System and method for temperature measurement in data processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12295126-B2
Application number	US-202218047825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2022
Priority date	Oct 19, 2022
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing the operation of data processing systems are disclosed. A data processing system may include a computing device that may provide computer implemented services. To provide the computer implemented services, hardware components of the data processing system may need to operate in predetermined manners. To manage the operation of the hardware components, the data processing system may heat them when their temperatures fall outside of thermal operating ranges. To mitigate some risk associated with heating, the data processing system may proactively calibrate temperature sensors used to guide the heating process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data processing system that provides computer implemented services, the data processing system comprising:
a heater positioned to, while powered, selectively warm a flow of a gas directed to warm a temperature sensitive hardware component of the data processing system;
a temperature sensor positioned to identify an ambient temperature;
a fan adapted to selectively generate the flow of the gas;
a thermal manager embodied by a processor installed in the data processing system that is adapted to:
identify, based on one or more operations of the data processing system monitored by the processor, a startup of the data processing system;
based on the identified startup:
perform a calibration of the temperature sensor using the fan to eliminate transitory temperature effects on the ambient temperature identified by the temperature sensor to obtain a calibrated temperature sensor;
obtain a temperature measurement of the ambient temperature using the calibrated temperature sensor;
select a warming procedure based on the temperature measurement, the warming procedure being stored in and selected from a storage coupled to the processor;
perform the selected warming procedure using the heater and the fan to attempt to warm at least the temperature sensitive hardware component to meet a predefined thermal operating limit of the temperature sensitive hardware component, the predefined thermal operating limit being stored in and obtained from the storage or being obtained by the processor from one or more sources external to the data processing system; and
initiate operation of the temperature sensitive hardware component after completing the warming procedure to provide, at least in part, the computer implemented services.

2. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal manager is further adapted to:
prior to identifying the startup of the data processing system:
attempt to perform a previously selected warming procedure until an unexpected operation of the data processing system aborts the performance of the previously selected warming procedure, the previously selected warming procedure introducing the transitory temperature effects on the ambient temperature identified by the temperature sensor.

3. The data processing system of claim 2 , wherein the unexpected operation initiates performance of the startup of the data processing system.

4. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein performing the calibration of the temperature sensor comprises:
activating the fan to generate the flow of the gas; and
waiting a predetermination duration of time while the heater is inactive and the flow of the gas traverses proximate to a portion of the data processing system positioned with the temperature sensor to cool the portion of the data processing system to the ambient temperature.

5. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein performing the calibration of the temperature sensor comprises:
activating the fan to generate the flow of the gas;
obtaining a first calibration temperature measurement using the temperature sensor while the flow of the gas is generated and the heater is inactive;
waiting a period of time while the heater is inactive and the flow of the gas traverses proximate to a portion of the data processing system positioned with the temperature sensor to attempt to cool the portion of the data processing system to the ambient temperature;
after waiting the period of time, obtaining a second calibration temperature measurement using the temperature sensor; and
making a determination regarding whether the transitory temperature effect has been mitigated to a desired degree based on the first calibration temperature measurement and the second calibration temperature measurement.

6. The data processing system of claim 5 , wherein performing the calibration of the temperature sensor further comprises:
in a first instance of the determination where the transitory temperature effect has not been mitigated:
waiting a second period of time while the heater is inactive and the flow of the gas traverses proximate to the portion of the data processing system positioned with the temperature sensor to attempt to cool the portion of the data processing system to the ambient temperature;
after waiting the second period of time, obtaining a third calibration temperature measurement using the temperature sensor; and
making a second determination regarding whether the transitory temperature effect has been mitigated to the desired degree based on the second calibration temperature measurement and the third calibration temperature measurement.

7. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein selecting the warming procedure based on the temperature measurement comprises:
matching a temperature indicated by the temperature measurement to the warming procedure from a plurality of warming procedures, each of the warming procedures of the plurality of warming procedures being associated with a corresponding temperature, and each of the procedures of the plurality of warming procedures being based on a presumption that the ambient temperature matches the temperature indicated by the temperature measurement.

8. A computer-implemented method for providing computer implemented services with a data processing system, the method being performed by at least a processor of the data processing system and comprising:
identifying, based on one or more operations of the data processing system monitored by the processor a startup of the data processing system;
based on the identified startup:
performing a calibration of a temperature sensor using a fan to eliminate transitory temperature effects on an ambient temperature identified by the temperature sensor to obtain a calibrated temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being positioned to identify the ambient temperature;
obtaining a temperature measurement of the ambient temperature using the calibrated temperature sensor;
selecting a warming procedure based on the temperature measurement, the warming procedure being stored in and selected from a storage coupled to the processor;
performing the selected warming procedure using a heater and the fan to attempt to warm at least a temperature sensitive hardware component to meet a thermal operating limit of the temperature sensitive hardware component of the data processing system, the heater being positioned to, while powered, selectively warm a flow of a gas directed to warm the temperature sensitive hardware component, and the fan being adapted to selectively generate the flow of the gas, and the predefined thermal operating limit being stored in and obtained from the storage or being obtained by the processor from one or more sources external to the data processing system; and
initiating operation of the temperature sensitive hardware component after completing the warming procedure to provide, at least in part, the computer implemented services.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
prior to identifying the startup of the data processing system:
attempt to perform a previously selected warming procedure until an unexpected operation of the data processing system aborts the performance of the previously selected warming procedure, the previously selected warming procedure introducing the transitory temperature effects on the ambient temperature identified by the temperature sensor.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the unexpected operation initiates performance of the startup of the data processing system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein performing the calibration

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Genz Curtis Ray
• Wang Yu-Hung
• Mutesi Nicole
• Frazier Randy Alton
• Gerhart Donald W

Classifications

• H10W40/00

  Arrangements for thermal protection or thermal control (integrated devices comprising arrangements for thermal protection H10D89/60) · CPC title

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title

• H05K7/20136

  Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans (H05K7/202 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20836 Primary

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