Granted Patent B2

US 12,422,809 · App. 17/580,398 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Inventors: David F. Heinrich (Tomball, TX); Pranay Mahendra (Tomball, TX); Stephen Robert Jones (Cypress, TX); Gennadiy Rozenberg (Spring, TX)

Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

G05B19/045G01R21/133G06F21/44G05B2219/25257

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A method, comprising:

managing, by a microcontroller internal to a fan installed in a server, information associated with the fan, wherein the fan includes two I2C pins configured to communicate signals based on an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) protocol, and wherein the information includes at least power data associated with the fan;

measuring, by the microcontroller during operation of the fan, a first amount of power consumed by the fan at a first time and a second amount of power consumed by the fan at a second time, wherein the power data includes at least the first amount and the second amount; and

transmitting, by the microcontroller via the I2C pins, the information to a system management entity which monitors and manages the server, wherein the system management entity controls a speed of the fan in response to receiving the measured power data and by:

calculating a first net power by determining a difference between a total amount of power consumed by the server at the first time and the first amount of power consumed by the fan at the first time;

calculating a second net power by determining a difference between a total amount of power consumed by the server at the second time and the second amount of power consumed by the fan at the second time;

comparing the first net power to the second net power; and

controlling the speed of the fan based on the comparison of the first net power and the second net power by transmitting, via the I2C pins, a speed control signal to the microcontroller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the information to the system management entity is performed responsive to at least one of: receiving a request from the system management entity for the information and a predetermined time interval expiring.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the fan further includes manufacturing information associated with the fan and a type of the fan.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the power data, including the first amount of power and the second amount of power, comprises measuring, by the microcontroller, the power data at predetermined time intervals and based on data obtained from one or more sensors of the fan.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein measuring the power data comprises causing the one or more sensors to obtain data associated with operation of the fan relating to at least one of:

current;

voltage;

temperature; and

rotations per minute.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the power data, including the first amount and the second amount, comprises causing the microcontroller to estimate by estimating an amount of power consumed by the fan based on at least one of:

a speed of the fan;

electronically commutated voltages;

rotations per minute; and

an amount of back pressure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system management entity controls the speed of the fan further by:

responsive to determining that the second net power is greater than the first net power by more than a predetermined amount, configuring the fan speed control signal transmitted to the microcontroller to cause an increase a current speed of the fan by a value; and

responsive to determining that the second net power is not greater than the first net power by more than the predetermined amount, refraining from sending the fan speed control signal to the microcontroller, thereby maintaining the current speed of the fan.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the microcontroller from the system management entity via the two pins, a request for authentication information corresponding to the fan;

transmitting, by the microcontroller via the two pins to the system management entity, the authentication information corresponding to the fan, wherein the system management entity uses the authentication information to verify whether the fan is authenticated for installation in the server.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system management entity is at least one of:

a baseboard management controller; and

a complex programmable logic device.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a system management entity configured to monitor and manage the computer system; and

one or more fans, each comprising:

a plurality of blades residing in a casing;

one or more sensors;

a plurality of pins configured to communicate signals during operation of the fan, the plurality of pins including two I2C pins configured to communicate using an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) protocol; and

a microcontroller residing within the casing, wherein the microcontroller is configured to:

manage fan information associated with the fan, wherein the fan information includes at least fan power data associated with the fan;

measure, based on outputs of the one or more sensors, power consumed by the fan at a first time and a second amount of power consumed by the fan at a second time, wherein the power data includes at least the first amount and the second amount; and

transmit, via the I2C pins, at least the fan power data to the system management entity,

wherein the system management entity is configured to:

determine a first net power and a second net power based on the fan power data received from the one or more fans, the first net power being the power consumed by the computer system at the first time less the power consumed by the one or more fans at the first time, the second net power being the power consumed by the computer system at the first time less the power consumed by the one or more fans at the second time;

compare the first net power to the second net power; and

control the respective speeds of the one or more fans based on the comparison of the first net power and the second net power by transmitting speed control signals to the respective microcontrollers of the one or more fans via the respective I2C pins of the one or more fans.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein, each of the one or more fans comprises a connector which includes the plurality of pins and the plurality of pins further include:

a third pin which indicates whether the fan is installed; and

a fourth pin which receives a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.

12. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein, for each of the one or more fans, the microcontroller is further configured to transmit the fan information to the system management entity responsive to one or more of:

receiving a request from the system management entity for the fan information; and

detecting a first predetermined time interval.

13. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein, for each of the one or more fans, the microcontroller is further configured to:

measure the power data, including the first amount of power and the second amount of power, at predetermined time intervals.

14. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the information associated with the fan further includes manufacturing information associated with the fan and a type of the fan.

15. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein, for each of the one or more fans, the one or more sensors are configured to obtain data associated with operation of the fan relating to at least one of:

current;

voltage;

temperature; and

rotations per minute.

16. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the system management entity controls the respective speeds of the one or more fans by:

responsive to determining that the second net power is greater than the first net power, transmitting the speed control signals configured to cause the one or more fans to increase their respective speeds; and

responsive to determining that the second net power is less than the first net power, transmitting the speed control signals configured to cause the one or more fans to decrease their respective speeds.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the system management entity controls the respective speeds of the one or more fans by:

responsive to determining that the second net power is greater than the first net power by more than a predetermined amount, transmitting the speed control signals configured to cause the one or more fans to increase their respective speeds;

responsive to determining that the second net power is less than the first net power by more than the predetermined amount, transmitting the speed control signals configured to cause the one or more fans to decrease their respective speeds; and

responsive to determining that the second net power is within the predetermined amount from the first net power, causing the one or more fans to maintain their respective current speeds.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein causing the one or more fans to maintain their respective current speeds comprises refraining from transmitting the speed control signals.

19. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the system management entity is at least one of:

a baseboard management controller; and

a complex programmable logic device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that are configured to, when executed by a system management entity of a computer system, cause the system management entity to:

receive power data from respective microcontrollers of one or more fans of the computer system via I2C pins of the fans, the I2C pins configured to communicate based on and inter-integrated circuit (I2C) protocol, wherein for each of the one or more fans the power data indicates power consumption amounts for the fan at various times including a first time and a second time;

calculate net powers based on the power data received from the one or more fans including a first net power and a second net power, wherein the first net power reflects a difference between a total amount of power consumed by the computer system at the first time and the amount of power consumed by the one or more fans at the first time, and the second net power reflects a difference between a total amount of power consumed by the computer system at the second time and the amount of power consumed by the one or more fans at the second time; and

compare instances of the net powers to one another, including comparing the first net power to the second net power; and

control the respective speeds of the one or more fans based on the comparisons of the instances of the net powers, by transmitting speed control signals to respective microcontrollers of the one or more fans via the respective I2C pins of the one or more fans.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (18)