Techniques and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a personal communication structure (PCS)

• US 9,622,392 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CityBridge LLC
• Original Assignee: Civiq Smartscapes, LLC
• Inventors: Bowers, Kyle R., Lee, Benjamin P., Shah, Parag N., Gray, Kenneth J., Lawler, Benjamin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US14/857,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20170083062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 349161, 362373, 362218, 362294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20972 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

Techniques for operating a personal communication structure (PCS) are described. In particular, a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of a PCS is described. The temperature control system may include a ribbed heat sink and first and second air circulation controllers. The heat sink may be coupled to the PCS'"'"'s frame, adjacent to the back surface of a housing for a display module. The first air circulation controller may be configured to recirculate air in a cavity within the display module'"'"'s housing. The second air circulation controller may be configured to move ambient air across the heat sink.

Claims

1. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

a PCS frame;

a housing coupled to the PCS frame, the housing enclosing a display panel in a cavity; and

a temperature control system for controlling a temperature within the PCS, the temperature control system comprising;

a ribbed heat sink coupled to the PCS frame, the heat sink being disposed adjacent to a back surface of the housing, a first portion of the heat sink comprising a first plurality of fins extending into the cavity, and a second portion of the heat sink comprising a second plurality of fins disposed outside the cavity,

a first air circulation controller configured to recirculate air across the first plurality of fins in the cavity, and

a second air circulation controller configured to move ambient air across the second plurality of fins of the heat sink.

2. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the PCS frame comprises aluminum.

3. The PCS of claim 1, wherein an average thermal conductivity of the PCS frame is greater than 90+/−

20% Btu/(hr*°

F.*ft).

4. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is coupled to opposing sides of the PCS frame to form an I-shaped structure.

5. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a housing frame and a transparent covering secured to the housing frame and adjacent to a viewing surface of the display panel.

6. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the housing is airtight.

7. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the ribbed heat sink comprises a planar member and the first and second pluralities of fins.

8. The PCS of claim 7, wherein the first plurality of fins extend from the planar member toward the back surface of the housing and into the cavity.

9. The PCS of claim 7, wherein the planar member is disposed between the second plurality of fins and the back surface of the housing.

10. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises aluminum.

11. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the heat sink and the frame comprise a same material.

12. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the first air circulation controller comprises at least one fan operable to recirculate air in a portion of the housing cavity between the back surface of the housing and a back surface of the display panel.

13. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the second air circulation controller comprises at least one fan operable to draw the ambient air into the PCS via at least one intake and discharge the ambient air out of the PCS via at least one exhaust.

14. The PCS of claim 13, wherein the at least one fan is further operable to draw air into a first PCS compartment from a second PCS compartment, wherein the first PCS compartment is defined at least in part by the housing, and wherein the second PCS compartment comprises at least one electronic device.

15. The PCS of claim 13, wherein the intake comprises a filter and a grill disposed below the housing.

16. The PCS of claim 13, wherein the exhaust comprises a grill disposed above the housing.

17. The PCS of claim 1, wherein recirculated air transfers heat from the display panel to the housing and wherein the housing transfers heat to the ambient air.

18. The PCS of claim 17, wherein the housing transfers heat to the heat sink, and wherein the heat sink transfers heat to the ambient air.

19. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first housing, wherein the display panel comprises a first display panel, and wherein the PCS further comprises a second housing enclosing a second display panel, a portion of the heat sink being disposed between the back surface of the first housing and a back surface of the second housing.

20. The PCS of claim 19, wherein the heat sink comprises a first heat sink, and wherein the PCS further comprises a second heat sink, at least a portion of the second heat sink being disposed between the back surface of the second housing and the first heat sink.

21. The PCS of claim 19, wherein a minimum distance between the back surfaces of the first and second housings is at least 1.875+/−

20% inches.

22. The PCS of claim 21, wherein the first and second display panels are arranged in a parallel configuration, wherein viewing surfaces of the first and second display panels face in opposite directions, and wherein a distance between the viewing surfaces of the first and second display panels is less than 11+/−

20% inches.

23. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a temperature sensor and a display controller, wherein the display controller is operable to perform at least one operation selected from the group consisting of deactivating the display panel and dimming the display panel based on the temperature sensor sensing a temperature greater than a threshold temperature.

24. The PCS of claim 23, wherein the display controller is operable to continue performing the at least one operation until the sensed temperature is less than another threshold temperature.

25. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system implements a closed loop control system controlling at least one fan.

26. The PCS of claim 25, wherein the temperature control system is operable to detect whether the fan has a fault.

27. The PCS of claim 25, wherein the temperature control system further comprises at least one vent, and wherein the temperature control system is operable to detect whether the vent is blocked.

28. The PCS of claim 25, wherein the temperature control system is operable to send a message to a remote service center, the message indicating a temperature of a PCS component or a fault condition of a PCS component.

29. The PCS of claim 25, wherein the temperature control system further comprises at least one vent flap and at least one fan operable to recirculate air within the PCS until a temperature of the PCS reaches a temperature threshold.

30. The PCS of claim 25, wherein the temperature control system is operable to determine target operating temperatures for portions of the PCS.