JP2002175131A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor capable of changing the operation of a cooling fan according to service environment. SOLUTION: This information processor is provided with a central processing unit 11, a display device 3, the variable cooling fan 12 capable of changing a rotating speed in a multistage shaped, a temperature sensor 13 for detecting a temperature inside the processor, an input device 2, and a temperature control part 14 for controlling the temperature in the processor by changing the rotating speed of the variable cooling fan 12 and a clock frequency used by the central processing unit 11 on the basis of a temperature detected by the temperature sensor 13 and input of the input device 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to a technology for cooling an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a C (Central Processing Unit) or the like is used to prevent electronic components such as a CPU from being destroyed by heat generated by the CPU.
A cooling system for cooling the PU and the main part of the device is installed.

This cooling system includes a cooling fan for forcibly cooling a CPU or the like, a temperature sensor installed at a high temperature location in the apparatus, and a temperature for controlling the number of revolutions of the cooling fan according to temperature information from the temperature sensor. A control device.

[0004] In the current cooling fan control method, the temperature control device automatically performs the control based on the value detected by the temperature sensor.

[0005]

However, in such a cooling fan automatic control method, the rotation speed of the cooling fan may not be appropriate depending on the environment in which the information processing apparatus is used.

That is, when the information processing apparatus is used in a quiet place, there is a desire to reduce the noise of the cooling fan. On the other hand, when performing the operation for maximizing the performance of the CPU, the noise of the cooling fan is reduced. Also, it is preferable to give priority to the ability of the CPU. For these reasons, a fan control method suitable for the use environment is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an information processing apparatus capable of controlling the operation of a cooling fan in accordance with a use environment.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: a central processing unit;
A display device, a variable cooling fan capable of changing the number of rotations in multiple stages, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the device, an input device, and a temperature detected by the temperature sensor and based on an input from the input device. And a temperature control unit that controls the temperature inside the apparatus by controlling the rotation speed of the variable cooling fan and the clock frequency used by the central processing unit.

According to the invention having such a configuration, the temperature control unit combines the temperature detected by the temperature sensor with the rotation speed of the cooling fan desired by the user to determine the rotation speed of the cooling fan and the clock frequency of the central processing unit. Control,
The operation of the cooling fan can be controlled according to the usage environment.

[0010] The information processing apparatus according to the second aspect is the first aspect.
In the information processing device according to the present invention, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined dangerous temperature, the temperature control unit increases the rotation speed of the variable cooling fan on the display device or the central processing unit. A warning display requesting an input to select one of the processes for lowering the clock frequency of the variable cooling fan so that when the input of the selection is performed via the input device, the selected process is prioritized. And the clock frequency of the central processing unit.

According to the invention having such a configuration, the user desires the operation of the cooling fan in accordance with the use environment, and the temperature control section can perform the temperature control by giving priority to the user's request. The operation of the cooling fan can be controlled according to the environment.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the second aspect.
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control unit increases the rotation speed of the variable cooling fan and the central processing when there is no selection input from the input device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the warning display. It is configured to select one or both of the processes for lowering the clock frequency of the device.

According to the invention having such a configuration, for example, even when the user is away from the information processing apparatus, it is possible to prevent the information processing apparatus from being thermally damaged.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the third aspect.
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control unit gives priority to a process of lowering a clock frequency of the central processing unit when no selection is input from the input device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the warning is displayed. There is.

According to the invention having such a configuration, the rotation speed of the cooling fan selected by the user can be prioritized.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus according to the first aspect.
In the information processing apparatus according to any one of the above items (1) to (4), the temperature sensor is arranged at a plurality of locations in the apparatus.

According to the invention having such a configuration, biased temperature control can be prevented, and thermal destruction and malfunction can be effectively prevented.

[0018] The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.
6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 5 to 5, further including the temperature sensor that detects an outside air temperature in addition to the inside of the apparatus.

According to the invention having such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably predict the temperature rise in consideration of the outside air temperature and the temperature inside the apparatus, and to maintain the rotation speed of the cooling fan selected by the user for a longer time.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention. This information processing device 1
Is a CPU 11 for controlling the entire apparatus in a housing 10 for accommodating the main parts of the information processing apparatus 1, and a variable cooling fan 12 for forcibly blowing and cooling a heat source such as the CPU 11 and electronic parts that are sensitive to high temperatures. In addition, a temperature sensor 13 and a temperature control unit 14 arranged in a place where the temperature becomes high in the apparatus are housed. An input device 2 such as a keyboard outside the housing 10
And a display device 3 for displaying various information. The variable cooling fan 12 has a variable number of rotations of the fan in multiple stages. The CPU 11 has a variable clock frequency.

The temperature controller 14 is composed of an IC separate from the CPU 11, monitors temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 13, controls the clock frequency of the CPU 11, and controls the variable cooling fan based on the temperature information. By controlling the number of rotations of 12, control is performed to prevent electronic components such as the CPU 11 in the apparatus from being damaged by overheating. Further, when an instruction of the number of revolutions of the cooling fan 12 is received from the user by the input device 2, control is performed so as to maintain the number of revolutions.

The temperature sensor 13 is installed at several places because the temperature is controlled unevenly only at one place.
The temperature control unit 14 prevents damage and malfunction of the information processing device 1 by setting a dangerous temperature for each temperature sensor 13.

The temperature controller 14 displays a message prompting the user to select the number of revolutions of the cooling fan 12 on the display device 3 in response to a user request or when the information processing apparatus 1 is started. For example, the speed of the cooling fan is high and the noise is loud,
High which can sufficiently exhibit the performance of the above, Middle where the rotation speed of the cooling fan is medium, Low speed where the rotation speed of the cooling fan is slow and the noise is low, but Low where the CPU is likely to overheat and Off which stops the cooling fan Are displayed on the display device 3, and the user is allowed to select, via the input device 2, the number of rotations that suits the usage environment from the four types.

For example, when used in a company office, the speed of the fan is set to Middle in order to perform the operation efficiently without being too noisy. In the case of performing an operation to maximize the performance of the information processing apparatus 1 (for example, computer-aided design (CAD)), the fan speed is set to High because the operation is given priority over the sound of the fan. For use in a quiet place such as a meeting, silence is prioritized over performance so as not to hinder the meeting, and the fan speed is set to Low. At home, when it is used for web browsing or the like, it is set to Middle in order to achieve both performance and noise of the information processing device. When the information processing device is used in a game or the like, it is set to High and performance is prioritized. In a quiet place such as a library, set to Low so as not to bother others.

In the information processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the number of revolutions of the cooling fan 12 can be set by the user instead of leaving it to the apparatus. Thereby, even if the use of the information processing device 1 is hesitant in a place where the sound of the cooling fan is noisy and quiet, the rotation speed of the cooling fan can be selected, and the information processing device 1 can be used. More places can be used.

Next, the temperature control method of the temperature control unit 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step A1, the temperature control unit 14 always obtains temperature data in the apparatus from each of the temperature sensors 13 installed at a plurality of locations.

In step A2, from the obtained temperature information,
It is determined whether or not the temperature of any one of the temperature sensors 13 exceeds the dangerous temperature for preventing damage which is given to each of the temperature sensors 13 in advance.

If the temperature of a certain location has a dangerous value, there is a risk that the dangerous temperature location may be damaged even if there is no problem in other locations. Therefore, measures are taken to prevent the information processing apparatus 1 from being damaged.

If the temperature is equal to or higher than the dangerous temperature, step A3
Then, a warning screen is displayed on the display device 3. This warning screen displays that the dangerous temperature has been reached, and increases the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 or informs the user of the CPU.
11 is a screen for prompting the user to select whether to lower the clock frequency of No. 11.

By displaying a warning screen on the display device,
The information processing apparatus 1 is prevented from being damaged while taking in the user's request. If the user does not input an operation selection for a certain period of time even though the warning screen is displayed, the temperature control unit 3 determines the fan rotation speed and the CPU operation clock in step A6. Specifically, when the user has selected Low as the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 previously selected, priority is given to maintaining the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 and the process of lowering the clock frequency of the CPU 11 is performed. I do. The rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 is increased when lowering the clock frequency of the CPU 11 is insufficient to lower the temperature below the dangerous temperature. If the user has selected “Middle”, a process of increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 while maintaining the clock frequency of the CPU 11 is performed. If the temperature control unit 14 automatically controls the temperature to be lowered, it is possible to prevent the information processing apparatus 1 from being damaged in the event that a dangerous value occurs when the user is away from the information processing apparatus 1.

If the temperature is lower than the critical temperature, in step A4, the temperature control unit 3 confirms whether or not the user has selected the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 described above. If there is no user selection, there is no need to obtain user selection information, so the process proceeds to step A6.

If the temperature is higher than the critical temperature and if there is user selection information, the user selection information is obtained in step A5.

If there is user selection information, step A6
Then, based on the information, the temperature information obtained in step A1, and the current CPU clock frequency, the fan rotation speed and the CPU operation clock are determined. Normally, the CPU operation is not controlled only by controlling the rotation speed of the fan so as not to affect the operation of the information processing apparatus 1. However, if the user selects a low fan speed, for example, Low and desires to suppress noise, the clock frequency of the CPU 11 is reduced, and the operation of the information processing device 1 is slowed to prevent heat dissipation. Control is performed so that the danger value does not occur even if the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 is low. If the user has selected “Middle”, a process of increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan 12 while maintaining the clock frequency of the CPU 11 is performed.

Next, in step A7, the determined control signal is transmitted to the cooling fan 12 and the CPU 11 to control the operation.

As described above, the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment
According to the control, the cooling fan 12 of the information processing apparatus 1 becomes user-controllable by control taking in the user's request (selection information). Further, by giving priority to the user's selection, it is possible to control the cooling fan 12 suitable for the use environment, for example, when it is not desired to increase the noise in a quiet place.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. The information processing device 1b has an outside temperature sensor 13b in addition to the temperature sensor 13 inside the device, and can monitor the temperature inside and outside the device. Since the configuration other than the outside temperature sensor 13b is the same, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

By inputting the outside air temperature information, the temperature information from the temperature sensor 13 installed in the apparatus and C
The temperature rise can be predicted from the clock frequency of the PU 11. This allows fine control so that the user's selection can be maintained for a long time.

FIG. 4 shows an information processing apparatus 1b according to the second embodiment.
5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the temperature control unit 14 of FIG.

In step A1, the temperature control unit 14 obtains temperature data from each of the temperature sensors 13 installed at a plurality of locations in the apparatus.

In step A2, from the obtained temperature information,
It is determined whether or not the temperature of any one of the temperature sensors 13 exceeds the dangerous temperature for preventing damage which is given to each of the temperature sensors 13 in advance.

If the temperature of a certain location has a dangerous value, there is a risk that the dangerous temperature location may be damaged even if there is no problem in other locations.

If the temperature is equal to or higher than the dangerous temperature, step A3
Then, a warning screen is displayed on the display device 3. This warning screen will prompt the user to increase the fan speed or
It is a screen which prompts a choice whether to lower the clock frequency of the PU.

By displaying a warning screen on the display device,
The information processing device is prevented from being damaged while incorporating the user's wishes. If the user does not input an operation selection for a certain period of time in spite of displaying the warning screen, step B1
Then, outside temperature information is obtained from the outside temperature sensor 13b. Then, in step A6, based on the outside air temperature information, the temperature information in the apparatus obtained in step A1, and the current CPU clock frequency, the temperature control unit 3 takes into account the prediction of temperature rise, Determine the operating clock. As a result, it is possible to prevent the information processing device 1b from being damaged in the event that the risk value is reached when the user is away from the information processing device.

If the temperature is lower than the dangerous temperature, in step A4, the temperature control unit 3 confirms whether or not the number of rotations of the cooling fan is selected. If there is no user selection, there is no need to obtain user selection information, so the process proceeds to step B1.

If the temperature is higher than the critical temperature and if there is user selection information, the user selection information is obtained in step A5. Next, in step B1, outside temperature information is obtained from the outside temperature sensor 13b. In step A6, based on the information selected by the user, the outside air temperature information, the temperature information in the apparatus obtained in step A1, and the current clock frequency of the CPU 11, the user selects the information in consideration of the temperature rise. Priority and fan speed and CP
Determine the U operating clock.

Next, in step A7, the determined control signal is transmitted from the cooling fan 12 and the CPU 11 to control the operation.

According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the user can control the operation of the fan which has been controlled irrespective of the user's intention by controlling the value detected by the temperature sensor in combination with the user setting (desired). It is made possible. Since the operation of the information processing device is changed by the user's selection by incorporating the user's intention into the operation of the information processing device, the information processing device has excellent usability.

Further, even if the use of the information processing device is hesitant in a place where the sound of the fan is noisy and quiet, the noise of the cooling fan can be suppressed and selected by the user. More places are used.

[0050]

According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the operation of the cooling fan can be selected by the user, the usability is excellent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control operation of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control operation of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1b Information processing device 2 Input device 3 Display device 10 Case 11 CPU 12 Variable cooling fan 13 Temperature sensor 14 Temperature control unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A central processing unit, a display device, a variable cooling fan capable of changing the number of rotations in multiple stages, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the device, an input device, and detection by the temperature sensor A temperature control unit that controls the temperature inside the device by controlling the rotation speed of the variable cooling fan and the clock frequency used by the central processing unit based on the temperature and the input of the input device. Information processing device. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined dangerous temperature, the rotation speed of the variable cooling fan is displayed on the display device. A warning display requesting an input to select either a process of increasing the clock frequency or a process of lowering the clock frequency of the central processing unit, and when the input of the selection is performed via the input device, the selected process is performed. An information processing apparatus, wherein the number of rotations of the variable cooling fan and the clock frequency of the central processing unit are controlled so as to give priority. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the temperature control unit is configured to rotate the variable cooling fan when a selection is not input from the input device after a lapse of a predetermined time after the warning is displayed. An information processing apparatus for selecting one or both of a process of increasing the number and a process of decreasing a clock frequency of the central processing unit. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the temperature control unit controls the clock of the central processing unit when no selection is input from the input device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the warning is displayed. An information processing apparatus characterized by giving priority to processing for lowering the frequency. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors are arranged at a plurality of locations in the apparatus. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature in addition to the inside of the apparatus.