Computer internal architecture

• US 9,395,772 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Kalinowski, Caitlin Elizabeth, Kosoglow, Richard D., Banko, Joshua D., Narajowski, David H., Berk, Jonathan L., Leclerc, Michael E., McBroom, Michael D., Iqbal, Asif, Michelsen, Paul S., Sin, Mark K., Baker, Paul A., Sontag, Harold L., Yuen, Wai Ching, Casebolt, Matthew P., Fetterman, Kevin S., Calkins, Alexander C., McBroom, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US14/297,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 340/670, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4093 Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20009 using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 : Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 : Thermal management, e.g. fan control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 : characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2049 : Pressing means used to urge contact, e.g. springs

Abstract

An internal component and external interface arrangement for a cylindrical compact computing system is described that includes at least a structural heat sink having triangular shape disposed within a cylindrical volume defined by a cylindrical housing. A computing engine having a generally triangular shape is described having internal components that include a graphics processing unit (GPU) board, a central processing unit (CPU) board, an input/output (I/O) interface board, an interconnect board, and a power supply unit (PSU).

Claims

1. A method of indicating a movement of a desktop computing system, comprising:

wherein the desktop computing system comprises a cylindrical shaped housing that defines an internal volume characterized as having a longitudinal axis, and a computing engine having a processor, the computing engine disposed within the internal volume and supported by a heat sink having a triangular cross section that is perpendicular to and offset from the longitudinal axis, wherein the housing is movable with respect to the computing engine,

only when an alignment sensor determines that the housing is properly in place and aligned with respect to the computing engine does an interlock system in communication with the alignment sensor allow the processor to operate to;

receive a desktop computing system movement detection signal by a desktop system movement sensor in accordance with any movement of the desktop computing system;

provide an illumination control signal by the processor in response to the desktop computing system movement detection signal to an I/O interface panel comprising a light emitting diode (LED);

generate a light by the LED in response to the illumination control signal; and

illuminate an illuminable I/O port using at least some of the light indicating the movement of the desktop computing system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least some of the light generated by the LED by a grouping light guide adjacent to the illuminable I/O port.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the grouping light guides some of the received light through an opening of an opaque layer on an outer surface of the I/O interface panel.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein a first portion of the I/O interface panel is adjacent the grouping light guide and is at least partially transparent to the light.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a second portion of the I/O interface panel adjacent the first portion of the I/O interface panel and adjacent to the illuminable I/O port is opaque to the light.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein any movement of the desktop computing system comprises a horizontal movement comprising:

at least one of a rotational movement;

a translational movement; and

a vertical movement.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the opening is a laser-etched opening of a paint layer on the outer surface of the I/O interface panel.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the laser-etched opening surrounds the illuminable I/O port.

9. The method as recited claim 8, wherein the first portion of the I/O interface panel, which is at least partially transparent to the light, includes an illumination pattern display indicator.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the desktop system movement sensor comprises an accelerometer.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the second portion of the interface panel blocks the light from emanating from at least one other I/O port in the set of I/O ports.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising altering an operation of the desktop computing system in accordance with the movement.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the altering the operation of the desktop computing system comprises:

providing an indication of the movement.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the indication of the movement is a visual notification.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the visual notification comprises:

providing an illumination pattern.

16. A desktop computing system comprising:

a cylindrically shaped housing characterized as having a longitudinal axis and an interior surface that defines an internal volume that is symmetric about the longitudinal axis;

a computing engine comprising a computational component supported by a heat sink and located within the internal volume, the heat sink comprising a triangular cross section that is offset from and that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

an alignment sensor configured to detect that the housing is properly in place and aligned with respect to the computing engine; and

an interlock system in communication with the alignment sensor that allows at least the operational component to operate in accordance with a full operation system specification only when the cylindrical housing is detected to be properly in place and aligned with respect to the computing engine otherwise, a reduced operation system specification.

17. The desktop computing system as recited in claim 16, the computing engine further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect any movement of the desktop computing system;

an input/output (I/O) interface board comprising;

a plurality of high speed data ports to one or more external systems; and

an I/O interface panel comprising a plurality of illuminable I/O ports at least one of which corresponds to one of the plurality of data ports, wherein when the sensor detects movement of the desktop computing system, an illumination pattern display indicator for at least some of the plurality of illuminable I/O ports is illuminated.

18. The desktop computing system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a flexible I/O wall sub-assembly mounted on an interior surface of the I/O interface panel configured to receive an illumination control signal in accordance with a movement detected by a sensor.

19. The desktop computing system as recited in claim 18, the flexible I/O wall sub-assembly further comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) that responds to the illumination control signal by generating a light; and

a grouping light guide positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of I/O ports and configured to receive and guide the light generated by the LED through an opening of an opaque layer on an outer surface of the I/O interface panel, the opening surrounding at least one of the plurality of I/O ports.

20. The desktop computing system as recited in claim 16, further comprising a magnetic element carried by the cylindrical housing and that provides an alignment magnetic field detectable by the alignment sensor only when the cylindrical housing is properly in place and aligned with respect to the computing engine.