Management of exterior temperatures encountered by user of a portable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291399-B2
Application number	US-201313800597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Described embodiments include a portable electronic device. The device includes a shell housing components of the portable electronic device having a heat-generating component. The device includes a heat-rejection element located at an exterior surface of the shell. The heat-rejection element is configured to reject heat received from the heat-generating component into an environment in thermal contact with the heat-rejection element. The device includes a controllable thermal coupler configured to regulate heat transfer to the heat-rejection element. The device includes a proximity sensor configured to determine a location of a user touch to the shell relative to the location of the heat-rejection element. The device includes a thermal manager configured to regulate heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to the determined location of the user touch relative to the location of the heat-rejection element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device comprising:
a shell housing components of the portable electronic device;
a heat-generating component;
a heat-rejection element located at an exterior surface of the shell, the heat-rejection element configured to reject heat received from the heat-generating component into an environment in thermal contact with the heat-rejection element; a controllable thermal coupler configured to regulate heat transfer to the heat-rejection element;
a proximity sensor configured to determine a location of a user touch to the shell relative to the location of the heat-rejection element; and
a thermal manager configured to regulate heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to the determined location of the user touch relative to the location of the heat-rejection element, wherein the thermal manager includes a thermal manager configured to limit heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to a determination that the location of the user touch relative to the location of the heat-rejection element is within a zone of possible heat discomfort.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the shell includes a hand-holdable shell.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element is disposed on or occupies an exterior portion of the shell.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element includes an opening through the shell which is exposed to an external or ambient environment in thermal contact with the shell.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element is configured to reject heat received from the heat-generating component into ambient air in thermal contact with the shell or a heat-sinkable external object in thermal contact with the shell.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element includes an array of heat-rejection elements, and heat transfer to at least two heat-rejection elements of the array of heat-rejection elements is separately controllable by the controllable thermal coupler.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler is configured to separately transfer heat to a plurality of different spatial locations of the heat-rejection element.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element includes a piezoelectric fan assembly.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element includes controllable fin assembly.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable microchannel heat exchanger having a heat-rejection element.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable pump or valve configured to regulate transfer of a working fluid flowing between a heat-collecting element and the heat-rejection element.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable thermal contact between the heat-rejection element and the heat-generating component.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controllable thermal contact comprises a repositionable thermally conductive solid.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controllable thermal contact comprises a repositionable thermally conductive fluid.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controllable thermal contact comprises a repositionable phase change material.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable mechanical contact between the heat-rejection element and the heat-generating component.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler is further configured to control flow of a working fluid through the heat-rejection element.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable pump or valve configured to regulate transfer of a flowing working fluid.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-rejection element is a component of the controllable thermal coupler.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler further includes:
a heat-collecting element configured to absorb heat generated by the heat-generating component.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable pump or valve configured to regulate transfer of a flowing working fluid between the heat-rejection element and the heat-collecting element.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler includes a controllable thermal contact between the heat-rejection element and the heat-collecting element.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the controllable thermal coupler is further configured to control a flow of a working fluid between the heat-generating component and the heat-collecting element.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to determine if a location of a user touch to the shell relative to the location of the heat-rejection element is within a zone of possible heat discomfort.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to determine a location of a user touch to the shell relative to the location of the heat-rejection element.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to determine a distance between a user touch on the shell and the heat-rejection element.

27. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to determine a location and duration of a user touch to the shell relative to the location of the heat-rejection element.

28. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal manager includes a thermal manager configured to limit heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to the determined location of the user touch.

29. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal manager includes a thermal manager configured to limit heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to a determination that the location of the user touch relative to the location of the heat-rejection element is within a zone of possible heat discomfort.

30. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal manager is configured to select a heat rejection strategy from a library of heat-rejection strategies responsive to the determined location of the user touch relative to the location of the heat-rejection element, and to regulate heat transfer by the controllable thermal coupler to the heat-rejection element in response to the selected heat reduction strategy.

31. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal manager is configured to limit heat discharged by the heat-rejection element

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Barnes Philip Lionel
• Chin Hon Wah
• Davidson Howard Lee
• Hallman Kimberly D A
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Lee Brian
• Lord Richard T
• Lord Robert W
• Mundie Craig J
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pasch Nicholas F
• Rudder Eric D
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tremblay Marc
• Tuckerman David B
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• H10W40/00

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

• F28D15/06 Primary

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• H04M1/725

  Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) · CPC title

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• H05K7/2039 Primary

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title