US2013086401A1PendingUtilityA1

Configurable thermal and power management for portable computers

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Assignee: THOMAS C DOUGLASSPriority: Jun 20, 1994Filed: Jan 25, 2009Published: Apr 4, 2013
Est. expiryJun 20, 2014(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:C. Douglass ThomasAlan E. Thomas
G06F 1/3203G06F 1/324G06F 1/3237G06F 1/3287G06F 1/26G06F 1/206G06F 1/203Y02D10/00
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Claims

Abstract

Improved approaches to providing thermal and power management for a computing device are disclosed. These approaches facilitate intelligent control of a processor's clock frequency and/or a fan's speed so as to provide thermal and/or power management for the computing device.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing operation of a portable computer, the portable computer including at least a processor and a fan, the fan being operable to cool at least the processor, said method comprising:
 configuring the portable computer to utilize at least one of a first power management configuration or a second power management configuration;   monitoring a temperature of the processor;   setting a speed of the fan based on the configured one of the first and second power management configurations and based on the monitored temperature of the processor; and   setting a speed of the processor based on the configured one of the first and second power management configurations and based on the monitored temperature of the processor.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second power management configurations includes at least one condition concerning a speed of the processor and at least one condition concerning a speed of the fan. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the fan is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the first and second power management configurations includes at least one condition setting a speed of the processor and at least one condition setting a speed of the fan,   wherein the at least one condition setting the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor, and   wherein the at least one condition setting the speed of the fan is dependent on a temperature of the processor.   
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second power management configurations include at least one condition based on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan comprises controlling the speed of the fan using pulse width modulation. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises:
 configuring the portable computer to utilize the first power management configuration when the portable computer is operating and powered by a battery; and   configuring the portable computer to utilize the second power management configuration when the portable computer is operating but not powered by a battery.   
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises:
 configuring the portable computer to utilize the first power management configuration when the portable computer is operated in a portable mode; and   configuring the portable computer to utilize the second power management configuration when the portable computer is operated in a desktop mode.   
     
     
         11 . A method for managing operation of a portable computer, the portable computer including at least a processor and a fan, the fan being operable to cool at least the processor, said method comprising:
 configuring the portable computer for one of a plurality of different power management configurations;   monitoring a temperature of the processor;   setting a speed of the fan based on the configured power management configuration for the portable computer and based on the monitored temperature of the processor; and   setting a speed of the processor based on the configured power management configuration for the portable computer configured and based on the monitored temperature of the processor.   
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each of the power management configurations includes at least one condition concerning a speed of the processor and at least one condition concerning a speed of the fan. 
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the fan is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each of the power management configurations includes at least one condition based on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan uses pulse width modulation. 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said configuring of the portable computer for one of the plurality of different power management configurations comprises:
 configuring the portable computer for a first power management configuration when the portable computer is powered by a DC source; and   configuring the portable computer for a second power management configuration when the portable computer is powered by an AC source.   
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 18 ,
 wherein each of the first and second power management configurations is associated with at least one condition concerning a speed of the processor and at least one condition concerning a speed of the fan,   wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the fan is dependent on a temperature of the processor, and   wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processor is dependent on a temperature of the processor.   
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan uses pulse width modulation. 
     
     
         21 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second power management configurations is associated with at least one condition based on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan comprises controlling the speed of the fan using pulse width modulation. 
     
     
         23 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second power management configurations is associated with at least one condition based on a temperature of the processor. 
     
     
         24 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan comprises controlling the speed of the fan using pulse width modulation. 
     
     
         25 . A computing apparatus, comprising:
 a processing unit configured to operate at an operational speed;   a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of said processing unit;   a fan for cooling at least said processing unit; and   a power management apparatus operatively connected to said processing unit, said temperature sensor and said fan, said power management apparatus being configured to operate in accordance with at least one of a first power management configuration or a second power management configuration, and said power management apparatus being operable to (i) receive the temperature of the processing unit using said temperature sensor, (ii) control a speed of the fan based on the configured one of the first and second power management configurations and based on the temperature of the processing unit, and (iii) control a speed of the processing unit based on the configured one of the first and second power management configurations and based on the temperature of the processing unit.   
     
     
         26 . A computing apparatus as recited in  claim 25 ,
 wherein each of the first and second power management configurations is associated with at least one condition concerning a speed of the processing unit and at least one condition concerning a speed of the fan,   wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the processing unit is dependent on a temperature of the processing unit, and   wherein the at least one condition concerning the speed of the fan is dependent on a temperature of the processing unit.   
     
     
         27 . A computing apparatus as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said setting of the speed of the fan uses pulse width modulation.

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