Fan system and detector thereof

• US 7,852,228 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Teng, Wen-Ping, Lin, Ming-Yen, Liu, Ming-Lung, Huang, Yueh-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/607,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20100047082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/635, 340/648, 340/657, 340/660, 318430-434
• US Class Current: 340/648
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control

Abstract

A fan system including a motor, a driving unit, and a detector is disclosed. The driving unit is electrically connected to the motor and generates a driving signal to drive the motor and a detection signal. The detector is electrically connected to an output terminal of the driving unit and receives a voltage signal and the detection signal. When the motor operates normally, the detector outputs an examined signal to the output terminal of the driving unit. When the motor operates abnormally, the driving unit asserts the detection signal, and the detector is controlled by the asserted detection signal to transform the examined signal to an alarm signal according to the voltage signal to detect the abnormal state.

Claims

1. A fan system, comprising

a motor;

a driving unit, electrically connected to the motor, for generating a driving signal to drive the motor and generating a detection signal; and

a detector, electrically connected to an output terminal of the driving unit, for receiving a voltage signal and the detection signal;

wherein when the motor operates normally, the detector outputs an examined signal to the output terminal of the driving unit; and

wherein when the motor operates abnormally, the driving unit asserts the detection signal, and the detector is controlled by the asserted detection signal to transform the examined signal to an alarm signal according to the voltage signal.

2. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving unit is an integrated circuit (IC), a microprocessor control unit (MCU), or a single chip.

3. The fan system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rotation speed detection unit electrically connected to the driving unit to feed the operation state of the motor back to the driving unit.

4. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation speed detection unit is a Hall device or a Hall integrated circuit (IC).

5. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving signal and the examined signal are pulse signals or pulse width modulation (PWM) signals.

6. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alarm signal is a direct-current voltage signal having a voltage value of zero.

7. The fan system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the detector comprises a switch element turned on according to the detection signal, so that the output terminal of the driving unit is electrically connected to a ground through the switch element.

8. The fan system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the detector further comprises:

a first resistor electrically connected between the output terminal of the driving unit and a first terminal of the switch element;

a second resistor electrically connected to a second terminal of the switch element and receiving the detection signal; and

a third resistor electrically connected to the second resistor and receiving the voltage signal.

9. The fan system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the alarm signal is a direct-current voltage signal provided by a monitor device.

10. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector further comprises:

a first switch element, wherein a first terminal of the first switch element is electrically connected to the output terminal of the driving unit and the second switch element, and a second terminal of the first switch element receives the detection signal; and

a second switch element, wherein the second switch element is electrically connected to the output terminal of the driving unit and receives the voltage signal.

11. The fan system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detector further comprises:

a first resistor electrically connected to the second switch element and received the voltage signal;

a second resistor electrically connected to the first switch element and the second switch element;

a third resistor electrically connected to the first switch element and receiving the detection signal; and

a fourth resistor electrically connected to the third resistor and receiving the voltage signal.

12. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an amplifier electrically connected to the driving unit to amplify the examined signal.

13. The fan system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the motor operates normally, the driving unit de-asserts the detection signal, and the detector is controlled by the de-asserted detection to output the examined signal.

14. A detector of a fan system, electrically connected to a driving unit and a monitor device to receive a voltage signal and a detection signal, and the fan system outputting an examined signal to the monitor device to determine the operation states of the fan system and asserting the detection signal when the fan system operates abnormally, the detector comprising:

a switch element electrically connected to the driving unit for receiving the asserted detection signal so that the fan system is electrically connected to a ground.

15. The detector as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a first resistor electrically connected to the fan system and a first terminal of the switch element;

a second resistor electrically connected to a second terminal of the switch element and receiving the detection signal; and

a third resistor electrically connected to the second resistor and receiving the voltage signal.

16. The detector as claimed in claim 14, wherein the examined signal is a pulse signal or a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal when the fan system operates normally, and a voltage value of the examined signal is zero when the fan system operates abnormally.

17. A detector of a fan system electrically connected to a driving unit and a monitor device to receive a voltage signal and a detection signal, and the fan system outputting an examined signal to the monitor device to determine operation states of the fan system and asserting the detection signal when the fan system operates abnormally, and the detector comprising:

a first switch element electrically connected to the driving unit and turned on when the first switch element receives the asserted detection signal; and

a second switch element electrically connected to the driving unit and the monitor device and turned off according to the voltage signal when the first switch element is turned on.

18. The detector as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a first resistor electrically connected to the second switch element and receiving the voltage signal;

a second resistor electrically connected to the first switch element and the second switch element;

a third resistor electrically connected to the first switch element and receiving the detection signal; and

a fourth resistor electrically connected to the third resistor and receiving the voltage signal.

19. The detector as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first switch element and the second switch element is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), or a junction field effect transistor (JFET).