Patent ID: 8395898

Claim:
A cooling apparatus for operation in a mobile computing device, comprising: one or more heat pipes, wherein each of the one or more heat pipes comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is configured for contact with one or more electronic components and the second portion is configured for contact with one or more heat sinks; a first heat sink thermally connected to the second portion of the one or more heat pipes and exposed to the environment, wherein the first heat sink is operable to transfer heat energy to the environment via convection; a second heat sink thermally connected to the one or more heat pipes and exposed to the environment, wherein the second heat sink is operable to transfer heat energy to the environment via convection; an air flow device coupled to the first heat sink, wherein operation of the air flow device increases heat transfer across the first heat sink; a controller operable to monitor the electronic components for one or more threshold conditions and operable to activate or deactivate the air flow device; and a battery for powering the controller, the air flow device, and the one or more electronic components, wherein the one or more heat pipes, the first heat sink and the second heat sink are configured to transfer, to the ambient air, heat energy generated by the one or more electronic components in the mobile computing device operating in an ambient air temperature less than 25 degrees Celsius, wherein the one or more heat pipes, the first heat sink, the second heat sink and the air flow device are configured to transfer, to the ambient air, heat energy generated by the one or more electronic components in the mobile computing device operating at 100% CPU speed in an ambient air less than 60 degrees Celsius.