuit and an output for sending said clock signal to said computer processor chip.