Systems and methods for user modification of cooling device response in information handling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9405301-B2
Application number	US-201414154840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented for facilitating user modification of cooling device speed response to sensed temperature in information handling systems. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to allow an information handling system user to modify how one or more individual cooling device/s respond to device speed control values specified by stored device speed control information without requiring the user to change the identity or pre-defined device speed values of the device speed control information with which the information system is currently operating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system, comprising:
a chassis enclosure;
one or more heat generating components contained within the chassis enclosure;
one or more temperature sensors configured to sense at least one of fluid temperature within the chassis enclosure, temperature of at least one of the heat generating components, or a combination thereof;
one or more variable speed cooling devices configured to provide different flow rates of cooling fluid within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating components;
persistent storage including device speed control information stored thereon, the device speed control information representing a pre-defined relationship between device speed control values and the sensed temperature reported by at least one of the temperature sensors; and
at least one processing device configured to receive values of sensed temperature from each of the temperature sensors, and to provide control signals to control device speed of each of the cooling devices;
where the processing device is configured to access the device speed control information stored on the persistent storage and to control device speed response of each of the cooling devices based on the pre-defined relationship between values of cooling device speed and the current sensed temperature defined by the device speed control information; and
where the processing device is further configured to receive user-configurable device speed modifier information entered by a user of the information handling system, and to modify the device speed response of each of the cooling devices to the device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information based on the user-configurable device speed modifier information by applying the user-configurable device speed modifier information to the stored device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information at the current sensed temperature without changing the pre-defined relationship between values of cooling device speed and the current sensed temperature defined by the device speed control information and without decreasing the device speed of each of the cooling device speeds below a device speed corresponding to the stored device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information at the current sensed temperature.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , where the cooling devices each comprise a cooling fan; and where the stored device speed control information comprises at least one of a thermal table or a thermal curve.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , where the user-configurable device speed modifier information comprises a user-configurable device speed multiplier value entered by a user; and where the processing device is configured to modify the device speed response of each of the cooling devices to the device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information by multiplying the user-configurable device speed multiplier value with stored device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information at any given current sensed temperature value.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple variable speed cooling devices configured to provide different flow rates of cooling fluid within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating components; and where the processing device is further configured to:
receive different user-configurable device speed modifier information entered separately by the user for each individual cooling device; and
separately and differently modify the device speed response of each given one of the multiple cooling devices to the device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information based on the different user-configurable device speed modifier information entered by the user for the given cooling device by applying the separate and different user-configurable device speed modifier information to the stored device speed control values specified for the given cooling device by the stored device speed control information at the current sensed temperature.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , where the processing device is further configured to provide a user interface for the user, the user interface comprising at least one text entry box configured to allow the user to enter the user-configurable device speed modifier information as numerical text.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , where the processing device is further configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for the user, the GUI comprising at least one of a manipulable GUI slider bar, manipulable GUI curve, or a combination thereof.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , where the processing device comprises an out-of-band processing device; and where out-of-band processing device is configured to receive the user-configurable device speed modifier information entered by the user of the information handling system during system boot of the information handling system.

8. A method for modifying cooling device response in an information handling system, comprising:
providing an information handling system comprising:
a chassis enclosure,
one or more heat generating components contained within the chassis enclosure,
one or more variable speed cooling devices configured to provide different flow rates of cooling fluid within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating components,
at least one processing device, and
persistent storage including device speed control information stored thereon, the device speed control information representing a pre-defined relationship between device speed control values and the sensed temperature reported by at least one of the temperature sensors;
sensing at least one of fluid temperature within the chassis enclosure, temperature of at least one of the heat generating components, or a combination thereof; and
using the at least one processing device to:
access the device speed control information stored on the persistent storage,
control device speed response of each of the cooling devices based on the pre-defined relationship between values of cooling device speed and the current sensed temperature defined by the device speed control information,
receive user-configurable device speed modifier information entered by a user of the information handling system, and
modify the device speed response of each of the cooling devices to the device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information based on the user-configurable device speed modifier information by applying the user-configurable device speed modifier information to the stored device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information at the current sensed temperature without changing the pre-defined relationship between values of cooling device speed and the current sensed temperature defined by the device speed control information and without decreasing the device speed of each of the cooling device speeds below a device speed corresponding to the stored device speed control values specified by the stored device speed control information at the current sensed temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , where the cooling devices each comprise a cooling fan; and where the stored device speed control information comprises at least one of a thermal table or a thermal curve.

10. The method of claim 8 , where the user-configurable device speed modifier information comprises a user-configurable device speed multiplier value entered by a user; and where the method further

Assignees

• Montero Adolfo S
• Locke Kevin B
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Montero Adolfo S
• Locke Kevin B

Classifications

• G05B2219/43074

  Control speed, acceleration so as to follow desired speed profile · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G05D23/1902 Primary

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

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title