Patent ID: 7610164

Claim:
A method for controlling a thermal expansion of a power dissipating device based on heat generated by power dissipation, comprising: during a calibration step: receiving a first data input value representing a known amount of a reference electrical power to be dissipated by the power dissipating device prior to device operation; executing an algorithm to convert the first data input value into a component of the reference electrical power in order to establish a mathematical relationship between the first data input value and an amount of electrical power dissipated by the power dissipating device; adjusting the amount of electrical power dissipated by the power dissipating device to determine a calibration factor that modifies the component of the reference electrical power to establish an operating calibration factor for the power dissipating device; during a power control step: receiving a second data input value that represents a determined electrical power to be dissipated by the power dissipating device in operation; executing an algorithm to convert the second data input value into a component of the determined electrical power to be dissipated by the power dissipating device in operation; adjusting the component of the determined electrical power by the established operating calibration factor; and setting the operating electrical power of the device according to the adjusted component of the determined electrical power.