Electronic device and method for performing temperature control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520387-B2
Application number	US-202015734060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 27, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device and method of operating an electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a temperature measurement unit configured to measure a temperature of each of multiple components of the electronic device, and a controller configured to change, based on a first reference temperature, an operating frequency of the controller to a first operating frequency when a temperature of the controller, measured by the temperature measurement unit, reaches the first reference temperature and change, based on a third reference temperature that is lower than the first reference temperature, the operating frequency of the controller to a second operating frequency when a temperature of at least one component of the multiple components reaches a second reference temperature while the controller operates at the first operating frequency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a controller; and
at least one temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature of the controller and a second temperature of at least one component of the electronic device different than the controller,
wherein the controller is configured to:
change, based on a first reference temperature, an operating frequency of the controller to a first operating frequency when the first temperature of the controller reaches the first reference temperature; and
change, based on a third reference temperature that is lower than the first reference temperature, the operating frequency of the controller from the first operating frequency to a second operating frequency when the second temperature of the at least one component reaches a second reference temperature while the controller operates at the first operating frequency,
wherein the second operating frequency used in a second time interval is lower than the first operating frequency used in a first time interval.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first reference temperature, based on a temperature upper-limit value of the controller.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the second reference temperature based on a temperature upper-limit value of the at least one component.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the third reference temperature, based on the temperature upper-limit value of the at least one component.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to arrival of the first temperature of the controller at the first reference temperature:
reduce the operating frequency of the controller by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the controller reaches a first temperature upper-limit value corresponding to the first reference temperature, and
increase the operating frequency of the controller by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the controller reaches a first temperature lower-limit value corresponding to the first reference temperature.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to arrival of the second temperature of the at least one component at the second reference temperature:
reduce the operating frequency of the controller by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the controller reaches a second temperature upper-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature; and
increase the operating frequency of the controller by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the controller reaches a second temperature lower-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component comprises a display, a battery, or a combination thereof.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one temperature sensor is configured to measure a third temperature of at least one activated component; and
the controller is further configured to identify that the third temperature of the at least one activated component reaches a second reference temperature.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify components, among the at least one component, that have reached respective second reference temperatures;
identify a second reference temperature which is a lowest second temperature among the respective second reference temperatures of the identified components; and
change the operating frequency of the controller, based on a third reference temperature corresponding to the identified second reference temperature.

10. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising:
measuring a first temperature of a processor of the electronic device and a second temperature of at least one component of the electronic device different than the processor through at least one temperature sensor of the electronic device;
changing, based on a first reference temperature, an operating frequency of the processor to a first operating frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches the first reference temperature;
and
changing, based on a third reference temperature lower than the first reference temperature, the operating frequency of the processor from the first operating frequency to a second operating frequency when the second temperature of the at least one component reaches a second reference temperature,
wherein the second operating frequency used in a second time interval is lower than the first operating frequency used in a first time interval.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first reference temperature is determined based on a temperature upper-limit value of the processor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second reference temperature is determined based on a temperature upper-limit value of the at least one component.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the third reference temperature is determined based on the temperature upper-limit value of the at least one component.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein changing the operating frequency of the processor to the first operating frequency, based on the first reference temperature, comprises:
in response to arrival of the first temperature of the processor at the first reference temperature,
reducing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a first temperature upper-limit value corresponding to the first reference temperature; and
increasing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a first temperature lower-limit value corresponding to the first reference temperature.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein changing the operating frequency of the processor to the second operating frequency, based on the third reference temperature, comprises:
in response to arrival of the second temperature of the at least one component at the second reference temperature,
reducing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a second temperature upper-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature; and
increasing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a second temperature lower-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein changing the operating frequency of the processor, based on the third reference temperature, comprises: in response to arrival of the second temperature of the at least one component at the second reference temperature,
reducing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a second temperature upper-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature; and
increasing the operating frequency of the processor by a designated frequency when the first temperature of the processor reaches a second temperature lower-limit value corresponding to the third reference temperature.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one component comprises a display, a battery, or a combination thereof.

18. The method

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koo Kyungha
• Kim Kuntak
• Yun Hajoong
• Lee Seungjoo
• Jang Seyoung
• Jang Hyuntae

Classifications

• G05D23/1902

  characterised by the use of a variable reference value · CPC title

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

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