Self-adaptive vents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061451-B2
Application number	US-201715422180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2017
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

Thermal management devices and systems, and corresponding methods of cooling an electronic device are described herein. A method for cooling an electronic device that includes a housing and a vent in the housing includes monitoring, by a sensor, an operating condition of the electronic device. The vent is opened or closed based on the monitored condition of the electronic device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cooling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a housing, a CPU, a GPU, and a vent in the housing, the method comprising:
monitoring a configuration state of the electronic device including determining if the electronic device is executing a GPU-centric workflow or CPU-centric workflow based on processor usage information;
after monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device, opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the determined GPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device; and
after monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device, opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the determined CPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein opening or closing the vent based on the monitored configuration state comprises opening the vent from a first open state to a second open state or closing the vent from the second open state to the first open state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the vent is made of an expandable material, and
wherein opening or closing the vent based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device comprises the portion of the vent made of the expandable material expanding with increasing temperature, such that the vent opens or closes with the increasing temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vent is a first vent, and the electronic device further comprises a second vent,
wherein opening or closing the first vent based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device comprises opening the first vent based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device, and
wherein the method further comprises closing the second vent based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device as the first vent is opened.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a computing device, the computing device comprising a housing, a sensor within or on the housing, a fan supported by the housing, and a vent on the housing that is openable and closeable, wherein the configuration state includes a temperature within the housing or a speed of the fan the method further comprising:
wherein monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device further comprises:
measuring, by the sensor, the temperature within or on the housing;
comparing, by a processor, the measured temperature to a predetermined temperature;

increasing the speed of the fan based on the comparison of the measured temperature to the predetermined temperature;
comparing, by the processor, the increased speed of the fan to a predetermined fan speed;
wherein opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device further comprises:
opening the vent based on the comparison of the increased speed of the fan to the predetermined fan speed.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein increasing the speed of the fan based on the comparison of the measured temperature to the predetermined temperature comprises increasing the speed of the fan when the measured temperature is greater than, or greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein opening the vent based on the comparison of the increased speed of the fan to the predetermined fan speed comprises opening the vent when the increased speed of the fan is greater than or greater than or equal to the predetermined fan speed.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein measuring the temperature within or on the housing comprises continuously measuring the temperature or measuring the temperature at a predetermined interval, the comparing of the measured temperature to the predetermined temperature comprising comparing the measured temperature at a first time point to the predetermined temperature, and
wherein the method further comprises:
comparing the measured temperature at a second time point to the predetermined temperature after the opening of the vent;
closing the vent based on the comparison of the measured temperature at the second time point to the predetermined temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein closing the vent based on the comparison of the measured temperature at the second time point to the predetermined temperature comprises closing the vent when the measured temperature at the second time point is less than, or less than or equal to the predetermined temperature.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device comprises determining whether an input device is both physically and electrically connected to the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the input device is a keyboard.

12. The method of claim 1 , the vent further comprising a first vent and a second vent and wherein opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the determined GPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device further comprises opening or closing, by a processor, the first vent based on the determined GPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device, and wherein opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the determined CPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device further comprises opening or closing, by a processor, the first vent based on the determined CPU-centric workflow configuration states of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor usage information includes processor speed measurements.

14. A method for cooling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a housing, a sensor, and a vent in the housing, the method comprising:
monitoring a configuration state of the electronic device including determining a rotational position of a display of the electronic device relative to an input device using the sensor; and
opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based on the sensor determined relative rotational position of the display.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the input device is a detachable keyboard.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the relative position is an angle sufficiently large to permit viewing of the display.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Dan Bo
• Wahl James David
• Ho Chau Van

Classifications

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20181

  Filters; Louvers · CPC title

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title