Emulation of operational characteristics of electronic device

• US 7,184,925 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Malone, Christopher Gregory, Augustin, Thom, Simon, Glenn Cochran
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; John
• Application Number:
  US10/738,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20050133205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 702130-132, 700/299, 700/300, 700/301, 700/304, 700/276, 700/278, 318/471, 361/103, 361/695, 165/122, 322/46, 381/333, 374/5, 374/43, 324/760, 703/6, 703/13, 703/14, 73/75
• US Class Current: 702/132
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20727 within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

An apparatus in one example comprises one or more control components that emulate one or more operational characteristics of one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more thermal components coupled with a frame.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more control components that emulate one or more operational characteristics of one or more electronic devices, before a planned presence of the one or more electronic devices, through employment of one or more actual thermal components coupled with an actual frame;

wherein the one or more control components regulate actual thermal energy generated by the one or more actual thermal components to physically emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the one or more control components emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics of the one or more electronic devices, before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices, through employment of one or more actual fans coupled with the actual frame;

wherein one or more of the one or more actual thermal components and one or more of the one or more actual fans at least in part physically substitute for one or more of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more control components regulate actual airflow through the actual frame generated by the one or more actual fans to physically emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with the actual frame, wherein the actual frame promotes an adjustability of one or more of actual volume and actual direction of the actual airflow through the actual frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with the actual frame, wherein the actual frame comprises one or more actual apertures that allow user adjustment of one or more of actual volume and actual direction of the actual airflow through the actual frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with the actual frame, wherein the actual frame comprises one or more actual baffles that allow user adjustment of one or more of actual volume and actual direction of the actual airflow through the actual frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with the actual frame, wherein before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices the one or more control components emulate one or more operational deficiencies of one or more of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of:

the actual frame;

the one or more actual thermal components;

the one or more actual fans;

one or more actual apertures of the actual frame; and

one or more actual baffles of the actual frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more operational deficiencies of the one or more of the one or more electronic devices comprise one or more of:

operational deficiency of one or more of the one or more actual fans; and

one or more blockages of one or more of the one or more actual apertures.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more control components obtain one or more actual measurements that physically emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics through employment of one or more actual sensor components before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one or more of the one or more control components adjust one or more of the actual thermal energy, actual volume of the actual airflow through the actual frame, and actual direction of the actual airflow through the actual frame based on one or more of the one or more actual measurements to physically emulate the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more control components obtain one or more actual measurements that physically emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics through employment of one or more actual sensor components before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the one or more control components comprise one or more user interfaces that present one or more of the one or more actual measurements to one or more users.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein one or more of the one or more user interfaces receive one or more parameters from one or more of the one or more users;

wherein the one or more of the one or more control components adjust one or more of the actual thermal energy, actual volume of the actual airflow through the actual frame, and actual direction of the actual airflow through the actual frame based on the one or more parameters from the user to physically emulate the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational characteristics comprise one or more of:

one or more temperature characteristics;

one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics;

one or more airflow characteristics; and

one or more noise characteristics;

wherein before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices the one or more control components emulate one or more of the one or more temperature characteristics, the one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics, the one or more airflow characteristics, and the one or more noise characteristics through employment of the one or more actual thermal components coupled with the actual frame and the one or more actual fans coupled with the frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices the one or more control components emulate one or more noise characteristics of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more actual speaker components coupled with the actual frame;

wherein one or more of the one or more actual speaker components at least in part physically substitute for one or more of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more actual thermal components comprise one or more of an actual silicon controlled rectifier and an actual solid state relay.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the actual frame, wherein the actual frame conforms to an Electronic Industries Alliance RS-310 standard.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the actual frame, wherein one or more portions of the actual frame allow user adjustment of one or more actual dimensions of the actual frame.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more portions of the actual frame comprise an actual first frame portion and an actual second frame portion, wherein the actual first frame portion and actual second frame portion comprise an actual slidable interface to allow user adjustment of one or more actual dimensions of the actual frame.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more portions of the actual frame comprise an actual first frame portion, an actual second frame portion, and one or more actual third frame portions, wherein the one or more actual third frame portions couple the actual first frame portion and actual second frame portion to allow user adjustment of the one or more actual dimensions of the actual frame.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

means for regulating generation of actual thermal energy;

means for regulating generation of actual airflow;

means for emulating one or more operational characteristics of one or more electronic devices for the one or more electronic devices through employment of the actual thermal energy before a planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the means for emulating the one or more operational characteristics of the one or more electronic devices for the one or more electronic devices through employment of the actual thermal energy before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices comprises;

means for physically emulating the one or more operational characteristics of the one or more electronic devices for the one or more electronic devices through employment of the actual airflow before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the actual thermal energy and the actual airflow at least in part physically substitute for one or more of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for regulating generation of actual thermal energy comprises:

means for generating actual thermal energy before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for obtaining one or more actual measurements that physically emulate one or more of the one or more operational characteristics of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the means for regulating the generation of the actual thermal energy comprises;

means for regulating the generation of the actual thermal energy through employment of one or more of the one or more actual measurements;

wherein the means for regulating the generation of the actual airflow comprises;

means for regulating the generation of the actual airflow through employment of one or more of the one or more actual measurements.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for controlling one or more of actual volume and actual direction of the actual airflow before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

23. A method, comprising the step of:

effecting physical emulation through at least a partial physical substitute of one or more of one or more temperature characteristics, one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics, one or more airflow characteristics, and one or more noise characteristics of one or more electronic devices for the one or more electronic devices before a planned presence of the one or more electronic devices;

wherein the step of effecting physical emulation through at least a partial physical substitute of the one or more of the one or more temperature characteristics, the one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics, the one or more airflow characteristics, and the one or more noise characteristics of the one or more electronic devices for the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices comprises the steps of;

generating actual thermal energy within an actual frame before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices; and

generating actual airflow through the actual frame before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

generating one or more actual vibrations within the actual frame before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

obtaining one or more actual measurements of the physical emulation of one or more of the one or more of temperature, thermal energy dissipation, airflow, and noise characteristics before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of obtaining the one or more actual measurements of the physical emulation of the one or more of the one or more of temperature, thermal energy dissipation, airflow, and noise characteristics before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices comprises the step of:

obtaining one or more actual measurements of the physical emulation of one or more of actual temperature characteristics, actual thermal energy dissipation characteristics, actual airflow characteristics, and actual noise characteristics physically representative of the presence of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of effecting physical emulation through at least a partial physical substitute of the one or more of the one or more temperature characteristics, the one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics, the one or more airflow characteristics, and the one or more noise characteristics of the one or more electronic devices before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices comprises the steps of:

receiving one or more parameters from a user interface; and

adjusting, before the planned presence of the one or more electronic devices, the physical emulation of one or more of the one or more temperature characteristics, the one or more thermal energy dissipation characteristics, the one or more airflow characteristics, and the one or more noise characteristics based on the one or more parameters from the user interface.