Thermal and power management to computer systems
OwnerC. Douglass Thomas, Alan E. Thomasinventors
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Abstract
Improved approaches to providing thermal and power management for a computing device are disclosed. These approaches facilitate intelligent control of a processor's clock frequency and/or a fan's speed so as to provide thermal and/or power management for the computing device.
Claims52
A computing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing unit, said processing unit executes instructions in accordance with a clock signal having a clock frequency;
- a temperature sensor that monitors temperature of said processing unit;
- an activity detector that monitors activity of said processing unit;
- and
- a clock control unit operatively connected to said processing unit and said temperature sensor and said activity detector, said clock control unit operates to alter the clock frequency of the clock signal in a gradual and dynamic manner based on the temperature of said processing unit as monitored by said temperature sensor and on the activity of said processing unit as monitored by said activity detector.
A computer, comprising:
- a processor, said processor processes instructions in accordance with a clock signal;
- an activity detector operatively connected to said processor, said activity detector monitors activity of said processor, said activity detector determines whether said processor is in normal power mode or a reduced power mode;
- a fan;
- and
- a fan controller, said fan controller controls the speed of said fan in accordance with the activity of said processor such that the speed of said fan is less utilized when said processor is in the reduced power mode than when said processor is in the normal power mode.
A computer as recited in 6, wherein the reduced power mode includes at least a sleep state.
A computer, comprising:
- a processor that operates in accordance with a clock, the clock having a clock frequency;
- a temperature sensor that provides a temperature indication;
- and
- a fan;
- and
- a thermal manager operatively connected to said microprocessor and said fan, said thermal manager being configured to receive the temperature indication from said temperature sensor, and said thermal manager activates said fan when the temperature indication indicates that primary thermal management is required, and subsequently reduces the clock frequency of the clock for said processor when the temperature indication indicates that supplemental thermal management is required even after said fan has been activated.
A method for providing thermal management for a computer, the computer including at least a processor and a cooling fan, said method comprising:
- monitoring temperature of the processor;
- activating a cooling fan when the temperature of the processor indicates that primary thermal management is requires;
- and
- subsequently reducing operational clock frequency of the processor when the temperature of the processor indicates that supplemental thermal management is required even after the cooling fan has been activated.
A method for providing thermal management for a computer, the computer including at least a processor and a cooling fan, said method comprising:
- monitoring temperature of the processor;
- monitoring activity of the processor;
- activating a cooling fan when the temperature and the activity of the processor indicate that primary thermal management is required;
- and
- subsequently reducing operational clock frequency of the processor when the temperature and the activity of the processor indicate that supplemental thermal management is required even after the cooling fan has been activated.
A method for providing thermal management for a computer, the computer including at least a processor and a cooling fan, said method comprising:
- monitoring temperature of the processor;
- comparing the temperature of the processor with at least a first temperature threshold and a second predetermined temperature, the second predetermined temperature corresponding to a greater temperature than the first predetermined temperature;
- activating a cooling fan when the temperature of the processor exceeds the first predetermined temperature;
- and
- reducing operational clock frequency of the processor when the temperature of the processor exceeds the second predetermined temperature,
- wherein the cooling fan provides primary thermal management and reduction in the operational clock frequency of the processor provides secondary thermal management.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.