System and method for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device

• US 9,116,677 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jain, Ankur, Doshi, Paras S., Mitter, Vinay, Vadakkanmaruveedu, Unni
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANDEY, KESHAB R
• Application Number:
  US13/773,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300.31, 713/320, 713/321.322, 713/323, 713/324, 713/330, 713/340, 713/375, 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and system for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device (PCD) includes automatically detecting a presence of the PCD. After detecting the presence of the PCD, a command to deactivate a thermal sensor and to deactivate a power supply within the PCD may be issued. The thermal policy manager module of the receiving device may issue a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the PCD if a temperature value reaches a predetermined value. The thermal policy manager module may also adjust operation of an active cooling device if the temperature value sensed by a sensor within the PCD reaches a predetermined value. The receiving device may include at least one of a docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.

Claims

1. A method for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the portable computing device with the receiving device; and

in response to detecting the presence of the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a thermal sensor within the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a power supply within the portable computing device;

receiving a signal comprising a temperature value; and

issuing a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the portable computing device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a command to deactivate a thermal policy manager module.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a command to deactivate a memory device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a command to initialize a memory device within the receiving device for receiving data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprises issuing a unique identifier in response to detecting the portable computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising communicating the unique identifier across a port.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising initializing an active cooling device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting operation of the active cooling device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device comprises at least one of a docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.

11. A computer system for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device, the system comprising:

a processor operable for;

detecting a presence of the portable computing device with the receiving device; and

in response to detecting the presence of the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a thermal sensor within the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a power supply within the portable computing device;

receiving a signal comprising a temperature value; and

issuing a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the portable computing device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for issuing a command to deactivate a thermal policy manager module.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable for issuing a command to deactivate a memory device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for issuing a command to initialize a memory device within the receiving device for receiving data.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for issuing a unique identifier in response to detecting the portable computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable for communicating the unique identifier across a port.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for initializing an active cooling device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operable for adjusting operation of the active cooling device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiving device comprises at least one of a docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.

21. A computer system for managing one or more memory resources of a wireless handheld computing device, the system comprising:

means for detecting a presence of the portable computing device with the receiving device;

means for issuing a command to deactivate a thermal sensor within the portable computing device in response to detecting the presence of the portable computing device;

means for issuing a command to deactivate a power supply within the portable computing device in response to detecting the presence of the portable computing device;

means for receiving a signal comprising a temperature value; and

means for issuing a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the portable computing device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for issuing a command to deactivate a thermal policy manager module.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for issuing a command to deactivate a memory device.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for issuing a command to initialize a memory device within the receiving device for receiving data.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for issuing a unique identifier in response to detecting the portable computing device.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for communicating the unique identifier across a port.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for initializing an active cooling device.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising means for adjusting operation of the active cooling device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.

31. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device, said method comprising:

detecting a presence of the portable computing device with the receiving device; and

in response to detecting the presence of the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a thermal sensor within the portable computing device;

issuing a command to deactivate a power supply within the portable computing device;

receiving a signal comprising a temperature value; and

issuing a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the portable computing device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

issuing a command to deactivate a thermal policy manager module.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

issuing a command to deactivate a memory device.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

issuing a command to initialize a memory device within the receiving device for receiving data.

35. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

issuing a unique identifier in response to detecting the portable computing device.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

communicating the unique identifier across a port.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port.

38. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

initializing an active cooling device.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

adjusting operation of the active cooling device if the temperature value reaches a predetermined value.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the receiving device comprises at least one of a docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.