Method and apparatus for controlling internal heat generating circuit

• US 7,148,589 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishigaki, Nobutaka, Ninomiya, Ryoji, Sakai, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US10/762,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 307/413
• US Class Current: 307/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations

Abstract

In a computer system constituted by a portable computer and a deskstation used to expand the function of the portable computer, the portable computer has a communication connector used for communication with the deskstation, in addition to a connector for connecting a system bus in the portable computer to the deskstation. Similarly, the deskstation also has a communication connector. When the portable computer is set at a predetermined position of the deskstation, these connectors are connected to each other before the system bus is connected to an expansion device of the deskstation. By using the communication connectors to perform communication between the portable computer and the deskstation, disconnection between the system bus and an expansion connector or forced suspend processing of the portable computer is executed before the portable computer in a power ON state is mounted in the deskstation. In addition, a lock mechanism is provided to lock the portable computer with the deskstation. The lock mechanism is operated/released by registering/deleting a password. Even when a power supply unit having a plurality of power supply outlets is externally provided to the deskstation, processing for sequentially enabling the power supply outlets is executed. Temperature control in the portable computer is also executed.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment comprising:

a processor incorporating a delay circuit element whose delay time changes depending on a temperature;

a detection circuit, connected to said delay circuit element, for detecting an internal temperature of said processor from a change in response delay of said delay circuit element; and

clock control means for controlling a clock signal supplied to said processor such that an operating speed of said processor is decreased when the internal temperature detected by said detection circuit exceeds a first temperature.

2. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor circuit including an element having a characteristic that varies with temperature and outputting a signal corresponding to the characteristic of the element, the semiconductor circuit operating according to a clock frequency;

a device which is provided outside of the semiconductor circuit, the device configured to compare a temperature indicated by the signal with predetermined values and issue an event according to a comparison result; and

a system power controller which is provided outside of the semiconductor circuit, the system power controller configured to control the clock frequency of the semiconductor circuit to be decreased when the event indicates a first temperature status, and to control the electronic apparatus to be powered off when the event indicates a second temperature status.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the temperature detecting element includes a p-n junction circuit element.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor circuit includes a CPU.

5. A control method applied to an electronic apparatus having a semiconductor circuit including an element having a characteristic that varies with temperature and outputting a signal corresponding to the characteristic of the element, the semiconductor circuit operating according to a clock frequency, the method comprising:

comparing a temperature indicated by the signal with predetermined values and issuing an event according to a comparison result by a device provided outside of the semiconductor circuit; and

controlling the clock frequency of the semiconductor circuit to be decreased by a system power controller provided outside of the semiconductor circuit when the event indicates a first temperature status, and controlling the electronic apparatus to be powered off by the system power controller when the event indicates a second temperature status.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a circuit including an element having a characteristic that varies with temperature and configured to output a signal corresponding to the characteristic of the element;

a device which is provided outside of the circuit and configured to compare a temperature indicated by the signal with predetermined values and issue a logical signal according to a comparison result; and

a system power controller which is provided outside the circuit and configured to power off the electronic apparatus when the logical signal indicates a certain temperature status.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the circuit includes a CPU.

8. A computer comprising:

a circuit including an element having a characteristic that varies with temperature and configured to output an analog signal corresponding to the characteristic of the element;

a device which is provided outside of the circuit and configured to compare a temperature indicated by the analog signal with predetermined values and issue a digital signal according to a comparison result; and

a system power controller which is provided outside of the semiconductor circuit and configured to control the computer to be powered off when the digital signal indicates a certain temperature status.

9. The computer according to claim 8, wherein the temperature detection element includes a p-n junction circuit element.

10. The computer according to claim 8, wherein the circuit includes a CPU.