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US 10,897,832 B2Granted
Fan control based on a time-variable rate of current
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJenseng J S Chen, Jung-Tai Chen, Tsung-Yu Chen, Edward Yu-Chen Kung, Tzongli Lin, Bruce A. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fan control system includes a fan and a target device. The fan control system includes a controller to control the rotation speed of the fan. The controller controls the rotation speed according to a time-variable rate of current consumed by the target device. Particularly, when the time-variable rate of current exceeds a threshold, the controller controls the fan to operate at a maximum rotation speed.
Claims17
A fan control system comprising:
- a computer system including a fan and at least one target device,
- a controller to control a rotation speed of the fan, wherein the controller adjusts the rotation speed of the fan according to a time-variable rate of current consumed by the target device and an operation state of the target device, and
- the controller to controllably drive the fan to operate at a maximum rotation speed when the operation state is a first predetermined state and the time-variable rate of current exceeds a first predetermined value, wherein the first predetermined state comprises a first power state (PS) mode at least partially defined with a first current consumed by the target device and at least one second PS mode at least partially defined with at least one second current consumed by the target device, wherein the first current is greater than the second current, and the first PS mode defines the first predetermined value as a threshold value for the time-variable rate of current, the threshold variable associated with driving the fan to operate at the maximum rotation speed, and the second PS mode defines the second predetermined value as a reference value for the time-variable rate of current, the reference value associated with the predetermined operation of waking of a multi-core processor to absorb at least a portion of an increase in the second current.
A method comprising:
- configuring a computer system with a fan in communication with a target device, and a controller connected to the fan;
- controlling a rotation speed of the fan, including the controller adjusting the rotation speed of the fan according to a time-variable rate of current consumed by the target device and an operation state of the target device;
- and
- controllably driving the fan to operate at a maximum rotation speed when the operation state is a first predetermined state and the time-variable rate of current exceeds a first predetermined value, wherein the first predetermined state comprises a first power state (PS) mode at least partially defined with a first current consumed by the target device and at least one second PS mode at least partially defined with at least one second current consumed by the target device, wherein the first current is greater than the second current, and the first PS mode defines the first predetermined value as a threshold value for the time-variable rate of current, the threshold variable associated with driving the fan to operate at the maximum rotation speed, and the second PS mode defines the second predetermined value as a reference value for the time-variable rate of current, the reference value associated with the predetermined operation of waking of a multi-core processor to absorb at least a portion of an increase in the second current.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.