Self-adaptive vents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12061503-B2
Application number	US-202117371882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

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 first processor, a second processor, 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 first processor workflow or second processor workflow based on processor usage information and further including whether an input device is physically disconnected from the housing; and
after monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device, opening or closing, by a processor, the vent based at least on the determined first processor workflow configuration states of the electronic device or the determined second processor workflow configuration states of the electronic device, and whether the input device is physically disconnected from the housing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the configuration state of the electronic device includes measuring, by a sensor, a temperature within the electronic device,
wherein the method further comprises:
comparing, by the processor, the measured temperature to a predetermined temperature; and
opening or closing the vent or another vent when the measured temperature is greater than, or greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein measuring the temperature within the electronic device comprises measuring the temperature within the electronic device at a first time point,
wherein the predetermined temperature is a first predetermined temperature,
wherein after the opening or the closing of the vent, the method further comprises:
measuring, by the sensor, the temperature at a second time point; and
closing or opening the vent or the another vent when the measured temperature at the second time point is less than, or less than or equal to a second predetermined temperature.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein opening or closing the vent or the another vent when the measured temperature is greater than, or greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature comprises opening the vent from a first state to a second state or closing the vent from the first state to a third state when the measured temperature is greater than, or greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature, the vent being in the first state after the vent is opened or closed based on the monitored configuration state of the electronic device.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. A method for cooling an electronic device, comprising:
identifying a first usage of a first processor;
identifying a second usage of a second processor;
identifying whether an input device is physically connected to or disconnected from a housing of the electronic device; and
based at least on the first usage, the second usage, and whether the input device is physically disconnected from the housing of the electronic device, adjusting a position of one or more vents on the electronic device, wherein, under low usage conditions or when the input device is physically disconnected from the housing of the electronic device, at least one of the one or more vents are closed, and wherein, under high usage conditions or when the input device is physically connected to the housing of the electronic device, the at least one of the one or more vents are opened.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the first usage includes measuring a first operating temperature of the first processor and wherein identifying the second usage includes measuring a second operating temperature of the second processor.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the first usage includes measuring a first operating speed of the first processor and wherein identifying the second usage includes measuring a second operating temperature of the second processor.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the first usage includes identifying a processor-centric workflow, and wherein adjusting the position includes adjusting the position of the one or more vents based on the identified processor-centric workflow.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the processor-centric workflow includes at least one of image rendering, numerical simulation, deep learning, graphically intensive games, or video conferencing.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identifying a first operating condition, and wherein adjusting the position of the one or more vents includes adjusting the position of the one or more vents if the first operating condition is present; and
identifying a second operating condition, and wherein adjusting the position of the one or more vents includes adjusting the position of the one or more vents if the first operating condition and the second operating condition are present.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first operating condition and the second operating condition are different.

15. A computing device comprising:
a housing comprising a vent; and
a sensor configured to determine a configuration state of the computing device, wherein the configuration state is whether an input device is physically disconnected from the housing; and
a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor being configured to open or close the vent of the housing based at least on the determined configuration state of the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor,
wherein the computing device further comprises:
a fan supported by the housing; and
a second sensor that is a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within or on the housing,

wherein the processor is in communication with the fan and the second sensor, and
wherein the processor is configured to:
compare the measured temperature to a predetermined temperature;
increase a speed of the fan based on the comparison of the measured temperature to the predetermined temperature;
compare the increased speed of the fan to a predetermined fan speed; and
open the vent or another vent based on the comparison of the increased speed of the fan to the predetermined fan speed.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the measured temperature is a first measured temperature at a first time point, and the predetermined temperature is a first predetermined temperature,
wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a second temperature within or on the housing at a second time point, t

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Dan Bo
• Wahl James David
• Ho Chau Van

Classifications

• H05K7/20181

  Filters; Louvers · CPC title

• H05K7/20836

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

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

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

• G06F1/203

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