Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8184422?ie=ISO-8859-1&dq=6,081,786
Timestamp: 2014-12-28 14:49:16
Document Index: 478993883

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 11', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 094124360', 'Application No. 094124360']

Patent US8184422 - Overheat detection in thermally controlled devices - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsSystems and methods of overheat detection provide for generating a control signal on a die containing a processor based on an internal temperature of the processor and a control temperature threshold. It can be determined whether to generate a warning temperature event on the die based on a behavior...http://www.google.com/patents/US8184422?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8184422 - Overheat detection in thermally controlled devicesAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS8184422 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/650,831Publication dateMay 22, 2012Filing dateDec 31, 2009Priority dateAug 6, 2004Also published asDE112005001884B4, US7656635, US20060034343, US20100102949, WO2006019837A1Publication number12650831, 650831, US 8184422 B2, US 8184422B2, US-B2-8184422, US8184422 B2, US8184422B2InventorsEfraim RotemOriginal AssigneeIntel CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (31), Non-Patent Citations (12), Classifications (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetOverheat detection in thermally controlled devicesUS 8184422 B2Abstract Systems and methods of overheat detection provide for generating a control signal on a die containing a processor based on an internal temperature of the processor and a control temperature threshold. It can be determined whether to generate a warning temperature event on the die based on a behavior of the control signal. In one embodiment, the warning temperature event provides for initiation of an automated data saving process, which reduces the abruptness of conventional warning temperature shutdowns. Other embodiments provide the user the option of saving his or her work before a shutdown temperature threshold is reached.
receiving a continuous analog signal representing an internal temperature for a processor by a comparator from a temperature measuring device;
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed on a die, the method further including generating a system shutdown signal on the die if the internal temperature reaches a shutdown temperature threshold.
a temperature measuring device to output a continuous analog signal representing an internal temperature for a processor;
a comparator to receive the continuous analog signal, to compare the continuous analog signal with a control temperature threshold, and to generate a control signal with a duty cycle based on the comparison; and
a tracking module to track an activity level of the control signal based on the duty cycle, and to generate a warning temperature event when the activity level of the control signal reaches a warning threshold.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tracking module includes a counter to indicate whether the activity level of the control signal has reached the warning threshold, the counter to increase if the control signal is active, and the counter to reset to a value below the warning threshold if the internal temperature falls below the control temperature threshold.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tracking module includes a counter to indicate whether the activity level of the control signal has reached the warning threshold, the counter to decrease if the control signal is active, and the counter to reset to a value above the warning threshold if the internal temperature falls below the control temperature threshold.
18. The apparatus of claim 13, further including a secondary temperature measurement device to measure a secondary internal temperature of the processor. Description
RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/912,977, filed on Aug. 6, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The popularity of computing systems continues to grow and the demand for mobile computing systems such as notebook personal computers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless �smart� phones, in particular, has experienced historical escalations. While the trend toward smaller computers and faster processing speeds has been desirable to consumers, it presents a number challenges to computer designers as well as manufacturers. A particular area of concern relates to overheating.
Modern approaches to on-die overheat detection in computer processors involve the establishment of a temperature �guard band� defined by a lower temperature threshold and an upper temperature threshold. An internal temperature of the processor is monitored and when the internal temperature crosses the lower threshold of the guard band, thermal management techniques such as clock throttling or voltage/frequency scaling are activated. FIG. 1A shows a thermal management plot 10 in which a guard band is defined by a lower control temperature threshold 12 and an upper shutdown temperature threshold 14. When the internal temperature curve 16 reaches the lower threshold 12, thermal management is activated, which if successful, brings the average temperature 18 down over time. FIG. 1B, on the other hand, shows a plot 21 having an internal temperature curve 20 in which thermal management is unsuccessful and the average temperature 22 increases over time. In such a case, the upper threshold 14 of the guard band is used to signal a system shutdown in order to prevent catastrophic failure. While such an approach has been acceptable under certain circumstances, there remains considerable room for improvement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 2 shows a processor 24 having a substantially improved architecture over conventional processors. The processor 24 implements an �on-die� thermal protection scheme in which internal temperature measurements such as temperature measurement 32 are made. In one embodiment, the temperature measurement 32 is a continuous signal taken from a thermal diode. The processor 24 could be similar to an Intel� Pentium�-M processor, available from Intel� Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif., and may be part of a mobile computing system such as a notebook personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless �smart� phone, and so on. While certain examples will be described with regard to mobile computing systems, the embodiments of the invention are not so limited. Indeed, any computing system in which overheating is an issue of concern can benefit from the principles described herein. Notwithstanding, there are a number of aspects of mobile computing systems for which the embodiments are well suited.
Generating the warning temperature event 34 based on the control signal 30 rather than the internal temperature measurement 32 enables the processor 24 to be much more responsive to unsuccessful thermal management techniques. For example, an undesirable trend in the control signal 30 could indicate failed thermal management long before the shutdown temperature threshold is reached. As a result, certain protective measures (e.g., data saving) can be taken in anticipation of a possible shutdown, making the shutdown process much less abrupt. The advance notice also enables the control temperature threshold to be set at a much higher value without concern over �runaway� throttling. The higher control temperature threshold provides for a smaller guard band, larger thermal envelope and a greater processor performance for a given box.
FIGS. 4A-4C demonstrate various approaches to implementing the counter 42 (FIG. 3). For example, FIG. 4A shows a counter 44 that can be readily substituted for the counter 42 (FIG. 3), already discussed. The illustrated counter 44 is able to count either up or down depending upon the status of the control signal 30′, and effectively integrates the control signal 30′ over time. The counter 44 counts until it reaches either an upper or lower saturation point and can therefore be viewed as a �saturated� counter. In this embodiment, the counter 44 increases while the control signal 30′ is active and decreases while the control signal 30′ is inactive. Signal 30′ will be active while the temperature decreases (thermal control is active) and inactive while the temperature increases. Heating and cooling is a symmetric behavior�for example, the rate at which the processor heats equals the rate at which the processor cools down. A duty cycle of fifty percent indicates that the temperature is stable. Thus, the duty cycle of the control signal 30′ effectively determines whether a warning temperature event 34′ (FIG. 3) will be generated.
Returning now to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the illustrated processor 24′ uses a comparator 26′ as a control device, where the comparator 26′ generates the control signal 30′ based on an internal temperature measurement provided by a thermal diode 46. The biasing value of X� C. therefore represents the control temperature threshold, which is the lower threshold of the guard band. The processor 24′ also includes a shutdown device such as comparator 48, which generates a system shutdown signal 50 if the internal temperature reaches a shutdown temperature threshold. The shutdown temperature threshold can be the upper threshold of the guard band and is shown as Y� C. in the illustrated embodiment. Thus, the size of the guard band for the processor 24′ equals Y minus X. As already noted, the use of the highly accurate tracking module 28′ enables the control temperature threshold to be increased, which reduces the size of the guard band. It should also be noted that the comparator 48 may in fact be removed, as the tracking module 28′ could replace its functionality. Nevertheless, the temperature Y� C. still represents the highest allowable operation temperature.
The system 54 also has an input/output (I/O) device 66 and a non-volatile memory (NVM) subsystem 68 coupled to the processor 24′ through the chipset 60. The NVM subsystem 68 includes a memory device such as magnetic disk ROM, compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), etc., and is able to retain data after power has been removed from the subsystem 68. In this regard, the NVM subsystem 68 could respond to the warning temperature event 34′ by supporting an automated data saving process in which data in a volatile memory of the processor 24′, embedded controller 58, or other component can be stored prior to system shutdown. Alternatively, the data could be written to a volatile memory (not shown) that operates on a different power source than the processor 34′. The warning temperature event 34′ could also provide for a user notification that is transmitted to the I/O device 66 and recommends that a user of the system 54 initiate a manual data saving process. Such an approach might generate a message such as �Warning temperature shutdown pending�save all work.� Furthermore, generating the warning temperature event could involve initiating an OS low power mode such as a sleep mode or a hibernate mode.
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