Shared cooling for thermally connected components in electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10175731-B2
Application number	US-201615186423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Cooling of at least two heat generating electronic components of a computing device is described herein. The computing device includes the at least two heat generating electronic components. The at least two heat generating electronic components includes a first heat generating electronic component and a second heat generating electronic component. The first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component are in thermal communication. The computing device also includes a first sensor operable to measure a first temperature. The first temperature is associated with the first heat generating electronic component. The first heat generating electronic component, the second heat generating electronic component, another heat generating electronic component of the at least two heating generating electronic components, or any combination thereof is configured to compare the first measured temperature to a predetermined temperature, and decrease a power for the second heat generating electronic component based on the comparison.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing device comprising:
at least two heat generating electronic components, the at least two heat generating electronic components comprising a first heat generating electronic component and a second heat generating electronic component, the first heat generating electronic component and the second heat generating electronic component being in thermal communication via a heat pipe or a vapor chamber, a first end of the heat pipe or the vapor chamber being in physical contact with or adjacent to the first heat generating electronic component and a second end of the heat pipe or the vapor chamber being in physical contact with or adjacent to the second heat generating electronic component; and
a first sensor operable to measure a first temperature, the first temperature being an operating temperature of the first heat generating electronic component;
a second sensor operable to measure a second temperature, the second temperature being associated with the second heat generating component;
wherein the first heat generating electronic component, the second heat generating electronic component, another heat generating electronic component of the at least two heat generating electronic components, or any combination thereof is configured to:
compare the measured first temperature to a first predetermined temperature;
compare the measured second temperature to a second predetermined temperature; and
decrease power for the second heat generating electronic component based on the comparison of the measured first temperature to the first predetermined temperature unless the measured second temperature is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first heat generating electronic component, the second heat generating electronic component, the other heat generating electronic component, or any combination thereof is configured to reduce the power for the second heat generating electronic component when the measured first temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first heat generating electronic component comprises a graphics processing unit, and the second heat generating electronic component comprises a central processing unit.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising a first thermal management device and a second thermal management device, the first thermal management device being physically connected to the first heat generating electronic component and the second thermal management device being physically connected to the second heat generating electronic component.

5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the first thermal management device comprises a first heat sink, a first phase change device, or the first heat sink and the first phase change device, and
wherein the second thermal management device comprises a second heat sink, a second phase change device, or the second heat sink and the second phase change device.

6. The computing device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first heat generating electronic component, the second heat generating electronic component the other heat generating electronic component, or any combination thereof is configured to:
reduce power for the first heat generating electronic component when the measured second temperature is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature.

7. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is operable to continuously measure the temperature associated with the first heat generating electronic component, is operable to measure the temperature associated with the first heat generating electronic component at a predetermined interval, or a combination thereof,
wherein after power for the second heat generating electronic component is reduced, the first heat generating electronic component, the second heat generating electronic component, the other heat generating electronic component, or any combination thereof is configured to:
compare the measured first temperature with a third predetermined temperature; and
increase the power for the second heat generating electronic component when the measured first temperature is less than the third predetermined temperature, or is less than or equal to the third predetermined temperature.

8. A method for cooling at least two electronic devices, at least two thermal management devices physically connected to the at least two electronic devices, respectively, being in thermal communication with each other via a heat pipe or a vapor chamber, a first end of the heat pipe or the vapor chamber being in physical contact with or adjacent to a first electronic device of the at least two electronic devices and a second end of the heat pipe or the vapor chamber being in physical contact with or adjacent to a second electronic device of the at least two electronic devices, the method comprising:
measuring, by a first sensor, an operating temperature of the first electronic device;
comparing, by a processor, the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device to a first predetermined temperature;
measuring, by a second sensor, a temperature associated with the second electronic device;
comparing, by the processor, the measured temperature associated with the second electronic device to a second predetermined temperature; and
decreasing, by the processor, power for the second electronic device based on the comparison of the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device to the first predetermined temperature unless the measured temperature associated with the second electronic device is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein measuring the operating temperature of the first electronic device comprises constantly measuring the operating temperature of the first electronic device or measuring the operating temperature of the first electronic device at an interval,
and
wherein the method further comprises:
after the power for the second electronic device is decreased, repeating the measuring of the operating temperature of the first electronic device and the comparing of the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device to the first predetermined temperature; and
increasing the power for the second electronic device when the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device is less than or less than or equal to a third predetermined temperature.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein decreasing the power for the second electronic device comprises decreasing the power for the second electronic device from a first power to a second power when the measured operating temperature of the first
electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises calculating a difference between the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device and the predetermined temperature, and
wherein decreasing the power for the second electronic device comprises decreasing the power for the second electronic device based on the calculated difference between the measured operating temperature of the first electronic device and the predetermined temperature.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising repeating the measuring, the comparing, and the decreasing until the measured temperature is less than or less than or equal to the predetermined temperature.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the predetermined temperature is

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Ho Chau Van
• Dan Bo
• Eggert Spencer
• Nielsen Greg
• Gen Matthew

Classifications

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20336

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title

• G06F1/324

  by lowering clock frequency · CPC title