Thermal and power management for computer systems

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A method for thermally managing temperature of a computing apparatus having a microprocessor, the microprocessor operating in accordance with a clock having a clock frequency, the microprocessor including an internal temperature sensor, the computing apparatus including circuitry external to the microprocessor for thermal management, the computing apparatus including a fan controllably operable to cool at least a portion of the computing apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the circuitry external to the microprocessor, a temperature measurement of the microprocessor from the internal temperature sensor;   managing the temperature of at least the microprocessor of the computing apparatus based at least in part on the temperature measurement provided at least in part by the temperature sensor;   determining which of at least two operational modes the computing apparatus is operating;   retrieving fan control data dependent on at least the operational mode the computing apparatus is operating;   comparing, at the circuitry external to the microprocessor, the temperature measurement with the fan control data to produce fan speed data; and   controlling speed of the fan based on the fan speed data.   
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the fan control data includes at least one temperature value. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the temperature measurement is provided to the circuitry external to the microprocessor without any substantial alteration or hindrance to the temperature measurement. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the method comprises:
 retrieving clock control data dependent on at least the operational mode the computing apparatus is operating;   comparing, by the circuitry external to the microprocessor, the temperature measurement with the clock control data to produce clock speed data; and   controlling speed of the microprocessor based on the clock speed data.   
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the fan control data includes one or more temperature values, wherein the one or more temperature values are predetermined, wherein at least one of the temperature values is for use with a first of the operational modes, wherein at least another of the temperature values is for use with a second of the operational modes, and wherein the at least one of the temperature values is different than the at least another of the temperature values. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 4 ,
 wherein the controlling the speed of the fan comprises producing a fan control signal to control the speed of the fan, and   wherein the fan control signal uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control the speed of the fan.   
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the speed of the fan is optimized at least in part based on the temperature measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the temperature measurement is a temperature value supplied directly from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 ,
 wherein the fan control data comprises a plurality of temperature values,   wherein the comparing comprises comparing the temperature measurement with the plurality of the temperature values to produce the fan speed data, and   wherein the plurality of the temperature values are predetermined, and at least one of the temperature values for use with a first of the operational modes is different than at least another of the temperature values for use with a second of the operational modes.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the controlling the speed of the fan causes the fan to be on when the temperature measurement is above at least one temperature value. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the controlling the speed of the fan causes the fan to be off when the temperature measurement is less than or equal to the at least one temperature value. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises:
 modifying the clock frequency of the clock used by the microprocessor based on the temperature measurement.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 4 ,
 wherein the fan control data includes at least one temperature value,   wherein the controlling the speed of the fan causes the fan to be on when the temperature measurement is above the at least one temperature value,   wherein the controlling the speed of the fan causes the fan to be off when the temperature measurement is less than or equal to the at least one temperature value, and   wherein the method further comprises impacting the clock frequency used by the microprocessor based on the temperature measurement.   
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the speed of the fan is optimized at least in part based on the temperature measurement. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the fan control data includes one or more temperature values, wherein the one or more temperature values are predetermined, wherein at least one of the temperature values is for use with a first of the operational modes, wherein at least another of the temperature values is for use with a second of the operational modes, and wherein the at least one of the temperature values is different than the at least another of the temperature values. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the method comprises:
 retrieving clock control data dependent on at least the operational mode the computing apparatus is operating;   comparing, at the circuitry external to the microprocessor, the temperature measurement with the clock control data to produce clock speed data; and   controlling performance of the microprocessor based on at least the clock speed data.