External thermal solution for a mobile computing device

• US 8,208,250 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mongia, Rajiv K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US12/384,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 361/695, 361/696, 361/697, 361/701, 361/703, 361/679.47, 361/679.48, 361/679.49, 361/679.51, 454/184, 312/236, 174/16.1, 165/80.2, 257721-722
• US Class Current: 361/679.47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment method includes causing a cooling medium to flow through a hollow cable. The cable couples an external cooling station to a heat exchanging unit. The heat exchanging unit is located within a mobile computing device. The method then transfers heat from within the mobile computing device to the cooling medium at the heat exchanging unit. Then the cooling medium contained the transferred heat is expelled out of the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

causing forced air to flow through a hollow cable coupling an external cooling station to a heat exchanging unit, the heat exchanging unit located within a mobile computing device;

transferring heat from within the mobile computing device to the cooling medium at the heat exchanging unit by directing the forced air arriving from the cable at the heat exchanging unit into a manifold located across the length of one end of a heat exchanging element inside the heat exchanging unit, the manifold including a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes substantially smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the manifold and each of the plurality of holes situated in a line on one side of the manifold so that the forced air entering the manifold from the cable will be expelled out of each of the holes across the heat exchanging element; and

expelling the forced air containing the transferred heat out of the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

amplifying the total flow of air across the heat exchanging element by entraining ambient air external to the mobile computing device to flow into the mobile computing device through a first vent in close proximity to the manifold location, the ambient air entrained by the forced air expelled from the holes in the manifold to flow across the heat exchanging element; and

allowing a combination of the forced air and entrained air to be vented out of the mobile computing device at the opposite end of the heat exchanging element from the manifold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a plug module interface at the end of the cable coupled to the mobile computing device to allow the mobile computing device to plug and unplug from the cable.

4. A system, comprising:

a hollow cable to contain a flow of forced air;

an external cooling station, coupled to a first end of the hollow cable, to maintain a predetermined temperature of the cooling medium; and

cause the cooling medium to flow through the hollow cable; and

a mobile computing device including a heat exchanging unit, the heat exchanging unit coupled to a second end of the hollow cable,

wherein heat generated from a location within the mobile computing device is transferred to the cooling medium at a heat exchanging element in the heat exchanging unit by directing the forced air arriving from the cable into a manifold located across the length of one end of the heat exchanging element, the manifold including a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes substantially smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the manifold and each of the plurality of holes situated in a line on one side of the manifold so that the forced air entering the manifold from the cable will be expelled out of each of the holes across the heat exchanging element and subsequently expelled from the mobile computing device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the heat exchanging unit is further operable to:

amplify the total flow of air across the heat exchanging element by entraining ambient air external to the mobile computing device to flow into the mobile computing device through a first vent in close proximity to the manifold location, the ambient air entrained by the forced air expelled from the holes in the manifold to flow across the heat exchanging element.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the heat exchanging unit is further operable to:

allow a combination of the forced air and entrained air to be vented out of the mobile computing device at the opposite end of the heat exchanging element from the manifold.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a plug module interface at the end of the cable coupled to the mobile computing device to allow the mobile computing device to dock and undock from the cable.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the external cooling station includes a power supply to supply power to the mobile computing device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a heat exchanging unit within a mobile computing device to

receive forced air from a hollow cable originating from an external cooling station;

route the forced air to a heat exchanging element within the heat exchanging unit;

facilitate the transfer of heat radiating from the heat exchanging element to the forced air by directing the forced air arriving from the cable into a manifold located across the length of one end of the heat exchanging element inside the heat exchanging unit, the manifold including a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes substantially smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the manifold and each of the plurality of holes situated in a line on one side of the manifold so that the forced air entering the manifold from the cable will be expelled out of each of the holes across the heat exchanging element; and

expel the heated forced air out of the mobile computing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the heat exchanging unit is further operable to:

amplify the total flow of air across the heat exchanging element by entraining ambient air external to the mobile computing device to flow into the mobile computing device through a first vent in close proximity to the manifold location, the ambient air entrained by the forced air expelled from the holes in the manifold to flow across the heat exchanging element; and

allow a combination of the forced air and entrained air to be vented out of the mobile computing device at the opposite end of the heat exchanging element from the manifold.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the external cooling station includes a power supply to supply power to the mobile computing device.