Patent Abstract:
A method and system for reducing the temperature of a communication system are disclosed. The method and system comprise detecting a temperature of the communication system. The method and system further includes providing a signal based upon the detected temperature, and determining a desired idle time between transmit packets based upon the signal. Finally, the method and system includes sending the desired idle time between transmit packets to the communication system.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to digital communication systems and more specifically to reducing the temperature in such systems. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In semiconductor technology, both the sizing and geometry of integrated circuits have consistently become smaller and smaller over the years, causing more hardware circuitry to be packed within each chip package or die. As a result of integrating more functionality and power amplifiers within each unit area, operating temperatures of many integrated circuits have become exceedingly high resulting in system instability and failure. 
         [0003]    One approach to resolving the issue of high temperature integrated circuitry is the addition of a heat sink on the integrated circuit package. However, this solution substantially increases the manufacturing costs. 
         [0004]    A second approach to reducing the integrated circuit temperature is to reduce the transmitter output power of the communication system. However, this method also decreases the wireless transmission range of the communication system. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system for reducing the temperature in an integrated circuit board. The method and system should be cost effective, easily implemented and adaptable to existing environments. The present invention addresses such a need. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention satisfies this need, and presents a method and system for reducing the temperature of an integrated circuit. To achieve the above object, the present method is described as detecting a temperature of a communication system. The method and system further includes providing a signal based upon the detected temperature, and determining a desired idle time between transmit packets based upon the signal. Finally, the method and system includes sending the desired idle time between transmit packets to the communication system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The various features of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will be described in greater detail with reference to the following description, claims, and drawings, wherein reference numerals are reused, where appropriate, to indicate a correspondence between the referenced items, and wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a communication temperature control scheme in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a first embodiment of an algorithm used to implement the idle time decision block. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates the use of dual temperature threshold values in a second embodiment of an algorithm. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a RF transmitter system that utilizes the temperature control scheme in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    The present invention relates generally to digital communication systems and more specifically to reducing the temperature in such systems. 
         [0013]    The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. 
         [0014]    A method and system in accordance with the present invention uses a temperature control scheme to detect the temperature of either an integrated circuit or of the communication system itself. Once the temperature is detected, the temperature information is sent to and idle time decision block where an idle time between transmit packets is determined and later sent to a communication system. In doing so, both reliability and efficiency of the communication system are improved because lower temperatures are sustained while consuming less overall system power. The temperature control scheme in accordance with the present invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The temperature control scheme in accordance with the present invention can also be implemented in hardware or application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). 
         [0015]    The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or a semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk, and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include DVD, compact disk-read-only memory (CD-ROM), and compact disk—read/write (CD-R/W). To describe the features of the present invention in more detail, refer now to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying Figures. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a communication temperature control scheme  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The temperature control scheme  100  is shown within the context of an Open System Interconnection Reference Model (OSI Model) Communication System,  102 . The illustrated OSI Model  102  comprises a plurality of layers including: a physical layer  104 , a data link layer  106 , a network layer  108 , a transport layer  110 , a session layer  112 , a presentation layer  114 , and an application layer  116 . Each of these layers provides services to its upper layer while receiving services from the layer immediately below it. For example, the data link layer  106  may provide services to the “upper” network layer  108 , while simultaneously receiving services from the “lower” physical layer  104 . 
         [0017]    On this embodiment, a temperature sensor block  118  detects the temperature of the communication system  102 , and sends the information to an idle time decision block (ITDB)  120 . Based on the temperature received by the temperature sensor  118 , an ITDB  120  calculates a desired idle time between transmit packets. If the temperature has risen, the idle time is increased by the idle time block  120  in order to reduce the transmit duty cycle, and hence the temperature. If the temperature has fallen, the idle time is decreased by the ITDB  120  in order to increase the data throughput. The desired idle time between transmit packets is then sent to any of the seven layers of the OSI model communication system  102 , although in  FIG. 1  (by example) it is sent to the network layer  108 . The ITDB  120  can be implemented in either software or hardware. 
         [0018]    A key feature of the present invention is the ITDB  120  can be implemented in accordance with one or more algorithms. Two of these algorithms will be discussed further.  FIG. 2  illustrates a first embodiment of an algorithm  200  used to implement the ITDB  120  using a single temperature threshold value T t0 . A temperature signal threshold value T t0  ( 202 ) is evaluated against a temperature signal obtained from the temperature sensor  118  via decision block  201 . The detected temperature signal can be any signal such as voltage, current, temperature, displacement, stress, or strain, as long as the detected signal provides the temperature information. 
         [0019]    For example, in this embodiment, if the temperature from the temperature sensor  118  is more than the threshold value T t0  ( 202 ), the idle time will be increased between packets. However, if the temperature from the temperature sensor  118  is less than the signal threshold value T t0  ( 202 ), the idle time will be decreased between the packets. In so doing, the temperature of the device can be effectively controlled. Although this system works effectively, it has a disadvantage in some environments where the temperature fluctuates around the threshold value which may require the idle time to be adjusted frequently. 
         [0020]    Therefore, to address this issue, another possible approach to implementing the ITDB  120  involves the use of dual temperature threshold values.  FIG. 3  illustrates the use of dual temperature threshold values T t1  and T t2  in a second embodiment of an algorithm  300 . In this embodiment, the first threshold value T t1  ( 302 ) may be larger than the second threshold value T t2  ( 304 ). Both temperature threshold values T t1  ( 302 ) and T t2  ( 304 ) are evaluated against a temperature signal obtained from the temperature sensor ( 306 ). For example, in this embodiment, if the temperature signal from the temperature sensor  306  is larger than T t1  ( 302 ), the algorithm  300  sends a signal  308  to the network layer  108  to increase the idle time. If the temperature signal  310  from the temperature sensor  118  is smaller than T t2  ( 304 ), the algorithm  300  sends a signal to the network layer  108  to decrease the idle time. If the temperature signal is found to be within the range of T t1  ( 302 ) and T t2  ( 304 ), the algorithm  300  either sends no signal, or in the alternative, may send a signal  312  indicating no actions are required. This embodiment illustrates the advantage of using two threshold values because the need to make frequent adjustments to the idle time is greatly reduced. 
         [0021]    A method and system in accordance with the present invention can be utilized in a variety of environments.  FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a RF transmitter system  400  that utilizes the temperature control scheme  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The RF transmitter system  400  includes a software device driver  404 , coupled to a media access controller (MAC)  406 . 
         [0022]    A baseband processor (BBP)  408  is coupled to a RF transmitter  410 , and a power amplifier  412 . The temperature sensor block  118  detects the temperature of the integrated circuit or the system. Though in  FIG. 4  the temperature control scheme  100  is coupled to the software device driver  404 , it can also be coupled to the MAC  406  or the baseband processor  408 . Based on the temperature information, the ITDB  120  calculates the desired idle time between transmit packets. If the detected temperature information indicates that the temperature has risen, the idle time is increased in order to reduced the transmit duty cycle, and hence the temperature. If the detected temperature information indicates that the temperature has fallen, the idle time is decreased in order to increase the data throughput. The desired idle time between transmit packets is then sent to the software device driver  404 . In addition to being implemented as a separate block, the ITDB  120  can be implemented as part of the software device driver  404 , or within the MAC  406 . As before mentioned an ITDB  120  can be implemented in a variety of ways including but not limited to those disclosed in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0023]    One advantage of a system and method in accordance with the present invention is improved system reliability and performance because less power is consumed in the operation of the overall communication system. 
         [0024]    A second advantage of a system and method in accordance with the present invention is the reduced overall operating cost since less power is consumed in the operation of the overall communication system. 
         [0025]    A third advantage of a system and method in accordance with the present invention is the ability to operate the communication system with reduced temperatures without affecting the wireless transmission range since the transmitter output power does not need to be reduced. 
         [0026]    A fourth advantage is the elimination of the need of a head sink and/or an expensive IC package which would increase both the overall communication system cost and form factor. 
         [0027]    Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the sprit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8