IP Library Granted Patent US 11,314,612
Granted Patent B2
US 11,314,612 · App. 16/868,649 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

System and methods for intelligent fan identification including fan quantity change detecting during POST

Inventors: Ting-Chiang Huang (New Taipei, TW); Ying-Chi Ma (New Taipei, TW); Chen-Nan Cheng (New Taipei, TW); Tung-Ho Shih (Taipei, TW); Chien-Yi Juan (New Taipei, TW); Woei Xiong Soo (Taipei, TW); Ching-Lung Cheng (Taipei, TW); Sung-Feng Chen (Taipei, TW); Yo-Huang Chang (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
G06F11/3093G06F11/2284G06F11/2289H05K7/20172
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,314,612
App. No.
16/868,649
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for intelligent fan identification are described. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include: an embedded controller (EC); and a memory coupled to the EC, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to: detect a cooling fan configuration issue; determine that a number of cooling fans in the IHS has not changed between a previous configuration and a current configuration; and in response to the determination, abstain from identifying the cooling fan configuration issue as a cooling fan error.

Claims (29)

1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

an embedded controller (EC); and

a memory coupled to the EC, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to:

detect a cooling fan configuration issue;

determine, as part of a Power-On-Self-Test (POST) operation, that a number of cooling fans in the IHS has not changed between a previous configuration and a current configuration; and

in response to the determination, abstain from identifying the cooling fan configuration issue as a cooling fan error.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein to detect the cooling fan configuration issue, the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to identify a fan location mismatch.

3. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the cooling fan configuration issue is detected in response to a cable coupled between a fan and a non-corresponding connector on a printed circuit board (PCB).

4. The IHS of claim 3 , wherein the cooling fan configuration issue is detected in response to a cable coupled between the fan and a non-corresponding sensor.

5. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to retrieve the previous configuration from a non-volatile memory (NVM) coupled to or integrated into the EC.

6. The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to, in response to a determination that a fan is moved to a different fan slot, update a corresponding fan location on a fan table stored in the NVM.

7. The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to, in response to a determination that a new fan is added to the IHS, add the new fan and a corresponding fan location to a fan table stored in the NVM.

8. A memory storage device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by an embedded controller (EC) of an Information Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to:

detect a cooling fan configuration issue;

determine, as part of a Power-On-Self-Test (POST) operation, that a number of cooling fans in the IHS has not changed between a previous configuration and a current configuration; and

in response to the determination, abstain from identifying the cooling fan configuration issue as a cooling fan error.

9. The memory storage device of claim 8 , wherein to detect the cooling fan configuration issue, the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to identify a fan location mismatch.

10. The memory storage device of claim 9 , wherein the cooling fan configuration issue is detected in response to a cable coupled between a fan and a non-corresponding connector on a printed circuit board (PCB).

11. The memory storage device of claim 10 , wherein the cooling fan configuration issue is detected in response to a cable coupled between the fan and a non-corresponding sensor.

12. The memory storage device of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to retrieve the previous configuration from a non-volatile memory (NVM) coupled to or integrated into the EC.

13. The memory storage device of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to, in response to another determination that a fan is moved to a different fan slot, update a corresponding fan location on a fan table stored in the NVM.

14. The memory storage device of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the EC, cause the IHS to, in response to another determination that a new fan is added to the IHS, add the new fan and a corresponding fan location to a fan table stored in the NVM.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting a cooling fan configuration issue;

determining, as part of a Power-On-Self-Test (POST) operation, that a number of cooling fans in the IHS has not changed between a previous configuration and a current configuration; and

in response to the determination, abstaining from identifying the cooling fan configuration issue as a cooling fan error.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising retrieving the previous configuration from a non-volatile memory (NVM) of an embedded controller (EC) coupled to an Information Handling System (IHS).

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, in response to another determination that a fan has been moved to a different fan slot, updating a corresponding fan location on a fan table stored in the NVM.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, in response to another determination that a new fan has been added to the IHS, adding the new fan and a corresponding fan location to a fan table stored in the NVM.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053574/0221) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053578/0183) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060332/0864 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053573/0535) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060333/0106 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 053531 FRAME 0108 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0371 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053578/0183 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053573/0535 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053574/0221 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 053531/0108 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2020
From: HUANG, TING-CHIANG; MA, YING-CHI; CHENG, CHEN-NAN; SHIH, TUNG-HO; JUAN, CHIEN-YI; SOO, WOEI XIONG; CHENG, CHING-LUNG; CHEN, SUNG-FENG; CHANG, YO-HUANG
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052597/0177 →
Continuity (1)
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