Separate customizable thermal control table

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9417672-B2
Application number	US-201213436413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing customized thermal control data structures. The default thermal control data structure is typically stored in a first storage device of the IOS module of the information processing system. A custom thermal control data structure is stored on a second storage device that is separately updatable from the first storage device. The thermal cooling module that provides cooling for the information processing system is directed to use the custom thermal control data structure for cooling components of the information processing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a thermal cooling circuit that drives a fan;
an input output (IO) circuit coupled to an input output system (IOS) circuit and comprising a first storage device that stores a default thermal control data structure and that communicates with the thermal cooling circuit over the IO circuit;
a second storage device that is only in communication with the thermal cooling circuit and that communicates with the IOS circuit through the thermal cooling circuit and the IO circuit;
a processor that stores a custom thermal control data structure in the second storage device, wherein the second storage device is separately updatable through the thermal cooling circuit; and
the processor further writes entries to configuration registers for the thermal control circuit in response to a selection of the custom thermal control data structure, wherein the entries direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the custom thermal control data structure on the second storage device to control cooling one or more components of an information processing system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the thermal control circuit further receiving one or more values for the custom thermal control data structure and updating the custom thermal control data structure with the one or more values.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal cooling circuit uses the default thermal control data structure by default.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor writes the entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the custom thermal control data structure in response to a user selecting the custom thermal control data structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal control circuit that receives a selection of the custom thermal control data structure from a user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor further restores the custom thermal control data structure to values in the default thermal control data structure in response to the IOS circuit being restored to default values.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor further writes alternate entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the default thermal control data structure stored in the first storage device in response to the custom thermal control data structure being corrupted.

8. A method comprising:
storing a default thermal control data structure in a first storage device of an input output system (IOS) circuit that communicates with a thermal cool circuit over an input output (IO) circuit, wherein the thermal cooling circuit drives a fan;
storing a custom thermal control data structure in a second storage device that is only in communication with the thermal cooling circuit, wherein the second storage device communicates with the IOS circuit through the thermal cooling circuit and the IO circuit, and is separately updatable through the thermal cooling circuit;
receiving a selection of the custom thermal control data structure; and
writing entries to configuration registers for the thermal control circuit in response to the selection of the custom thermal control data structure, wherein the entries direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the custom thermal control data structure on the second storage device to control cooling one or more components of an information processing system.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving one or more values for the custom thermal control data structure and updating the custom thermal control data structure with the one or more values.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising restoring the custom thermal control data structure to values in the default thermal control data structure in response to the IOS circuit being restored to default values.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising initially populating the custom thermal control data structure with one or more values in the default thermal control data structure.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising writing alternate entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the default thermal control data structure stored in the first storage device in response to the custom thermal control data structure being corrupted.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising writing alternate entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the default thermal control data structure stored in the first storage device in response to the information processing system being started in a safe mode.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage device storing machine readable code executed by a processor to perform the operations of:
storing a default thermal control data structure in a first storage device of an input output system (IOS) circuit that communicates with a thermal cool circuit over an input output (IO) circuit, wherein the thermal cooling circuit drives a fan;
storing a custom thermal control data structure in a second storage device that is only in communication with the thermal cooling circuit, wherein the second storage device communicates with the IOS circuit through the thermal cooling circuit and the IO circuit, and is separately updatable through the thermal cooling circuit;
receiving a selection of the custom thermal control data structure; and
writing entries to configuration registers for the thermal control circuit in response to the selection of the custom thermal control data structure, wherein the entries direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the custom thermal control data structure on the second storage device to control cooling one or more components of an information processing system in response to receiving the selection.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising receiving one or more values for the custom thermal control data structure and updating the custom thermal control data structure with the one or more values.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising restoring the custom thermal control data structure to values in the default thermal control data structure in response to the IOS being restored to default values.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising initially populating the custom thermal control data structure with one or more values in the default thermal control data structure.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising writing alternate entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the default thermal control data structure stored in the first storage device in response to the custom thermal control data structure being corrupted.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising writing alternate entries to the configuration registers to direct the thermal cooling circuit to use the default thermal control data structure stored in the first storage device in response to the information processing system being started in a safe mode.

Assignees

• Pamley Marc Richard
• Ali Omar Ali
• Chapman Cory Allen
• Farrow Timothy Samuel
• Keown Jr William Fred
• Makley Albert Vincent
• Pfaltzgraff James A
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Pamley Marc Richard
• Ali Omar Ali
• Chapman Cory Allen
• Farrow Timothy Samuel
• Keown Jr William Fred
• Makley Albert Vincent
• Pfaltzgraff James A

Classifications

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title