IP Library Granted Patent US 11,500,436
Granted Patent B2
US 11,500,436 · App. 17/096,083 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

System and method for predictive fan speed control and management

Inventors: Cho Shih Huai (Linkou District, TW); Hung-Chun Lin (Taipei, TW); Carlos G. Henry (Round Rock, TX); Hasnain Shabbir (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/206F04D27/004G06F2200/201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,500,436
App. No.
17/096,083
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A management controller is configured to determine a thermal resistance of a heat sink, and determine a thermal resistance curve that includes the thermal resistance. The management controller may also determine a fan speed setting corresponding with the thermal resistance, and set a speed of the fan based on the fan speed setting.

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a management controller, a thermal resistance of a heat sink associated with a processor in an information handling system;

determining a thermal resistance curve that includes the thermal resistance of the heat sink associated with the processor, wherein the thermal resistance curve is influenced by a configuration of the information handling system;

determining a fan speed setting corresponding to the thermal resistance of the heat sink, wherein the fan speed setting is a function of the thermal resistance based on the thermal resistance curve:

in response to determining that there is a fan oscillation issue, triggering a control event to determine a target fan speed;

in response to determining that a current temperature of the process is equal to a control temperature, determining whether the fan speed setting is greater than a previous fan speed setting by more than a threshold percentage value; and

in response to determining that the fan speed setting is greater than the previous fan speed setting, setting the fan speed setting equal to the target fan speed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a set of criteria is met prior to setting the fan speed setting equal to the target fan speed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set of criteria includes determining whether the current temperature of the processor is greater than the control temperature.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set of criteria includes-determining whether the fan oscillation issue exists.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set of criteria includes determining whether a power consumption of the processor is increasing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fan speed setting is set as an initial fan speed setting of a traditional thermal management algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration includes a number and type of hard disk drives in the information handling system.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thermal resistance is based on a target temperature of the processor, an inlet temperature, and a power consumption of the processor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal resistance curve may be predetermined at a manufacturer of the information handling system.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising handing over control of a cooling fan to a traditional thermal management algorithm.

11. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor associated with a heat sink;

a fan to cool the processor; and

a management controller configured to:

determine a thermal resistance of the heat sink;

determine a thermal resistance curve that includes the thermal resistance, wherein the thermal resistance curve is based on a configuration of the information handling system;

determine a fan speed setting corresponding with the thermal resistance, wherein the fan speed setting is a function of the thermal resistance based on the thermal resistance curve;

in response to a determination that there is a fan oscillation issue, trigger a control event to determine a target fan speed;

in response to a determination that a current temperature of the process is equal to a control temperature, determine whether the fan speed setting is greater than a previous fan speed setting by more than a threshold percentage value; and

in response to a determination that the fan speed setting is greater than the previous fan speed setting, set the fan speed setting equal to the target fan speed.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the management controller is further configured to determine whether the fan speed setting is equal to the target fan speed.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the set of criteria includes whether a current temperature of the processor is greater than the control temperature.

14. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the set of criteria includes determining whether the fan oscillation issue exists.

15. The information handling system of claim 11 , further comprising handing over control of a cooling fan to a traditional thermal management algorithm.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code that when executed by a processor performs a method, the method comprising:

determining a thermal resistance of a heat sink associated with the processor in an information handling system;

determining a thermal resistance curve that includes the thermal resistance of the heat sink, wherein the thermal resistance curve is based on a configuration of the information handling system;

determining a fan speed setting corresponding with the thermal resistance according to the thermal resistance curve, wherein the fan speed setting is a function of the thermal resistance:

in response to determining that there is a fan oscillation issue, triggering a control event to determine a target fan speed;

in response to determining that a current temperature of the process is equal to a control temperature, determining whether the fan speed setting is greater than a previous fan speed setting by more than a threshold percentage value: and

in response to determining that the fan speed setting is greater than the previous fan speed setting, setting a speed of a cooling fan based on the fan speed setting.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether a set of criteria is met prior to setting the fan speed setting equal to the target fan speed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the set of criteria includes determining whether the fan oscillation issue exists.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the thermal resistance is based on a target temperature of the processor, an inlet temperature, and a power consumption of the processor.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the configuration further includes a chassis type of the information handling system and a type of the cooling fan.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2020
From: HUAI, CHO SHIH; LIN, HUNG-CHUN; HENRY, CARLOS G.; SHABBIR, HASNAIN
To: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
Reel/Frame 054348/0500 →