Method of temperature conditioning compute module for cold start

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12468360-B2
Application number	US-202418611003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2024
Priority date	May 6, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Example embodiments relate to methods of increasing a temperature of a computer module to start the computer at environmental temperatures below a threshold temperature. An example embodiment includes receiving, at one or more computing components thermally coupled to a main computer via a liquid-cooled plate, a set of program instructions. The method can also include running the set of program instructions on at least one computing component. Running the set of program instructions on the computing component can generate heat that flows to the main computer via the liquid-cooled plate. The method can additionally include detecting, from at least one thermal sensor coupled to the liquid-cooled plate, a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer. The method can further include determining that the temperature reading has reached a predetermined temperature threshold and based on the temperature reading reaching the predetermined temperature threshold, powering on the main computer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
detecting a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of a main computer; receiving, at one or more integrated circuits, a set of program instructions, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are thermally coupled to a main computer via a thermally-conducting plate; running the set of program instructions on the one or more integrated circuits, wherein the one or more integrated circuits generate heat when running the set of program instructions, and wherein the generated heat flows into the thermally-conducting plate and to the main computer via the thermally-conducting plate; and based on reaching at least one of (i) the detected temperature reading of the main computer reaching a temperature threshold of the main computer, or (ii) a predetermined time of running the program instructions, powering on the main computer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions comprises at least one of an instruction to perform a synthetic workload, an instruction to control switching activity on and off, an instruction to apply greater voltage, or an overclocking instruction.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instruction to perform the synthetic workload comprises an arithmetically intense workload, wherein the instruction to control switching activity on and off comprises switching a clock tree on and off, and wherein the overclocking instruction comprises increasing clocking frequency.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising based on reaching temperature threshold of the main computer, running a second set of program instructions.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a desired powering-on time of the main computer; and running the set of program instructions on the one or more integrated circuits for at least a predetermined amount of time before the desired powering-on time of the main computer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, from at least one thermal sensor coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer; and based on the temperature reading reaching a second predetermined temperature threshold, flowing liquid through the thermally-conducting plate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a portion of the main computer, and detecting from at least one thermal sensor near the portion of the main computer, a temperature of the portion of the main computer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, from at least one thermal sensor coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer, wherein the temperature reading is a minimum temperature.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, from a plurality of thermal sensors coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, an average temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions are received from a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor operates below a threshold temperature.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally-conducting plate comprises a first side and a second side, wherein the main computer is thermally coupled to at least one of the first side or the second side of the thermally-conducting plate, and wherein the one or more integrated circuits are coupled to the first side and the second side of the thermally-conducting plate.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions is received at the one or more integrated circuits when the main computer is at a temperature of zero degrees Celsius or below, and wherein the one or more integrated circuits begin to run the set of program instructions at the temperature of zero degrees Celsius or below.

13 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:
detecting a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of a main computer; receiving, at one or more integrated circuits, a set of program instructions, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are thermally coupled to a main computer via a thermally-conducting plate; running the set of program instructions on the one or more integrated circuits, wherein the one or more integrated circuits generate heat when running the set of program instructions, and wherein the generated heat flows into the thermally-conducting plate and to the main computer via the thermally-conducting plate; and based on reaching at least one of (i) the detected temperature reading of the main computer reaching a temperature threshold of the main computer, or (ii) a predetermined time of running the program instructions, powering on the main computer.

14 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of program instructions comprises at least one of an instruction to perform a synthetic workload, an instruction to control switching activity on and off, an instruction to apply greater voltage, or an overclocking instruction.

15 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instruction to perform the synthetic workload comprises an arithmetically intense workload, wherein the instruction to control switching activity on and off comprises switching a clock tree on and off, and wherein the overclocking instruction comprises increasing clocking frequency.

16 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting, from at least one thermal sensor coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer; and based on the temperature reading reaching a second predetermined temperature threshold, flowing liquid through the thermally-conducting plate.

17 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising selecting a portion of the main computer, and detecting from at least one thermal sensor near the portion of the main computer, a temperature of the portion of the main computer.

18 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising detecting, from at least one thermal sensor coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer, wherein the temperature reading is a minimum temperature.

19 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising detecting, from a plurality of thermal sensors coupled to the thermally-conducting plate, an average temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer.

20 . A computing system comprising:
a main computer, wherein the main computer comprises a thermally-conducting plate; a plurality of integrated circuits thermally coupled to the main computer via the thermally-conducting plate; and a controller configured to perform a heating routine, wherein the heating routine comprises:
detecting a temperature reading indicative of a temperature of the main computer;
receiving, at one or more integrated circuits of the plurality of integrated circuits, a set of program instructions;
running the set of program instructions on the one or more integrated circuits, wherein the one or more integrated circuits generate heat when running the set of program instructions,

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Chen Darren
• Ravikumar Sabareeshkumar

Classifications

• G06F1/08

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• G06F1/3243

  Power saving in microcontroller unit · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title