Thermal management system for a portable ultrasound imaging device

• US 6,542,846 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Buckley, Dennis J., Hoar, Michael, Miller, David G, Maier, Daniel Gerard, Fallon, Joseph R
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US09/710,600
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 702/132, 361/1, 361/27, 361/24, 361/103, 361/106, 323/267, 236/1, 340/584
• US Class Current: 702/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5205 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52096 related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components details of power supplies for ultrasonic medical diagnostic imaging devices A61B8/56
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor

Abstract

A thermal management system for a portable battery powered electronic device, and particularly, a portable battery powered ultrasound device, which controls the temperature of the device such that the external surface temperature satisfies medical safety regulatory requirements, and such that the heat generated by the device does not reduce battery life, reduce component life, decrease reliability of the device, or cause device shutdown because of overheating. A thermal management system monitors the respective temperatures of various system components, and, based on the monitored temperatures, performs control to cool the ultrasound system, maintaining the external surface temperature below the safety regulated temperatures and ensuring reliability of system components. The thermal management system controls the system temperature and external surface temperature by various measures, including controlling operation of a cooling fan; modifying system parameters to change an operating mode of the ultrasound system; controlling clocking of the system circuitry by selectively enabling or disabling circuitry; and modifying a charging profile of the battery.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of temperature sensors sensing respective temperatures of different portions of the electronic device;

a thermal control device controlling temperature of the electronic device based on the plurality of sensed temperatures; and

a casing housing the electronic device, wherein the thermal control device controls heat generation in the electronic device to maintain a casing temperature below a predetermined temperature, wherein the thermal control device further comprises an icon configured to display an indication that a temperature of the casing is approaching an overheated state, the thermal control device further configured to perform a thermal control device hierarchy of control that first disables clocks, then controls a cooling fan, and finally displays an indication that a temperature of the electronic device exceeds a predetermined temperature.

2. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are thermistors.

3. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a portable battery powered ultrasound imaging system.

4. The thermal management system as recited in claim 3, wherein the portable battery powered ultrasound imaging system weighs less than fifteen pounds.

5. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises circuitry and a rechargeable battery, wherein the casing further housing the circuitry and rechargeable battery, and wherein the temperature sensors sense respective temperatures of the circuitry, rechargeable battery and casing.

6. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises a cooling fan to control temperature of the electronic device.

7. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises a clocking controller selectively disabling clocks of components of the electronic device to control temperature.

8. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a rechargeable battery, and the thermal control device further comprises a battery charging controller controlling charging of the rechargeable battery to control temperature.

9. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises an operating mode changing device changing an operating mode of the electronic device to control temperature.

10. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises an automatic shut-off device automatically shutting off the electronic device to control temperature.

11. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further controls heat generation of electronic device circuitry to control temperature.

12. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises a display displaying a temperature of the electronic device.

13. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control device further comprises a cooling fan, a clocking controller selectively disabling clocks of components of the electronic device, and a display displaying the indication that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds the predetermined temperature, and

wherein the thermal control device performs hierarchical control of the cooling fan, the clocking controller and the display based on temperatures detected by the temperature sensors to control the temperature of the electronic device.

14. The thermal management system as recited in claim 13, wherein the thermal control device compares a highest detected temperature with a plurality of predetermined temperature levels to determine the hierarchical control action.

15. The thermal management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device further includes a rechargeable battery, and

the thermal control device further comprises a cooling fan, a clocking controller selectively disabling clocks of components of the electronic device, an operating mode changing device changing an operating mode of the electronic device, a battery charging controller controlling charging of the rechargeable battery, a display displaying the indication that the temperature of the electronic device exceeds the predetermined temperature, and an automatic shut-off device powering off the electronic device,

wherein the thermal control device performs hierarchical control of the cooling fan, the clocking controller, the operating mode changing device, the battery charging controller, the display and the automatic shut-off device based on temperatures detected by the temperature sensors to control the temperature of the electronic device.

16. A thermal management system for an electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of temperature sensors sensing respective temperatures of different portions of the electronic device;

a thermal control device controlling temperature of the electronic device based on the plurality of sensed temperatures; and

a casing housing the electronic device, wherein the thermal control device controls heat generation in the electronic device to maintain a casing temperature below a predetermined temperature, wherein the thermal control device further comprises a display displaying an indication that a temperature of the casing is approaching an overheated state, wherein the display is an icon, and wherein a thermal control device hierarchy of control first disables clocks, then controls a cooling fan, and finally displays an indication that a temperature of the electronic device exceeds a predetermined temperature.

17. A portable, battery powered ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

a temperature sensing device sensing a temperature of the ultrasound system;

a thermal management system including a plurality of different temperature controls controlling temperature of the ultrasound system based on the sensed temperature; and

a casing housing the ultrasound system, wherein the thermal management system controls heat generation in the ultrasound system to maintain a casing temperature below a predetermined temperature, wherein the thermal management system further comprises an icon configured to display an indication that a temperature of the casing is approaching an overheated state, wherein the thermal management system is further configured to perform a thermal management system hierarchy of control that first disables clocks, then controls a cooling fan, and finally displays an indication that a temperature of the ultrasound system exceeds a predetermined temperature.

18. The ultrasound imaging system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a display displaying the icon indicating a temperature of the ultrasound system.

19. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, wherein the portable battery powered ultrasound imaging system weighs less than fifteen pounds.

20. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, wherein the temperature sensing device comprises a plurality of temperature sensors sensing temperatures of a plurality of portions of the ultrasound system, and the thermal management system controls temperature of the ultrasound system based on the plurality of sensed temperatures.

21. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, wherein the ultrasound system further comprises circuitry forming an ultrasound image, and the thermal management system controls temperature by controlling power dissipation in the circuitry.

22. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 21, wherein the thermal management system controls power dissipation by controlling clocking of the circuitry.

23. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 21, wherein the thermal management system controls power dissipation by controlling a mode in which the circuitry is operated.

24. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, wherein the ultrasound system further comprises a rechargeable battery and the thermal management system controls temperature by controlling charging of the rechargeable battery.

25. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a fan, a rechargeable battery and circuitry forming an ultrasound image, wherein the thermal management system further controls temperature by controlling at least one of the fan, rechargeable battery and circuitry forming the ultrasound image.

26. The ultrasound system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a fan, a rechargeable battery and circuitry forming an ultrasound image, and wherein the temperature sensing device includes a plurality of temperature sensors sensing respective temperatures of an area near the fan, the rechargeable battery and the circuitry forming the ultrasound image, and

wherein the thermal management system further controls temperature based on the plurality of sensed temperatures.

27. A method of controlling temperature of an electronic device, comprising:

reading a plurality of temperatures sensed by a plurality of temperature sensors;

determining a temperature of the electronic device based on the plurality of temperatures;

comparing the temperature of the electronic device with a plurality of predetermined temperature levels;

determining a type of temperature control action performed to control temperature of the electronic device from among a plurality of temperature control actions based on the result of the comparison; and

controlling temperature of the electronic device in accordance with the determined temperature control action, wherein controlling temperature of the electronic device includes maintaining the temperature of the electronic device below a predetermined temperature, further comprising displaying an icon configured to display an indication that a temperature is approaching an overheated state, further performing a temperature management control hierarchy of control that first disables clocks, then controls a cooling fan, and finally displays an indication that a temperature of the electronic device exceeds a predetermined temperature.

28. A computer readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method of controlling temperature of an electronic device, the method comprising:

reading a plurality of temperatures sensed by a plurality of temperature sensors;

determining a temperature of the electronic device based on the plurality of temperatures;

comparing the temperature of the electronic device with a plurality of predetermined temperature levels;

determining a type of temperature control action performed to control temperature of the electronic device from among a plurality of temperature control actions based on the result of the comparison; and

controlling temperature of the electronic device in accordance with the determined temperature control action, wherein controlling temperature of the electronic device includes maintaining the temperature of the electronic device below a predetermined temperature, further comprising displaying an icon configured to display an indication that a temperature is approaching an overheated state, further performing a temperature management control hierarchy of control that first disables clocks, then controls a cooling fan, and finally displays an indication that a temperature of the electronic device exceeds a predetermined temperature.