Dynamic positioning of fans to reduce noise

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10043507-B2
Application number	US-201615292337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A method includes sensing sound pressure at a specified location, and a controller automatically adjusting a position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position of the one or more fans may, for example, be adjusted using an actuator to change the distance from the fan and the specified location, which may be a location of a user. Optionally, the method may further include the controller automatically adjusting a speed of one or more fans among the plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position and speed of one or more fans may be adjusted to provide destructive interference at the specified location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
sensing sound pressure at a specified location; and
a controller automatically adjusting a position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified location is the location of a person.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a microphone is used to sense the sound pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position and speed of the plurality of fans is adjusted to provide destructive interference of sound waves at the specified location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fans has a range of positions, and wherein the position of the one or more fans is adjusted to the full extent of the range of positions before adjusting the speed of the one or more fans.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller is local to the one or more compute nodes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a management node in communication with the one or more compute nodes over a network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position of each fan is automatically adjusted based on sound pressure sensed while the fan is operating at a most utilized fan speed for the fan.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller automatically adjusting a speed of one or more fans among the plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user input identifying a user perception whether the sound pressure has been reduced.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
prompting the user for user input in response to adjusting the position of one or more fans, adjusting the speed of one or more fans, or adjusting both the position and speed of one or more fans.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
further adjusting the position or speed of the one or more fans in response to user input indicating that a user perception regarding whether or not the sound pressure was reduced by precious adjustment of the position or speed of the one or more fans.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of compute nodes operate within a room, wherein each compute node includes at least one fan, and wherein sensing sound pressure at a specified location, includes sensing sound pressure at a plurality of specified locations within the room.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans operated by the one or more compute nodes, includes adjusting the position of one or more fans in a plurality of the compute nodes within the room to minimize the combined sound pressure at the plurality of specified locations.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
assigning a different frequency to each of the plurality of compute nodes; and
tuning the at least one fan of each compute node to the assigned frequency.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the different frequencies are spread out over a frequency range to cause the fans to generate white noise.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to:
sense sound pressure at a specified location; and
automatically adjust a position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further executable by the processor to:
automatically adjust a speed of one or more fans among the plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further executable by the processor to:
receive user input identifying a user perception whether the sound pressure has been reduced; and
prompt the user for user input in response to adjusting the position of one or more fans, adjusting the speed of one or more fans, or adjusting both the position and speed of one or more fans.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further executable by the processor to:
receive user input identifying a user perception whether the sound pressure has been reduced; and
further adjust the position or speed of the one or more fans in response to user input indicating that a user perception regarding whether or not the sound pressure was reduced by precious adjustment of the position or speed of the one or more fans.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Young Bryan L
• Cudak Gary D
• Rose Amy L
• Lee-Baron Jennifer J
• Crowe John S
• Peterson Nathan J

Classifications

• H05K7/20209 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title

• F04D27/004

  by varying driving speed · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G10K2210/11

  Computers, i.e. ANC of the noise created by cooling fan, hard drive or the like · CPC title

• F04D27/001

  Testing thereof; Determination or simulation of flow characteristics; Stall or surge detection, e.g. condition monitoring · CPC title