Transmission-based temperature control for an electrical device

• US 9,525,440 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Champagne, Gerald, Mervine, David
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/140,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 455/117, 455/127.1, 455/127.2, 330/289, 315/32, 315/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/036 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits

Abstract

A method includes estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit, which is associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit. The method includes, based on the estimated temperature change, regulating at least one parameter that is associated with the pending transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a temperature threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit; and

based on the estimated temperature change, regulating at least one parameter associated with the pending transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a temperature threshold, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises selectively using a back off time period to regulate a timing of the transmission to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit below the temperature threshold, and wherein the back off time period is associated with a transmission protocol to avoid a conflict with transmission by a device other than the integrated circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises regulating a timing of the transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the at least one parameter comprises delaying the transmission to allow a temperature of the integrated circuit to decrease.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a thermal conductivity of the integrated circuit derived from an observed history of the temperature of the integrated circuit in association with a previous transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a scheduled transmission power level and an expected time over which the transmission is to occur.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the temperature change comprises estimating the temperature change based at least in part on a power level associated with the pending transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a temperature sensor to sense an ambient temperature;

an integrated circuit comprising;

a radio; and

a processing core to;

estimate a temperature change to the integrated circuit in response to a pending transmission by the radio;

control the radio to regulate at least one parameter of the pending transmission based at least in part on the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the estimated temperature change; and

selectively use a back off time period to regulate a timing of the transmission to maintain the ambient temperature below a predetermined temperature, wherein the back off time period is associated with a transmission protocol to avoid a conflict due to a transmission by a device other than the integrated circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing core is adapted to selectively change a power level at which the transmission occurs based at least in part on the sensed ambient temperature and the estimated temperature change.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing core is adapted to, in response to determining that the ambient temperature will exceed the predetermined temperature during the transmission, delay the transmission for a predetermined period, and at the end of the predetermined period, selectively reduce power associated with the transmission based at least in part on another sensing of the ambient temperature by the temperature sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pending transmission comprises a wireless transmission of bits associated with a data packet.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a scheduled transmission power level associated with the pending transmission and an expected time associated with the transmission.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a transmission level associated with the pending transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a lighting element; and

an integrated circuit comprising a packet radio and a processing core to use the radio to communicate with a lighting controller to regulate operation of the lighting element,

wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate a temperature change to the integrated circuit associated with a pending transmission by the radio, and based at least in part on the estimated temperature change, regulate at least one parameter associated with the pending transmission,

wherein the regulation of the at least one parameter comprises selectively using a back off time period to regulate a timing of the transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a predetermined temperature, and wherein the back off time period is associated with a transmission protocol to avoid a conflict due to a transmission by a device other than the packet radio.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing core is adapted to estimate the temperature change based at least in part on a power level associated with the transmission, a data rate associated with the pending transmission and a packet length associated with the pending transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a light assembly housing, wherein the lighting element and the integrated circuit are mounted to the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing core selectively regulates a transmission power of the radio to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit below the predetermined temperature.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing core regulates the pending transmission to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit below the predetermined temperature based at least in part on a sensed ambient temperature of the integrated circuit.