Replicating contours of soundscapes within computing enclosures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10558548-B2
Application number	US-201715582043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

Example implementations relate to generating a performance index of an electrical device. An example implementation includes determining an acoustical contour of a soundscape within a computing enclosure for housing the electrical device. A performance response of the electrical device when subjected to the soundscape within the computing enclosure may be determined. Specifically, a soundscape may be generated within a test chamber that replicates the acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure. A performance index of the electrical device may be generated upon being subjected to the generated soundscape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining an acoustical contour of a soundscape within a computing enclosure for housing an electrical device, the determined acoustical contour based on a measurement by an acoustic transducer within the computing enclosure;
placing the electrical device within a test chamber different from the computing enclosure;
generating, by a sound generator within the test chamber, a soundscape replicating the determined acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure; and
generating a performance index of the electrical device based on detecting a threshold degradation in performance of the electrical device subjected to the generated soundscape within the test chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the performance index of the electrical device comprises identifying an acoustic sensitivity of the electrical device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic sensitivity includes an internal resonance frequency of the electrical device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic sensitivity includes a decibel level that causes the threshold degradation in performance of the electrical device due to sound pressure.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising acoustically treating the electrical device to account for the acoustic sensitivity of the electrical device.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising acoustically treating the computing enclosure to account for the acoustic sensitivity of the electrical device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the performance index of the electrical device includes identifying a susceptible frequency range of the electrical device, the susceptible frequency range causing the electrical device to experience the threshold degradation in performance of the electrical device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test chamber simulates physical dimensions of the computing enclosure.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soundscape within the computing enclosure is replicated by:
receiving, by a transducer in the test chamber, an acoustical contour of the soundscape within the test chamber; and
modifying the soundscape within the test chamber such that the received acoustical contour matches the determined acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acoustical contour received by the transducer in the test chamber as modified by the modifying matches the determined acoustical contour to which the electrical device is subjected when housed in the computing enclosure.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the electrical device within the test chamber comprises placing the electrical device at a location within the test chamber based on a location of the electrical device within the computing enclosure.

12. A system comprising:
a test chamber to simulate a computing enclosure housing an electrical device; and
a feedback system to, within the test chamber, replicate an acoustical contour of a soundscape within the computing enclosure housing the electrical device for determining an acoustical susceptibility of the electrical device, the feedback system comprising:
a sound generator to generate a test soundscape within the test chamber;
a transducer to receive an acoustical contour of the test soundscape; and
a soundscape modifier comprising a processor and in communication with the transducer to:
receive a representation of the acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure housing the electrical device, and
modify the test soundscape such that the acoustical contour of the test soundscape received at the transducer matches the acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure as represented by the received representation.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the sound generator is an electroacoustic transducer for converting an electrical audio signal into sound.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the electrical device is housed within the test chamber; and
the sound generator is positioned at a location relative to the electrical device within the test chamber based on a location of a cooling device relative to the electrical device within the computing enclosure.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the representation of the acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure housing the electrical device is based on a measurement by a transducer of sound produced by a sound source within the computing enclosure housing the electrical device.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a system to:
determine an acoustical contour of a soundscape within a computing enclosure housing an electrical device;
generate a test soundscape within a test chamber separate from the computing enclosure;
modify the generated test soundscape such that an acoustical contour of the test soundscape matches the determined acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure;
measure a performance of the electrical device subjected to the generated test soundscape within the test chamber; and
generate a performance index of the electrical device based on detecting a threshold degradation in performance of the electrical device subjected to the generated test soundscape.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the soundscape within the computing enclosure is generated by a server cooling device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the determined acoustical contour of the soundscape within the computing enclosure housing the electrical device is based on a measurement by an acoustic transducer within the computing enclosure.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to:
receive a measurement by a transducer in the test chamber, the transducer placed in a location of the test chamber based on a location of the electrical device in the computing enclosure,
wherein the modifying of the generated test soundscape is based on the measurement by the transducer in the test chamber.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein modifying the generated test soundscape comprises gradually increasing a frequency of the generated test soundscape until the threshold degradation in performance of the electrical device is detected.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Lobato William D
• Tang Punan

Classifications

• G06F11/3457 Primary

  Performance evaluation by simulation · CPC title

• G01M7/022

  Vibration control arrangements, e.g. for generating random vibrations · CPC title