JP2001117675A - Method and device for controlling power management - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain optimal state of power management by dynamically switching the setting of an active cleaning point and a public cleaning point, based on an outer factor during a system operation. SOLUTION: In this PC system for operating power management by adjusting the rotation of a cooling fan 14 or the processing capabilities of a CPU 13 or combining them, an outer event represented by the change of a power source driving state or the change of case body heat radiating characteristics due to the opening and closing operation of a display panel is detected by a drive power source detecting circuit 21 and a display panel opening and closing operation detecting circuit 22, and an active cleaning point and a public cleaning point are switched dynamically, during the system operation by a power management control circuit 11. Thus, the optimal power management can be realized in each state without troubling a user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of controlling rotation by a cooling fan and controlling the processing capacity of a CPU.
The present invention relates to a power management control method and a device suitable for use in a personal computer system for cooling mounted components including a PU.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of personal computers (PCs), small, lightweight and portable notebooks have become widespread in place of conventional desktops. This type of PC system is driven by a battery (AC adapter is also possible) due to its nature, and a liquid crystal (LCD) is used as a display panel.
In many cases, a flat type is used. By the way, the component which generates the most heat among the components of this type of PC system is the CPU which is the control center of the system.
If the CPU generates excessive heat, the entire system may stop due to thermal runaway. Conventionally, power management has been performed to prevent such a situation.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional system configuration for power management. Here, the power management control circuit 41 controls the processing capability of the CPU 43, which is the control center of the PC system, and the cooling fan 44.
, And heat management (hereinafter referred to as thermal management) is performed.

[0004] There are two types of thermal management, an active cooling type and a passive cooling type. Actually, either one or a combination of the two types is used.
Thermal management as the C system is performed. The active cooling system discharges heat by rotating the cooling fan 44, thereby maximizing the processing capacity of the CPU 43. On the other hand, the active cooling system also has disadvantages of increasing power consumption and generating noise due to the cooling fan 44. Have.

On the other hand, the passive cooling system uses a CPU.
The processing capability of 43 is controlled using a CPU processing capability control signal 48. If the processing capacity is reduced, the heat generation of the CPU 43 is suppressed, so that the heat management of the PC system can be performed without turning the cooling fan 44 as much as possible. The advantage obtained here is that the cooling fan 44 does not need to be rotated as much as possible, so that quietness and power saving are excellent.
It also has the disadvantage that the processing capacity of U43 is reduced.

[0006]

By the way, two temperature thresholds of an active cooling point and a passive cooling point can be set in the temperature sensor 42 in advance. The active cooling point defines the rotation and stop temperatures of the cooling fan 44, and the passive cooling point defines whether the CPU 43 can perform the processing capability control.

Conventionally, the temperature thresholds of the active cooling point and the passive cooling point are fixed during the operation of the system. This has the advantage of ensuring the maximum, but has the disadvantage of increasing power consumption and generating noise due to the cooling fan 44. On the other hand, when the set value of the passive cooling point is lower than the set value of the active cooling point, there is an advantage that quietness and power saving are excellent, but there is a disadvantage that the processing capacity of the CPU 43 is reduced accordingly. Was.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a PC system for performing power management by adjusting the rotation of a cooling fan or the processing capability of a CPU, or by a combination thereof, In addition to the above, dynamic switching between the active cooling point and the passive cooling point during system operation in response to an external event represented by a change in the power supply drive form or a change in the heat dissipation characteristics of the housing due to the opening / closing operation of the display panel Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a power management control method and an apparatus thereof, which can realize optimal power management in each state without bothering the user.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a power management control method of the present invention is performed by controlling an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of a cooling fan and a processing capability of a CPU. One of the passive cooling modes or a combination thereof is executed, and an optimal mode is selected by comparing a temperature detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the system with a temperature threshold set in advance for each mode. A personal computer system that performs power management by detecting the type of power supply that drives the PC system during system operation, and reflects the detected power on the setting of the temperature threshold for the mode selection.

When the power source for driving the system is changed from battery driving or from AC adapter to battery driving, the temperature threshold is changed from active cooling mode to passive cooling mode, and the AC adapter or from battery driving to AC adapter is changed. In this case, the optimum temperature mode can be dynamically selected by resetting the temperature threshold to the active cooling mode> the passive cooling mode.

Further, the power management control method according to the present invention is executed in any one of an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of a cooling fan and a passive cooling mode performed by controlling the processing capability of a CPU, or a combination thereof. It is used in a personal computer system that performs power management by selecting an optimal mode by comparing a temperature detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the system with a temperature threshold set in advance for each mode, During operation of the system, the system main body including the input device detects an opening / closing operation of a display panel rotatably mounted via a hinge mechanism, and reflects the detected operation on setting of a temperature threshold for the mode selection. .

When the display panel is in the double-page spread state, the temperature threshold is reset to the active cooling mode> passive cooling mode, and when the display panel is closed, the temperature threshold is reset to the active cooling mode <passive cooling mode. By doing so, it is possible to dynamically select an optimal mode.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a power management apparatus according to the present invention includes a fan for cooling a CPU mounted on a personal computer system, an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of the cooling fan, and a process for the CPU. Any of the passive cooling modes performed by controlling the performance, or executed by a combination thereof, a temperature detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the personal computer system, and a temperature threshold set in advance for each of the modes. Or a power management control circuit that performs power management by selecting an optimum mode by comparing with a temperature threshold value reset by a drive power supply detection circuit, and a system during operation of the PC system. Detects the type of power that dynamic and having a said driving power supply detection circuit to be reflected in the setting of temperature threshold value for the mode selection.

A power management control device according to the present invention includes a fan for cooling a CPU mounted on a personal computer system, an active cooling mode for controlling the rotation of the cooling fan,
A temperature detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the personal computer system, which is executed in any one of or a combination of passive cooling modes performed by controlling the processing capacity of the personal computer system, and a temperature previously set for each of the modes. A power management control circuit for performing power management by selecting an optimal mode by comparing a threshold value or a temperature threshold value reset by a display panel opening / closing operation detection circuit; and operation of the PC system. The system panel including the input device, the display panel opening / closing operation detection that detects the opening / closing operation of a display panel rotatably mounted via a hinge mechanism and reflects the result on resetting of a temperature threshold for the mode selection. And a circuit.

In the above configuration, the drive power supply detection circuit outputs an AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal when power is supplied to the personal computer system via the AC adapter. An event detection signal is generated when the display panel is set to the facing state. These event detection signals are monitored by a power management control circuit. The power management control circuit detects either the rising or falling of the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal or the display panel opening / closing event detection signal and outputs a C signal.
Notify the PU of an interrupt. In response to this, the CPU recognizes the change in the power supply driving mode and the open / closed state of the LCD panel via the power management control circuit.

In response to an external event represented by a change in the power supply driving mode or a change in the heat radiation characteristic of the housing due to the opening / closing operation of the display panel, the power management control circuit activates the active cooling point during system operation. And the passive cooling point are dynamically switched to realize optimal power management in each state without bothering the user. As a result, the power management mode optimal for each case is automatically selected and executed, the life of the battery is prolonged when the battery is driven, and the reliability of the thermal management as a personal computer system is improved.

[0017]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is different from the conventional example shown in FIG. 4 in that a drive power supply detection circuit 21 and a display panel opening / closing operation detection circuit 22 are added, and that the outputs of these circuits 21 and 22 are supplied to the power management control circuit 11. is there. The power management control circuit 11, the temperature sensor 12, the CPU 13, and the cooling fan 14 shown in FIG. 1 correspond to and are the same as the blocks 41, 42, 43, and 44 shown in FIG.

The drive power detection circuit 21 transmits "AC adapter insertion / removal" to the power management control circuit 11 as an event (AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal). Here, a liquid crystal monitor (LC) is used as a display panel.
D) shall be used. The display panel opening / closing operation detection circuit 22 transmits “LCD panel opening / closing” to the power management control circuit 11 as an event (LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal). The personal computer (PC) system assumed here has a main body housing including an input device such as a keyboard, on which an LCD panel is rotatably mounted via a hinge mechanism.
The opening / closing operation of the panel is detected by a micro switch built in the vicinity of the hinge. The micro switch is set to “OFF” when the LCD panel is set to the double-page spread state when the PC system is used, and is set to “ON” when the PC is not used and the LCD panel is folded and carried.

In the above-described configuration, the drive power supply detection circuit 21 is configured such that an AC adapter is inserted into the PC system,
When power is supplied to the system via the AC adapter, a "LOW" level signal is output as the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23. When the AC adapter is disconnected, the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection is performed. A “HIGH” level signal is output as the signal 23.
The AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 is monitored by the power management control circuit 11, and the power management control circuit 11 detects either the rise or fall of the AC adapter An interrupt (interrupt request signal 16) is notified. The CPU 13 receives the AC
The current input level of the adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 is read through the power management control circuit 11 to specifically identify a change in the power supply drive mode and whether the drive is an AC adapter drive or a battery (DC) drive.

The LCD panel open / close event detection signal 24 has a "LOW" level when the LCD panel is folded, and a "HIGH" level when the LCD panel is in a double-page state. The LCD panel open / close event detection signal 24 also
Monitored by the power management control circuit 11, the power management control circuit 11 detects either the rising or falling of the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 and issues an interrupt (interrupt request signal 16) to the CPU 13. Notice. In response to this, the CPU 13 reads the current input level of the LCD panel open / close event signal 24 via the power management control circuit 11, and identifies whether the LCD panel is closed or open.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are flow charts cited for describing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, and respectively show a power management control method when the passive cooling point is lower than the active cooling point. The operation procedure of the power management control method when the active cooling point is lower than the passive cooling point is shown.

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. Generally, when the power supply driving mode is battery driving, it is preferable to execute power management suitable for power saving. Further, when the LCD panel is closed, the heat radiation characteristics tend to be worse than when the LCD panel is open. Therefore, it is also preferable to execute power management suitable for power saving. Therefore, in these cases, by setting the setting of the passive cooling point lower than the setting of the active cooling point, first, a cooling method in which CPU processing capacity is controlled and heat generation is directly suppressed is practiced. To

More specifically, when starting up the system, the CPU
Reference numeral 13 denotes an AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 and an LCD via the power management control circuit 11.
The level value of the panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 is directly read, and the AC adapter insertion / extraction event detection signal 23 is at a high level (battery drive) or the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 is at a “LOW” level (when the LCD panel is closed. If so, the set value of the passive cooling point is set lower than the set value of the active cooling point, and the CPU is turned on before the cooling fan 14 is turned.
Eleven processing capacity controls are executed.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 12 exceeds each cooling point, a notification to that effect is sent to the power management control circuit 11 via the temperature alarm signal 15 (step S20).
1). In response to this, the power management control circuit 11
Sends an interrupt request signal 16 to the CPU 13 to notify it of the interrupt (step S202). The CPU 13
In response to this interrupt, the temperature of the temperature is read from the temperature sensor 12 (step S203). The temperature read here is compared with the active cooling point and the passive cooling point (step S20).
4, S205), and as a result, steps S206, S2
07 and S208, that is, the cooling fan 14 is stopped and the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 is not performed, the cooling fan is stopped and the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 is performed, respectively. Is rotated, and one of the embodiments for controlling the processing capacity of the CPU 13 is selected according to each scene. In this case, power saving is excellent.

When the system is started, the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 is set to the “LOW” level (AC
If the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 is at the “HIGH” level (when the LCD panel is open), the set value of the active cooling point is set lower than the set value of the passive cooling point. Then, the cooling fan 14 is rotated before the processing capacity control of the CPU 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 12 exceeds each cooling point, the fact is notified to the power management control circuit 11 via the temperature alarm signal 15 (step). S30
1). In response to this, the power management control circuit 11
Sends an interrupt request signal 16 to the CPU 3 to notify the CPU 3 of the interrupt (step S302). Upon receiving this interrupt, the CPU 3 reads the temperature from the temperature sensor 12 (step S303). The temperature read here is compared with the active cooling point and the passive cooling point (steps S304 and S304).
305), as a result, steps S306, S307,
The power management mode shown in S308, that is, the mode in which the cooling fan 14 is stopped and the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 is not performed, respectively,
Either one of the third embodiment in which the processing capacity control is performed and the one in which the cooling fan 14 is rotated to control the processing capacity of the CPU 13 are selected according to each scene. In this case, the system processing ability is excellent.

Next, a description will be given of power management control when an AC adapter is inserted or removed during system operation or when an LCD panel opening / closing event occurs. First, when the AC adapter is removed from the inserted state, a rising edge appears as the AC adapter insertion / extraction event detection signal 23, the rising edge is detected by the power management control circuit 11, and the interrupt request signal 16 is sent to the CPU 13. Emits and signals an interrupt. In response to this, the CPU 13 reads that the current input level of the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 is “HIGH” via the power management control circuit 11, and recognizes that the AC adapter has changed to battery drive. As a result, the set value of the passive cooling point is reset lower than the set value of the active cooling point (replace the vertical relationship), so that the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 is performed in preference to turning the cooling fan 14. (Refer to the flowchart of FIG. 2 described above. In this case, power saving is excellent).

Next, when the AC adapter is unplugged and inserted into the PC system, a falling edge appears in the AC adapter plugging / unplugging event detection signal 23, and the falling edge is detected by the power management control circuit 11. An interrupt request signal 16 is issued to the CPU 13 to notify an interrupt. In response to this, the CPU 13 reads that the current input level of the AC adapter insertion / removal event detection signal 23 is “LOW” through the power management control circuit 11, and recognizes that the power supply has been changed from battery drive to AC adapter power supply. recognize. As a result, the set value of the active cooling point is reset to be lower than the set value of the passive cooling point (the vertical relationship is replaced), and the cooling fan 14 is turned on in preference to the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 (see FIG. 3). Refer to the flowchart shown, in which case the system processing capability is excellent).

On the other hand, when the LCD panel changes from the double-page spread state to the closed state, a falling edge appears in the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24. The falling edge is detected by the power management control circuit 11 and the CP is detected.
An interrupt request signal 16 is issued to U13 to notify an interrupt. In response to this, the CPU 13 reads that the current input level of the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 is the "LOW" level via the power management control circuit 11, and recognizes that the LCD panel has been closed from the facing state. . As a result, the set value of the passive cooling point is reset to be lower than the set value of the active cooling point (upper / lower relationship is switched), so that the processing capacity control of the CPU 13 is performed with priority over turning the cooling fan 14 ( See the flowchart shown in Fig. 2, which is excellent in power saving.

Further, when the LCD panel is set to the double-page state from the closed state, a rising edge appears in the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24, and the rising edge is detected by the power management control circuit 11 and the CP is detected.
An interrupt request signal 16 is issued to U13 to notify an interrupt. In response to this, the CPU 13 reads that the current input level of the LCD panel opening / closing event detection signal 24 is “HIGH” via the power management control circuit 11, and sets the LCD panel from the closed state to the double-page state. Recognize that it was done. As a result, the set value of the active cooling point is reset to be lower than the set value of the passive cooling point (upper / lower relationships are exchanged), and the cooling fan 14 which has priority over the CPU processing capacity control is turned (see the flowchart shown in FIG. 3). , Which has better system throughput).

As described above, according to the present invention, in a PC system that performs power management by adjusting the rotation of a cooling fan or the processing capability of a CPU, or by a combination thereof, it is possible to change the power supply driving form and the display panel. In response to an external event represented by a change in the heat dissipation characteristics of the housing due to the opening and closing operation of the
The active cooling point (temperature threshold) and the passive cooling point (temperature threshold) are dynamically switched, thereby realizing optimum power management in each state without bothering the user. .

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, active cooling is performed in response to an external event represented by a change in the power supply driving mode during system operation or a change in the heat radiation characteristics of the housing due to the opening and closing of the LCD panel. The point and the passive cooling point are dynamically switched, and the power management form optimal for each case is automatically selected and executed without bothering the user. As a result, the life of the battery can be extended when the battery is driven, and the thermal management
The reliability as a PC system is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional power management control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Power management control circuit, 12: Temperature sensor, 13: CPU, 14: Cooling fan, 21: Drive power supply detection circuit, 22: Display panel (LCD) open / close operation detection circuit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A temperature sensor implemented in one of an active cooling mode controlled by rotation control of a cooling fan and a passive cooling mode controlled by controlling a processing capability of a CPU, or a combination thereof, and mounted on a system. Is used in a personal computer system that performs power management by selecting an optimal mode by comparing a temperature detected by the above-mentioned method with a temperature threshold value set in advance for each mode. A power management control method, wherein a type of a power supply to be driven is detected and reflected in setting of a temperature threshold for the mode selection. 2. When the power source for driving the system is changed from battery driving or from AC adapter to battery driving, the temperature threshold is changed from active cooling mode to passive cooling mode, and the temperature threshold is changed from AC or battery driving to AC adapter. The power management control method according to claim 1, wherein when the temperature threshold is set, the temperature threshold is reset to an active cooling mode> a passive cooling mode to dynamically select an optimal mode. 3. A temperature sensor implemented in one of an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of a cooling fan and a passive cooling mode performed by controlling the processing capability of a CPU, or a combination thereof, and mounted on a system. Is used in a personal computer system that performs power management by selecting an optimal mode by comparing a temperature detected by the above-mentioned method with a temperature threshold value set in advance for each mode, and a system including an input device during system operation. A power management control method comprising: detecting an opening / closing operation of a display panel rotatably attached to a main body via a hinge mechanism, and reflecting the detected operation on setting of a temperature threshold for the mode selection. 4. When the display panel is in a double-page state, the temperature threshold is reset to an active cooling mode <passive cooling mode. When the display panel is in a closed state, the temperature threshold is reset to an active cooling mode> passive cooling mode. 4. The power management control method according to claim 3, wherein an optimal mode selection is dynamically performed by the following. 5. A fan for cooling a CPU mounted on a personal computer system, an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of the cooling fan, and a passive cooling mode performed by controlling the processing capacity of the CPU. A temperature detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the personal computer system, a temperature threshold previously set for each mode, or a temperature threshold reset by a drive power supply detection circuit. A power management control circuit for selecting an optimal mode and performing power management by comparing the power management control circuit with a temperature threshold for detecting the mode by detecting a type of a power supply for driving the system during operation of the personal computer system. of Power management control apparatus characterized by having said drive power source detection circuit to be reflected in the set. 6. A cooling fan for cooling a CPU mounted on a personal computer system, an active cooling mode performed by controlling the rotation of the cooling fan, or a passive cooling mode performed by controlling the processing capacity of the CPU. , Or a combination thereof, detected by a temperature sensor mounted on the personal computer system, a temperature threshold set in advance for each mode, or a temperature reset by a display panel opening / closing operation detection circuit. A power management control circuit for selecting an optimum mode and performing power management by comparing with a threshold value, and a system body including an input device are rotatably connected via a hinge mechanism during operation of the personal computer system. Attached Power management control apparatus characterized by having said display panel opening and closing detection circuit to be reflected in the re-setting of the temperature threshold of detecting the opening and closing operation of the display panel for the mode selection to be.