# US 12,120,843 B2 · Fan management system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,843 B2 - Document ID: US12120843B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/474,878 - Filed: 2021-09-14 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-16 - Assignees: Delta Electronics, Inc. - Applicants: Delta Electronics, Inc. - Inventors: Chia-Feng Wu; Chien-Sheng Lin; Ming-Lung Liu; Hsin-Ming Hsu; Yun-Hua Chao; Po-Tsun Chen; Yueh-Lung Huang; Jung-Yuan Chen; Yu-Cheng Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120843B2 ## CPC - H05K 7/20209: {Thermal management, e.g. fan control} - H05K 7/20727: {within server blades for removing heat from heat source} - G05B 6/02: electric - H05K 7/20172: {Fan mounting or fan specifications} - H05K 7/20836: {Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A fan management system includes a fan and a server. The fan includes a driving circuit, and the driving circuit is configured for driving the fan. The fan operates in an operation mode. The server is connected to the fan and is configured for controlling the operation of the fan. The driving circuit outputs a digital label signal when the fan operates abnormally, and the server obtains a production history, an operation information and a warning message of the fan through the digital label signal. The server adjusts the operation mode of the fan according to the warning message simultaneously. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fan management system, comprising: a fan comprising a driving circuit, wherein the driving circuit is configured for driving the fan, and the fan operates in an operation mode; and a server connected to the fan and configured for controlling the operation of the fan; wherein the driving circuit outputs a digital label signal when the fan operates abnormally, and the server obtains a production history, an operation information and a warning message of the fan through the digital label signal, wherein the server adjusts the operation mode of the fan according to the warning message, wherein the warning message of the fan comprises a life evaluation to the fan, the life evaluation comprises at least one of a voltage usage time of the fan, the real-time voltage and current value of the fan, the temperature detection to the fan, and the dust and foreign object detection to the fan, wherein the driving circuit has a frequency generation pin, the frequency generation pin outputs the digital label signal when the fan operates abnormally, and the frequency generation pin continuously outputs a rotation speed signal when the fan operates normally. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein the life evaluation to the fan comprises utilizing a counter of the fan to record the voltage usage time of the fan, when the voltage usage time exceeds a preset time, the fan generates the warning message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein the life evaluation to the fan comprises utilizing a temperature detection result of the fan by the thermal sensor, a rotation speed detection result of the fan by the rotation speed detection device, a Webber shape parameter, and a counter parameter to calculate a total residual life of the fan as the life evaluation of the fan, the fan generates the warning message when the total residual life of the fan is lower than a predetermined residual life. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein the production history comprises at least one of a production date, a production location, a production line information, a supplier, a supplier production number, a customer production number and a fan version of the fan. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein the operation information comprises at least one of a voltage, a current, a rotation speed, a temperature, an operation time and an error code of the fan. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server immediately when the fan is activated, or the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server when the fan operates for a predetermined period of time after being activated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fan management system according to claim 6, wherein the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server after the predetermined period of time when the server outputs a specific pulse width modulation signal to the driving circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fan management system according to claim 1, wherein when the server inputs an operation mode adjustment command to the fan to control the fan to operate in one of the first to fifth operation modes, the fan outputs a confirmation signal to the server to confirm receipt of the operating mode adjustment command and operate in the specified operating mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fan management system according to claim 8, wherein when the server inputs an error signal to the fan, the fan outputs a repeated confirmation signal to the server to confirm the signal transmission of the server, and the fan continues to operate without adjusting the current operating mode. ### Claim 10 A fan management system, comprising: a fan comprising a driving circuit, wherein the driving circuit is configured for driving the fan, and the fan operates in an operation mode; and a server connected to the fan and configured for controlling the operation of the fan; wherein the driving circuit outputs a digital label signal when the fan operates abnormally, and the server obtains a production history, an operation information and a warning message of the fan through the digital label signal, wherein the server adjusts the operation mode of the fan according to the warning message, wherein the warning message of the fan comprises a life evaluation to the fan, the life evaluation comprises at least one of a voltage usage time of the fan, the real-time voltage and current value of the fan, the temperature detection to the fan, and the dust and foreign object detection to the fan, wherein the driving circuit has a rotation detection pin, the rotation detection pin outputs a rotation detection signal and the digital label signal when the fan operates abnormally, and the rotation detection pin stops outputting the rotation detection signal and the digital label signal when the fan is restarted or operates normally. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein the life evaluation to the fan comprises utilizing a counter of the fan to record the voltage usage time of the fan, when the voltage usage time exceeds a preset time, the fan generates the warning message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein the life evaluation to the fan comprises utilizing a temperature detection result of the fan by the thermal sensor, a rotation speed detection result of the fan by the rotation speed detection device, a Webber shape parameter, and a counter parameter to calculate a total residual life of the fan as the life evaluation of the fan, the fan generates the warning message when the total residual life of the fan is lower than a predetermined residual life. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein the production history comprises at least one of a production date, a production location, a production line information, a supplier, a supplier production number, a customer production number and a fan version of the fan. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein the operation information comprises at least one of a voltage, a current, a rotation speed, a temperature, an operation time and an error code of the fan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server immediately when the fan is activated, or the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server when the fan operates for a predetermined period of time after being activated. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fan management system according to claim 15, wherein the driving circuit outputs the digital label signal to the server after the predetermined period of time when the server outputs a specific pulse width modulation signal to the driving circuit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The fan management system according to claim 10, wherein when the server inputs an operation mode adjustment command to the fan to control the fan to operate in one of the first to fifth operation modes, the fan outputs a confirmation signal to the server to confirm receipt of the operating mode adjustment command and operate in the specified operating mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The fan management system according to claim 17, wherein when the server inputs an error signal to the fan, the fan outputs a repeated confirmation signal to the server to confirm the signal transmission of the server, and the fan continues to operate without adjusting the current operating mode.