# US 10,372,575 B1 · Systems and methods for detecting and removing accumulated debris from a cooling air path within an information handling system chassis enclosure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,575 B1 - Document ID: US10372575B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/884,972 - Filed: 2018-01-31 - Published: 2019-08-01 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Travis C. North; Karunakar P. Reddy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372575B1 ## CPC - G06F 11/2736: {using a dedicated service processor for test} - G06F 1/20: Cooling means - G06F 1/203: {for portable computers, e.g. for laptops} - G06F 1/206: {comprising thermal management} - G06F 11/24: Marginal checking {or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests} - H05K 7/20209: {Thermal management, e.g. fan control} - H05K 7/20909: {Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components} - H05K 7/20136: {Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans (H05K7/202 takes precedence)} - H05K 7/20745: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to detect impaired flow of cooling air within a chassis enclosure of an information handling system during system operation, and to implement a diagnostic or system boot mode to reverse direction of cooling air flow through the chassis enclosure after such detection of impeded cooling air flow so as to remove any dust or other accumulated debris that is causing the impeded cooling air flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information handling system, comprising: a chassis enclosure having at least one inlet defined in the chassis enclosure and at least one outlet defined in the chassis enclosure; at least one heat-generating component disposed within the chassis enclosure; at least one cooling fan disposed within the chassis enclosure, the cooling fan configured to draw in air from outside the chassis enclosure through the inlet into the interior of the chassis enclosure to move the air in a first direction through a first air flow path within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat-generating component and to expel the air from the interior of the chassis enclosure through the outlet, and to selectably draw in air from outside the chassis enclosure through the outlet into the interior of the chassis enclosure to move the air in a second direction through a second air flow path within the chassis enclosure to expel the cooling air from the interior of the chassis enclosure through the inlet; at least one pressure sensor disposed within the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure; and at least one processing device coupled to the pressure sensor to monitor the real time air pressure within the first air flow path and coupled to the cooling fan to selectably control an operation of the cooling fan to change the direction the cooling fan moves the air through the chassis enclosure from the first direction to the second direction based on the monitored air pressure within the first air flow path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the processing device is programmed to compare an absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path to a predefined absolute pressure threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction through the first air flow path; and to control the cooling fan to move air in the second direction through the second air flow path only if the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the processing device is programmed to compare an absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path to a predefined absolute pressure threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction through the first air flow path; and to provide an alert indication to a user of the information handling system only if the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, comprising at least two pressure sensors disposed at different respective locations within the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure; where the processing device is programmed to compare an absolute value of the difference in real time monitored air pressure at the two different pressure sensors to a predefined absolute pressure difference threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction; and to take at least one of the following actions only if the absolute value of the difference in real time monitored air pressure meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure difference threshold value: provide an alert indication to a user of the information handling system; or control the cooling fan to move air in the second direction through the second air flow path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the pressure sensor is disposed within the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure between the cooling fan and the at least one outlet defined in the chassis enclosure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the pressure sensor is disposed within the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure between the cooling fan and the at least one inlet defined in the chassis enclosure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the processing device is programmed to control the cooling fan to move air in the second direction through the second air flow path to dislodge at least a portion of debris that have previously accumulated in one or more structures positioned in the first air flow path during movement of air in the first direction through the chassis enclosure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where at least a portion of the first air flow path and the second air flow path are the same. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the processing device is programmed to: control the cooling fan to continue to move air in the first direction through the first air flow path after detecting that the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value; then control the cooling fan to temporarily move air in the second direction through the second air flow path only at the occurrence of the next system boot; and then control the cooling fan to again move air in the first direction through the first air flow path after temporarily moving air in the second direction through the second air flow path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the processing device is programmed to: control the cooling fan to continue to move air in the first direction through the first air flow path after detecting that the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value; and then control the cooling fan to temporarily move air in the second direction through the second air flow path only upon execution of a diagnostic routine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The information handling system of claim 1, where the chassis enclosure is a base component of a notebook computer. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: controlling at least one cooling fan disposed within a chassis enclosure of an information handling system to draw in air from outside the chassis enclosure through at least one inlet defined in the chassis enclosure into the interior of the chassis enclosure to move the air in a first direction through a first air flow path within the chassis enclosure to cool at least one heat-generating component within the chassis enclosure and to expel the air from the interior of the chassis enclosure through at least one outlet defined in the chassis enclosure; monitoring real time air pressure within the first air flow path while the cooling fan is moving the air in the first direction through the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure; and controlling the at least one cooling fan based on the monitored air pressure within the first air flow path to change the direction that air moves though the chassis enclosure from the first direction to a different and second direction so as to draw in air from outside the chassis enclosure through the outlet into the interior of the chassis enclosure and move the air in a second direction through a second air flow path within the chassis enclosure to expel the cooling air from the interior of the chassis enclosure through the inlet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing an absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path to a predefined absolute pressure threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction through the first air flow path; and controlling the cooling fan to move air in the second direction through the second air flow path only if the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing an absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path to a predefined absolute pressure threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction through the first air flow path; and to providing an alert indication to a user of the information handling system only if the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring real time air pressure within the first air flow path at two or more locations disposed at different respective locations within the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure; comparing an absolute value of the difference in real time monitored air pressure at the two different locations to a predefined absolute pressure difference threshold value while the cooling fan is moving air in the first direction; and taking at least one of the following actions only if the absolute value of the difference in real time monitored air pressure meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure difference threshold value: providing an alert indication to a user of the information handling system; or controlling the cooling fan to change the direction that air moves though the chassis enclosure from the first direction to the second direction through the second air flow path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, were the step of monitoring real time air pressure within the first air flow path while the cooling fan is moving the air in the first direction comprises monitoring the real time air pressure at a location in the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure between the cooling fan and the at least one outlet defined in the chassis enclosure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, were the step of monitoring real time air pressure within the first air flow path while the cooling fan is moving the air in the first direction comprises monitoring the real time air pressure at a location in the first air flow path within the chassis enclosure between the at least one inlet and the cooling fan. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling the cooling fan to temporarily move air in the second direction through the second air flow path to dislodge at least a portion of debris that have previously accumulated in one or more structures positioned in the first air flow path during movement of air in the first direction through the chassis enclosure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling the cooling fan to continue to move air in the first direction through the first air flow path after detecting that the absolute value of the real time monitored air pressure within the first air flow path meets or exceeds the predefined absolute pressure threshold value; and then controlling the cooling fan to temporarily move air in the second direction through the second air flow path only at the occurrence of at least one of the next system boot, or execution of a diagnostic routine; and then controlling the cooling fan to again move air in the first direction through the first air flow path after temporarily moving air in the second direction through the second air flow path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where the chassis enclosure is a base component of a notebook computer.