Computer system protection device

• US 5,920,264 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jingpin Technologies, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Kwang-Yeol, Park, Noh-Byung, Kim, Dong-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/480,742
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 340/584, 340/595, 340/679, 340/693.5, 340/693.963, 340/5, 361/695, 361/696, 361/697, 361/717, 361/718, 361/719, 361/720, 363/141, 363/89, 257/712, 257/713, 257/722, 257/717, 364/116, 364/550, 364/488, 364/141, 374/141, 374/183, 327/512
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A protection device for a micro-controller chip comprising a heat sink, a cooling fan, and an overheat alarm. The heat sink is adapted to be mounted on a micro-controller chip and is capable of dissipating heat generated by the micro-controller chip. The cooling fan disperses the heat dissipated by the heat sink into the surrounding atmosphere. The overheat alarm includes a temperature sensor, a voltage comparator, an oscillator, and alarm sound generator. The temperature sensor converts a temperature of the heat sink into electrical signals and outputs a voltage proportional to the temperature of the heat sink. A voltage comparator compares the voltage output from the temperature sensor with a reference voltage signal and outputs a comparator output voltage. The oscillator generates and outputs an oscillating voltage signal. The alarm sound generator is enabled by the comparator output voltage from the voltage comparator for generating an alarm sound by operating a speaker in accordance with the input oscillating voltage signal from the oscillator.

Claims

1. A protection device for a micro-controller chip package comprising:

a heat sink adapted to be mounted on the micro-controller chip package and having a plurality of surfaces for dissipating heat generated by the micro-controller chip package;

a cooling fan assembly adapted to be mounted on said heat sink assembly for dispersing the heat dissipated by the heat sink into the surrounding atmosphere;

a temperature sensor for converting a temperature of the heat sink into electrical signals and for outputting a voltage proportional to the temperature of the heat sink, said temperature sensor adapted to be placed on one of said surfaces of the heat sink assembly;

a voltage comparator for comparing the voltage output from the temperature sensor with a reference voltage signal and outputting a comparator output voltage; and

an alarm enabled by the comparator output voltage from the voltage comparator for generating an alarm signal.

2. A protection device as in claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor includes a thermistor having a resistance which varies proportionally with the temperature of the micro-controller chip.

3. A protection device as in claim 1, wherein said voltage comparator includes:

an operating amplifier having an inverting input terminal connected to said temperature sensor, a non-inverting input terminal, and an output terminal;

a first resistor connected between the inverting input terminal and a ground reference potential;

a second resistor connected between a power voltage reference potential and the non-inverting terminal of the operating amplifier;

a third resistor connected between the non-inverting terminal of the operating amplifier and the ground reference potential;

wherein the operating amplifier compares the output voltage from the temperature sensor with the voltage across the third resistor, and outputs a voltage result to the output terminal; and

a fourth resistor which is connected between a non-inverting input terminal and the output terminal of the operating amplifier.

4. A protection device as in claim 1, wherein said alarm comprises:

an oscillator which generates and outputs an oscillating voltage signal;

an AND gate having a first input terminal connected to an output terminal of the voltage comparator and a second input terminal connected to an output of the oscillator;

a transistor having a base terminal connected to an output terminal of the AND gate and having an emitter terminal connected to a ground reference potential; and

a speaker connected between a collector terminal of the transistor and a power reference voltage.

5. A computer system protective device, which comprises:

a cooling fan for lowering an internal temperature of the system;

a temperature sensor which senses the internal temperature of the computer system and converts the sensed internal temperature into a reference voltage, said temperature sensor outputting the reference voltage to an output terminal;

a fan operating unit which controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan as a function of the reference voltage output by the temperature sensor;

a voltage regulator which generates an output voltage corresponding to a predetermined temperature;

a voltage comparator which compares the reference voltage of the temperature sensor with the output voltage of the voltage regulator and outputs a fixed comparator output voltage if the internal temperature of the computer system is below the predetermined temperature, and outputs a comparator output voltage which is proportional to the internal temperature of the computer system if the internal temperature of the computer system is above the predetermined temperature;

a voltage controlled oscillator which outputs a frequency proportional to the comparator output voltage to a system clock generator which outputs a system clock signal having a frequency proportional to the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator.

6. A computer system protection device as in claim 5, further comprising:

an alarm which outputs an alarm signal when the internal temperature nears said predetermined temperature.

7. A computer system protection device as in claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature is about 35°

C.

8. A computer system protection device as in claim 7, wherein:

said fan operating unit rotates the cooling fan at a first rotating speed if the internal temperature is below about 25°

C.;

said fan operating unit rotates the cooling fan at a speed in proportion to the internal temperature of the computer system if the internal temperature of the computer system is between about 25°

C. and 35°

C.; and

said fan operating unit rotates the cooling fan at a constant second rotating speed if the internal temperature of the computer system is above about 35°

C.

9. A computer system protection device as in claim 5, wherein said frequency of said system clock signal is inversely proportional to the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator.

10. A computer system protection device for a micro-controller chip package comprising:

a heat sink assembly adapted to be mounted on the micro-controller chip package, said heat sink assembly having a plurality of surfaces for dissipating heat generated by said micro-controller chip package;

a cooling fan assembly adapted to be mounted on said heat sink assembly for dispersing heat dissipated by the heat sink assembly into the surrounding atmosphere;

a temperature sensor for converting a temperature of the heat sink into electrical signals and for outputting a voltage proportional to the temperature of the heat sink assembly, the temperature sensor adapted to be placed on one of said surfaces of the heat sink assembly;

a voltage comparator for comparing the voltage output from the temperature sensor with a reference voltage signal and outputting a comparator output voltage; and

a fan operating means which controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan as a function of the reference voltage output by the temperature sensor.

11. A computer system protection device as in claim 10, further comprising:

alarming means which outputs an alarm signal when the temperature nears a predetermined temperature.

12. A computer system protection device for a micro-controller chip package comprising:

a heat sink assembly adapted to be mounted on the micro-controller chip package, said heat sink assembly having a plurality of surfaces for dissipating heat generated by said micro-controller chip package;

a cooling fan assembly adapted to be mounted on said heat sink assembly for dispersing heat dissipated by the heat sink assembly into the surrounding atmosphere;

a temperature sensor for converting a temperature of the heat sink into electrical signals and for outputting a voltage proportional to the temperature of the heat sink assembly, the temperature sensor adapted to be placed on one of said surfaces of the heat sink assembly;

a voltage comparator for comparing the voltage output from the temperature sensor with a reference voltage signal and outputting a comparator output voltage; and

a voltage controlled oscillator which outputs a frequency proportional to the comparator output voltage to a system clock generator which outputs a system clock signal having a frequency proportional to the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator.

13. A computer system protection device as in claim 12, further comprising:

alarming means which outputs an alarm signal when the temperature nears a predetermined temperature.