IP Library Granted Patent US 9,439,323
Granted Patent B2
US 9,439,323 · App. 14/023,074 · Granted Sep 6, 2016

Electronic device and method for controlling temperature of electronic device

Inventor: Masaaki Kitano (Yamanashi, JP)
Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd.
H05K7/20136G06F1/206H05K7/20209
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,439,323
App. No.
14/023,074
Granted
Sep 6, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device in which a temperature control using a cooling fan can be made more efficiently and more stably and a method for controlling temperature of a device. The device includes the fan, a measurement unit, and a control unit which controls a rotation speed of the fan based on the measured temperature. The control unit stores a plurality of measured temperatures and a normal temperature range for each measurement unit, determines the presence or absence of a temperature increasing trend, shortens a time interval when it is determined that increases, determines whether or not the plurality of temperatures are included in the normal range when it is determined that does not increase, prolongs when the all are included in the normal range, and does not change when at least one is not included in the normal range.

Claims (15)

1. An electronic device including

a cooling fan,

at least one temperature measurement unit, and

a temperature control unit which controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan based on the measured temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit to control the temperature inside the device characterized in that

the temperature control unit stores at least a plurality of measured temperatures that are measured at predetermined time intervals in the past in chronological order from the latest measured temperature, stores a normal temperature range for each temperature measurement unit, determines the presence or absence of a temperature increasing trend based on the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored, shortens the time interval between temperature measurements from the current time interval when it is determined that the temperature increases, determines whether or not the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature are included in the normal temperature range when it is determined that the temperature does not increase, prolongs the time interval between temperature measurements from the current time interval when all the measured temperatures are included in the normal temperature range, and does not change the time interval between temperature measurements when at least one measured temperature is not included in the normal temperature range.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 in which it is determined that the temperature increases when the latest measured temperature is higher than the normal temperature range.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 in which it is determined that the temperature increases when the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored monotonically increase with time.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 in which when there is a positive correlation between the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored and the time, it is determined that the temperature increases.

5. A method for controlling temperature of an electronic device which includes a cooling fan, at least one temperature measurement unit, and a temperature control unit which controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan based on the measured temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit to control the temperature inside the device is characterized by comprising the steps of:

storing at least a plurality of measured temperatures that are measured at predetermined time intervals in the past in chronological order from the latest measured temperature,

storing a normal temperature range for each temperature measurement unit and determining the presence or absence of a temperature increasing trend based on the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored, and

shortening the time interval between temperature measurements from the current time interval when it is determined that the temperature increases, determining whether or not the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature are included in the normal temperature range when it is determined that the temperature does not increase, prolonging the time interval between temperature measurements from the current time interval when all the measured temperatures are included in the normal temperature range, and not changing the time interval between temperature measurements when at least one measured temperature is not included in the normal temperature range.

6. The method for controlling temperature of an electronic device according to claim 5 in which when the latest measured temperature is higher than the normal temperature range, it is determined that the temperature increases.

7. The method for controlling temperature of an electronic device according to claim 5 in which when the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored monotonically increase with time, it is determined that the temperature increases.

8. The method for controlling temperature of an electronic device according to claim 5 in which when there is a positive correlation between the plurality of measured temperatures and the latest measured temperature that are stored and the time, it is determined that the temperature increases.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 5, 2015
From: NEC COMPUTERTECHNO, LTD.; NEC INFRONTIA CORPORATION
To: NEC PLATFORMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 034893/0936 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: KITANO, MASAAKI
To: NEC COMPUTERTECHNO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 031177/0391 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-203854 · Sep 18, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140079533A1 · Mar 20, 2014