Patent ID: 8392035

Claim:
A method for cooling a heat-generating component in an electronic device with a cooling system having a passive cooling device and an active cooling device, said passive cooling device comprising a phase change material that is in a solid state at a first range of temperatures and melts into a liquid state at a predetermined temperature, said phase change material having a cooling ability designed to substantially expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component, and wherein the active cooling device requires electrical energy to provide cooling and the passive cooling device requires no electrical energy to provide cooling, said method comprising: determining, by a processor, that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition indicates that the cooling ability of the passive cooling device has expired, wherein the passive cooling device is to cool the heat-generating component without operation of the active cooling device until the predetermined threshold condition occurs; and activating, by the processor, the active cooling device in response to a determination that the predetermined threshold condition has occurred to dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device when the active cooling device is activated, and wherein the active cooling device is to dissipate heat directly from the heat-generating component without the heat being first directed through the passive cooling device.