IP Library Granted Patent US 10,681,840
Granted Patent B2
US 10,681,840 · App. 16/022,656 · Granted Jun 9, 2020

Cooling system and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,681,840
App. No.
16/022,656
Granted
Jun 9, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention aims to reduce noise derived from an operation sound of a fan while maintaining cooling capacity of the fan. A cooling system includes a fan which is disposed in a chassis in which a CPU which is exemplified as a heating element is housed, one temperature sensor which is disposed in the chassis, another temperature sensor which is disposed at a position which is different from a position of the one temperature sensor, and a fan control unit which drives the fan in a case where one temperature, which is based on a measured value of one temperature sensor, is at least a first threshold value or in a case where another temperature, which is based on a measured value of the other temperature sensor, is at least a second threshold value which is set to a value lower than the first threshold value.

Claims (31)

1. A cooling system comprising:

a fan which is disposed in a chassis in which a heating element is housed;

a first temperature sensor which is disposed in the chassis;

a second temperature sensor which is disposed at a position which is different from a position of the first temperature sensor;

a fan control unit configured to drive the fan in response to a first temperature, based on a measured value of the first temperature sensor, reaching at least a first threshold value or a second temperature, based on a measured value of the second temperature sensor, reaching at least a second threshold value which is set to a value lower than the first threshold value; and

a connection sensing unit configured to sense that an external device is connected to the chassis, wherein

the fan control unit has

a rotation number command generation section configured to generate a rotation number command for the fan on the basis of the first temperature and the second temperature, and

a command invalidation section configured to invalidate the rotation number command, which is generated by the rotation number command generation section, for a predetermined period of time in response to sensing that the external device is connected to the chassis.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first temperature sensor is disposed at a position which is closer to the heating element than the position of the second temperature sensor.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein

the heating element is a CPU and the first temperature sensor measures a temperature of the CPU.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein

the second temperature sensor is disposed in the vicinity of a set of fins or in the vicinity of a surface of the chassis.

5. A cooling system comprising:

a fan which is disposed in a chassis in which a heating element is housed;

a temperature sensor which is disposed in the chassis;

a fan control unit configured to control the fan; and

a connection sensing unit configured to sense that an external device is connected to the chassis, wherein

the fan control unit has

a rotation number command generation section configured to generate a rotation number command for the fan by using a measured value of the temperature sensor, and

a command invalidation section configured to invalidate the rotation number command, which is generated by the rotation number command generation section, for a predetermined period of time in response to sensing that the external device is connected to the chassis.

6. A cooling system comprising:

a fan which is disposed in a chassis in which a heating element is housed;

a temperature sensor which is disposed in the chassis;

a fan control unit configured to control the fan; and

a connection sensing unit configured to sense that an external device is released from the chassis, wherein

the fan control unit has

a rotation number command generation section configured to generate a rotation number command for the fan by using a measured value of the temperature sensor, and

a command invalidation section configured to invalidate the rotation number command, which is generated by the rotation number command generation section, for a predetermined period of time in response to sensing that the external device is released from the chassis.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2021
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LTD
Reel/Frame 055110/0378 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2018
From: CHONAN, TSUTOMU; KAMIMURA, TAKUROH; ADACHI, TAKATERU; OHYAMA, ATSUSHI; AKIYAMA, SHOGO
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 046234/0583 →