System and method for cooling an electronic device with multiple fans

• US 8,423,200 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Yao-Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/978,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20120035782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 700/299, 700/300, 361/679.48, 361/678, 361/695
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for controlling heat reflux of the electronic device include setting a speed decrease value and standard temperatures for each of the first device and the second device. The control method further includes detecting a working temperature of the second device using a temperature sensor of the electronic device, if a speed of the second fan is at a full speed. The control method further includes reducing a speed of the first fan according to the speed decrease value, if the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature exceeds the standard temperature of the second device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first fan to cool a first device of the electronic device;

a second fan to cool a second device of the electronic device;

a temperature sensor;

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage system, executable by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a setting module operable to set a speed decrease value, and set a standard temperature for each of the first device and the second device;

a detection module operable to detect a speed of the second fan, detect a working temperature of the second device using the temperature sensor, in response that the speed of the second fan is at a full speed;

a determination module operable to determine whether the detected working temperature of the second device exceeds the standard temperature of the second device;

a control module operable to reduce a speed of the first fan according to the speed decrease value until the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device, when the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature exceeds the standard temperature of the second device.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control module is further operable to maintain the speed of the first fan, upon the condition that the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed is represented with a duty cycle, and the full speed is represented with 100% value of the duty cycle.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the detection module detects the speed of the second fan according to the value of the duty cycle in a speed instruction sent to the second fan by the electronic device, and

the control module reduces the value of the duty cycle in the speed instruction sent to the first fan, to reduce the speed of the first fan.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are one of a central processing unit, a hard disk drive and a storage device.

6. A computer-implemented method for cooling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a first fan to cool a first device of the electronic device, and a second fan to cool for a second device of the electronic device, the method comprising:

setting a speed decrease value, and set a standard temperature for each of the first device and the second device;

detecting a speed of the second fan;

detecting a working temperature of the second device using a temperature sensor of the electronic device, in response that the speed of the second fan is at a full speed;

determining whether the detected working temperature of the second device exceeds the standard temperature of the second device;

reducing a speed of the first fan according to the speed decrease value until the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device, upon the condition that the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature exceeds the standard temperature of the second device,

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the speed of the first fan, upon the condition that the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the speed is represented with a duty cycle, and the full speed is represented with 100% value of the duty cycle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting the speed of the second fan, according to the value of the duty cycle in a speed instruction sent to the second fan by the electronic device, and

reducing the value of the duty cycle in the speed instruction sent to the first fan, to reduce the speed of the first fan.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first device and the second device are one of a central processing unit, a hard disk drive and a storage device.

11. A storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of executed by a processor to perform a method for cooling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a first fan to cool a first device of the electronic device, and a second fan to cool a second device of the electronic device, the method comprising:

setting a speed decrease value, and set standard temperature for each of the first device and the second device;

detecting a speed of the second fan;

detecting a working temperature of the second device using a temperature sensor of the electronic device, in response that the speed of the second fan is at a full speed;

determining whether the detected working temperature of the second device exceeds the standard temperature of the second device;

reducing a speed of the first fan according to the speed decrease value until the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device, when the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature exceeds the standard temperature of the second device.

12. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the speed of the first fan, upon the condition that the speed of the second fan is at the full speed and the detected working temperature is lower than or equal to the standard temperature of the second device.

13. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the speed is represented with a duty cycle, and the full speed is represented with 100% value of the duty cycle.

14. The storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting the speed of the second fan according to the value of the duty cycle in a speed instruction sent to the second fan by the electronic device, and

reducing the value of the duty cycle in the speed instruction sent to the first fan to reduce the speed of the first fan.

15. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first device and the second device are one of a central processing unit, a hard disk drive and a storage device.