JP2007249756A - Electronic equipment and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment for reliably notifying a timing to clean a fan mounted on the electronic equipment or to clean a filter disposed at an exhaust port or an intake port of the electronic equipment which cools the air by an air flow caused by rotating the built-in fan, and a program executed in the electronic equipment and imparting such a function to the electronic equipment. <P>SOLUTION: A rotation number calculating unit calculates the number of rotation per unit time based on a pulse signal. A CPU obtains a cumulative rotation number by summing the products of the rotation number read at prescribed time intervals and the prescribed time to determine whether the cumulative rotation number exceeds a threshold. When determined that the cumulative rotation number exceeds the threshold, a warning to urge cleaning the fan is issued. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device that is air-cooled by an airflow generated by rotation of a built-in fan, and a program that is executed by such an electronic device.

  Conventionally, when a heat-generating component that generates heat during operation needs to be installed in an electronic device, the heat-generating component must be devised in the electronic device, or the device location is not sufficient A fan is mounted on the heat generating part to generate an air flow around the heat generating part to air-cool the heat generating part.

  For example, in an electronic device such as a server or a personal computer, an LSI (Large Scale Integration) in which a CPU circuit is configured generates a large amount of heat, and this LSI has an operation guarantee upper limit temperature of about 95 ° C., for example. But not so expensive. If the LSI heats up strongly, the operation of the LSI may become unstable, and if the LSI generates heat more strongly, the LSI may be damaged by heat and the electronic device may become unusable. Further, among LSIs, there is an LSI having a function of operating with reduced performance in order to suppress further heat generation when the LSI generates heat and reaches a predetermined temperature. In order to maintain the performance of the LSI and avoid damage, the cooling fins are attached to the LSI, and a fan is mounted in the electronic device, and an airflow is generated by the fan to cool the LSI. That is done.

  As such a fan, for example, a fan that sends air out of the electronic device through an exhaust port provided in the casing of the electronic device or an air through an intake port provided in the casing of the electronic device. A fan that feeds into an electronic device is known. There is also known an electronic device in which a filter that removes foreign matters such as dust and dirt in the air passing through an exhaust port and an intake port is provided at the exhaust port and the intake port.

  However, even if such a filter is provided at the exhaust port and the intake port, if foreign matter accumulates on the filter and causes clogging, it becomes difficult to generate an airflow necessary and sufficient for air cooling by the fan. There is a risk that the heat-generating component is damaged by heat, or the heat-generating component generates excessive heat and ignites. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the filter.

  As a technique for cleaning the filter, for example, it is determined whether or not the accumulated operating time of operating the electronic device exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the determination result that the accumulated operating time exceeds the threshold is received. A technique for issuing an alarm for prompting cleaning has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, as a technique for cleaning the filter, for example, a change rate of the temperature in the apparatus measured by changing the rotation speed of the fan while the filter is being cleaned is recorded and held in advance. When a clogging detection start instruction is received, the rotation speed of the fan is changed and the temperature inside the device is measured, and the change rate of the temperature inside the device is calculated based on the measured temperature. We also propose a technique for determining the necessity of filter cleaning by comparing the change rate of the internal temperature of the device recorded in advance and displaying the necessity of filter cleaning in response to the determination result that filter cleaning is necessary. (For example, see Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-8407 JP-A-2-64329

  According to the technique proposed in Patent Document 1 described above, the filter needs to be cleaned at the time when an alarm that prompts the cleaning of the filter is issued. However, the cleaning time can be known, and the filter can be cleaned periodically.

  Here, as a fan mounted on an electronic device, a fan that repeats rotation and stop according to the temperature of a heat-generating component, and the rotation speed changes at any time during rotation is general. However, in the technique proposed in Patent Document 1, since the cleaning time of the filter is determined only from the operation time of the electronic device, the electronic device mounted with a fan that always rotates at a constant rotation number is dealt with. Although it can be used, it can rotate and stop repeatedly depending on the temperature of the heat-generating component, and when applied to an electronic device equipped with a fan whose rotation speed changes at any time during rotation, there is a problem that the exact cleaning time of the filter cannot be determined. .

  Further, according to the technique proposed in Patent Document 2 described above, if it is instructed to detect clogging of a filter according to an operation, it is automatically determined whether the necessity of cleaning the filter is necessary. Therefore, even a general user other than the maintenance worker can easily know the necessity of filter cleaning.

  However, in the technique proposed in Patent Document 2, the determination as to whether or not the filter needs to be cleaned is executed according to an operation instructing detection of filter clogging. If this operation is not performed for a long time, foreign matter may accumulate on the filter without being notified of the need for filter cleaning, and clogging may occur. As a result, it becomes difficult to generate an airflow necessary and sufficient for air cooling by the fan, and the heat generating component may be damaged by heat, or the heat generating component may generate excessive heat and ignite.

  Further, the technique proposed in Patent Document 2 is based on the temperature outside the apparatus at the time when the change rate of the temperature in the apparatus recorded and held in advance is measured (hereinafter, this temperature is referred to as the environmental temperature) and the operation. If the environmental temperature at the time when the calculated change rate of the internal temperature is measured is approximately the same, the necessity for filter cleaning is accurately determined, but both of these environmental temperatures are large. Under different environmental temperatures, the rate of change calculated according to the operation is affected by the difference in environmental temperature, and the judgment result using such rate of change shows that the need for filter cleaning is accurate. May not be determined.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an electronic device that accurately and surely notifies the cleaning time of the fan itself mounted on the electronic device and the cleaning time of the filter provided at the exhaust port and the intake port of the electronic device, and An object of the present invention is to provide a program that gives such a function to an electronic device.

The electronic device of the present invention that achieves the above object is
In an electronic device with a built-in fan that is air-cooled by the airflow generated by the rotation of the fan,
A cumulative rotational speed calculation unit for determining the cumulative rotational speed of the fan;
A determination unit that determines whether or not the cumulative rotation number calculated by the cumulative rotation number calculation unit exceeds a predetermined threshold;
And a warning unit that issues a warning in response to a determination result indicating that the accumulated rotational speed exceeds a threshold value by the determination unit.

  Here, the fan mounted on the electronic device generally repeats rotation and stop according to the temperature of the heat generating component mounted in the electronic device, and the number of rotations changes as needed during rotation. Therefore, the accumulated amount of foreign matter such as dust and dust accumulated on the fan itself and the filter installed at the exhaust port and the intake port of the electronic device is proportional to the total volume of the air flow by the fan, that is, the cumulative rotation speed of the fan. .

  The electronic device of the present invention determines whether or not the calculated cumulative rotational speed of the fan has exceeded a predetermined threshold value, and issues a warning upon receiving a determination result that the cumulative rotational speed has exceeded the threshold value. . Therefore, according to the electronic device of the present invention, the warning is issued based on the cumulative rotational speed proportional to the accumulated amount of foreign matter accumulated on the fan itself and the filter. And be sure to be notified.

Here, the electronic device of the present invention is
“The fan outputs a pulse signal synchronized with the rotation of the fan,
The cumulative rotational speed calculation unit calculates the rotational speed per unit time at predetermined time intervals based on the pulse signal, and obtains the cumulative rotational speed by the sum of products of the rotational speed and the predetermined time. is there"
It is preferable.

  Such a preferred embodiment is preferable because the accumulated rotational speed is accurately calculated.

  The electronic apparatus according to the present invention is also preferably provided with a reset unit that receives a manual operation and resets the accumulated rotational speed and the warning.

  According to such a preferred embodiment, the cleaning is completed and the warning is reset after the cleaning of the fan itself and the filter is completed. Is preferable because it is notified.

Furthermore, the electronic device of the present invention is
“At least one of a power cord connectable to an external power source and a removable battery,
The power supply cord and the battery are both removed once, and at least one of them is attached, and includes a reset unit that resets the accumulated rotational speed and the warning.
More preferably.

  Here, when cleaning the fan itself or the filter, since it is generally necessary to disassemble the electronic device, it is very dangerous if the power cord and the battery are both removed and the cleaning work is not started. is there.

  According to an electronic device equipped with such a reset unit, for example, the warning unit described above should be "clean the fins and filter with the system turned off and the AC adapter and battery removed." Warning is performed, and the fan itself and the filter are cleaned according to the warning, so that the cleaning operation can be performed safely.

  In addition, according to the electronic device including such a reset unit, the cumulative number of rotations and the warning are reset upon reattachment of at least one of the power cord and the battery. This is even more preferable because a warning is notified when foreign matter has accumulated again on the fan itself or the filter after completion of cleaning without performing any other operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, the electronic device having the above functions is operated by executing the program of the present invention. The effects produced by the program of the present invention are the same as described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electronic device which notifies correctly and reliably the cleaning time of the fan itself mounted in an electronic device, and the cleaning time of the filter arrange | positioned at the exhaust port of an electronic device, or an inlet port are provided. A program for providing such a function is provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a first embodiment of a notebook personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as “notebook personal computer”) 10 to which an embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention is applied.

  1 includes a main unit 20 and a display unit 30. The main unit 20 and the display unit 30 can be opened and closed with respect to the main unit 20 in the direction of arrow AA. It is connected by the connecting part 40 so as to become. FIG. 1 shows a notebook computer in which the display unit 30 is open with respect to the main unit 20.

  The main unit 20 has a keyboard 21, a track pad 22, a left click button 23, a right click button 24, and a locking unit 25 that locks the display unit 30 when the display unit 30 is closed. Is provided. On the side surface of the main unit 20, a side surface 26 of an optical disk drive that is accessed by mounting an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, and an opening / closing lid 27 of an MO drive that is accessed by mounting an MO are shown on the outer surface. .

  Further, the display unit 30 of the notebook personal computer 10 has a large display screen 31 spread on the front surface, and further above the display screen 31, the main unit 20 is locked when the display unit 30 is closed. A fastener unit 32 that locks to the unit 25 is provided.

  FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the notebook computer 10 of the first embodiment whose appearance is shown in FIG.

2 includes a hard disk controller 111, an MO drive 112, an optical disk drive 113, a track pad controller 114, a keyboard controller 115, a display controller 116, a fan control unit 117, a rotation speed calculation unit 118, a CPU 119, A main memory 120, an E ² PROM 121, and a power management unit 122 are shown, which are connected to each other by a bus 110.

  The hard disk controller 111 is a component responsible for accessing the hard disk 51 built in the notebook computer 10, and an OS (operating system) executed in the notebook computer 10 and various application programs are stored in the hard disk 51. Stored.

  The MO drive 112 has a role of accessing the MO 52 loaded from the opening / closing lid 27 shown in FIG. 1, and the optical disk drive 113 has a role of accessing the loaded optical disk 53.

  The track pad controller 114, the keyboard controller 115, and the display controller 116 detect the operation of the track pad 22 (including the left click button 23 and the right click button 24), detect the operation of the keyboard 21, and display screen, respectively. 31 is responsible for screen display control.

  The fan control unit 117 is responsible for controlling the rotation of the fan 54 mounted in the main unit 20, and the rotational speed calculation unit 118 is responsible for calculating the rotational speed per unit time of the fan 54. The rotation speed calculation unit 118 has a temporary storage area 1181 for temporarily storing the calculated rotation speed per unit time.

  Further, the CPU 119 has a role of reading various programs stored in the hard disk 51 and developing them on the main memory 120 and executing the various programs developed on the main memory 120. The CPU 119 also has a function of reading out the rotation speed per unit time temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181 in the rotation speed calculation unit 118 at a predetermined time interval and obtaining the accumulated rotation speed. The CPU 119 is a circuit component that generates a considerable amount of heat during operation. The CPU 119 that has generated heat is air-cooled by generating an air flow around the CPU 119 by the fan 54 as necessary. The combination of the CPU 119 and the rotation speed calculation unit 118 corresponds to an example of the cumulative rotation speed calculation unit referred to in the present invention. The notebook personal computer 10 issues a warning to prompt the fan 54 to be cleaned based on the accumulated rotational speed obtained by the CPU 119. A detailed description of the fan cleaning warning will be given later.

  Further, in the main memory 120, the program is expanded as described above, and various data when the CPU 119 executes the program is stored.

In the E ² PROM 121, the accumulated rotational speed obtained by the CPU 119 is written by the CPU 119 as needed, and is overwritten and stored in a nonvolatile manner. The E ² PROM 121 stores a predetermined threshold value in advance.

  The power management unit 122 manages the power function of the notebook personal computer 10, and is charged with a battery 55 that is detachably attached to the main unit 20, and input power from an AC adapter 56 that can be connected to an external power source. Is selected to control the selection of the drive power source and the state of charge of the battery 55. The battery 55 corresponds to an example of a battery according to the present invention, and the AC adapter 56 corresponds to an example of a power cord according to the present invention.

  Here, the feature of the notebook personal computer 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as an embodiment of the present invention is that the fan 54 is urged to be cleaned based on the accumulated rotational speed obtained by the CPU 119 shown in FIG. This operation is a warning operation. This operation will be described in more detail below.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of main components responsible for the operation of issuing a warning that prompts the fan 54 to be cleaned based on the accumulated rotational speed obtained by the CPU 119 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the fan 54, the fan control unit 117, the rotation speed calculation unit 118, the temporary storage area 1181, the CPU 119, and the E ² PROM 121 among the components built in the main unit 20. Further, a filter 541 that removes foreign matter such as dust in the air passing through an exhaust port and an intake port (not shown) is provided at the exhaust port and the intake port.

  The fan 54 is repeatedly rotated and stopped according to the temperature of the CPU 119, and the rotation of the fan 54 is controlled by the fan control unit 117 so that the number of rotations changes as needed during rotation. Further, the fan 54 outputs a pulse signal synchronized with the rotation of the fan 54 (two pulses for one rotation) to the rotation speed calculation unit 118.

  The rotation speed calculation unit 118 calculates the rotation speed per unit time at predetermined time intervals based on the pulse signal output from the fan 54, and calculates the calculated rotation speed per unit time as the rotation speed calculation unit 118. Temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181.

  As described above, the CPU 119 is a circuit component that generates a considerable amount of heat during operation. Further, the CPU 119 has an upper limit temperature for guaranteeing operation of, for example, about 95 ° C., and requires the most cooling. Therefore, the fan 54 is disposed at a position where the CPU 119 is cooled.

  Further, the CPU 119 reads out the number of revolutions per unit time temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181 in the cumulative revolution number calculation unit 118 at predetermined time intervals, and calculates the product of the number of revolutions and the predetermined time. Calculate the cumulative number of revolutions by sum.

Further, the CPU 119 writes the accumulated rotational speed thus obtained in the E ² PROM 121 as needed, and overwrites and stores it in a nonvolatile manner.

Further, the CPU119 ^is accumulated rotation number stored in the E 2 EEPROM 121 ^determines whether exceeds a predetermined threshold value which is previously stored in the E 2 EEPROM 121. The CPU 119 corresponds to an example of a determination unit referred to in the present invention.

  Further, the CPU 119 receives the determination result that the accumulated rotational speed exceeds the threshold value, and displays an instruction signal in accordance with an instruction to display a warning on the display screen 31 to prompt the fan 54 to be cleaned. 2). When such an instruction signal is given to the display controller 116, the display controller 116 displays a warning on the display screen 31 urging the fan 54 to be cleaned. The combination of the CPU 119, the display controller 116, and the display screen 31 corresponds to an example of a warning unit according to the present invention.

  FIG. 4 shows a flow of operation in the rotation speed calculation unit 118 from when the fan 54 mounted in the main unit 20 rotates until the rotation speed per unit time of the fan 54 is temporarily stored. It is a flowchart explaining these.

  The operation illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is performed by driving the notebook computer 10 with the battery 55 attached and the AC adapter 56 connected to an external power source as necessary, and the CPU 119 generates heat to a predetermined temperature or more according to the operation. Then, the rotation is started by the rotation of the fan 54 whose rotation is controlled by the fan control unit 117 according to the temperature of the CPU 119.

  First, a pulse signal (two pulses per rotation) synchronized with the rotation of the fan 54 is input (step S11).

  Based on the pulse signal input in step S11, the number of rotations per unit time is calculated at predetermined time intervals (step S12).

  The rotational speed per unit time calculated in step S12 is temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181 in the rotational speed calculation unit 118 (step S13).

  Thereafter, the operations in steps S11 to S13 are repeatedly executed.

  FIG. 5 shows the flow of operations in the CPU 119 from reading the rotational speed per unit time temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181 to resetting the cumulative rotational speed by issuing a fan cleaning warning. It is a flowchart to explain.

  The operation described in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is started by accessing the temporary storage area 1181 in the rotation speed calculation unit 118 at predetermined time intervals.

  First, the number of rotations per unit time temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 1181 is read out at predetermined time intervals (step S21).

  The cumulative rotational speed is obtained from the sum of the product of the rotational speed read in step S21 and the predetermined time (step S22).

The accumulated rotational speed obtained in step S22 is written to the E ² PROM 121 as needed, and is overwritten and stored in a nonvolatile manner (step S23).

It is determined whether or not the cumulative rotational speed stored in the E ² PROM 121 in step S104 exceeds a predetermined threshold value stored in advance in the E ² PROM 121 (step S24).

  If the determination result determined in step S105 is a determination result indicating that the accumulated rotational speed exceeds the threshold value (step S24: Yes), the determination result is received and the fan 54 is prompted to be cleaned. An instruction signal according to an instruction to display a warning on the display screen 31 is given to the display controller 116 (see FIG. 2), and a warning window 311 described later is displayed on the display screen 31 (step S25).

  If the determination result determined in step S105 is a determination result indicating that the accumulated rotational speed is less than the threshold value (step S24: No), the operation shown in this flowchart ends upon receiving this determination result.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the warning window 311 displayed on the display screen 31.

When the instruction signal is given to the display controller 116 by the CPU 119 in step S25 (see FIG. 5), as shown in FIG.
“Clean the fan and filter with the system turned off and the AC adapter and battery removed.”
A warning window 311 for prompting cleaning of the fan 54 is displayed on the display screen 31.

  When cleaning the fan 54 and the filter 541, it is generally necessary to disassemble the electronic device. Therefore, it is very dangerous if the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 are both removed and the cleaning work is not started. Therefore, the warning displayed on the warning window 311 shown in FIG. 6 is issued, and the fan 54 and the filter 541 are cleaned in accordance with this warning, so that the cleaning operation can be performed safely.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the description of the flowchart will be continued.

After a warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) for prompting the fan 54 to be cleaned is displayed on the display screen 31 in step S25, at least one of the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 after being removed is received. In step S23, the accumulated rotational speed stored in the E ² PROM 121 is reset, and an instruction signal according to an instruction to close the warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) displayed on the display screen 31 in step S25 is displayed on the display controller 116. (See FIG. 2) to close the warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) (step S26).

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram of main components responsible for resetting the accumulated rotational speed and warning when receiving at least one of the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 once removed.

  FIG. 7 shows the AC adapter 56, the battery 55, the PMU_VCC 1221, the PMU 1222, and the CPU 119 among the components built in the main unit 20. The combination of PMU_VCC 1221 and PMU 1222 corresponds to the power management unit 122 shown in FIG.

  Regardless of whether the power switch of the notebook computer 10 is turned on or off, the PMU_VCC 1221 is always supplied with power from the AC adapter 56 or the battery 55 electrically connected to the notebook computer 10.

  The PMU 1222 manages the power supply function of the notebook computer 10 and monitors the charging state of the battery 55 detachably attached to the main unit 20 and the input power from the AC adapter 56 that can be connected to an external power supply. Thus, the selection of the drive power source and the state of charge of the battery 55 are controlled. Since this PMU 1222 is supplied with power from the PMU_VCC 1221 to which power is always supplied from the AC adapter 56 or the battery 55, in the state where the AC adapter 56 or the battery 55 is electrically connected to the notebook computer 10, Regardless of whether the power switch of the notebook PC 10 is turned on or off, power is always supplied and the notebook computer 10 is operating.

  Therefore, when both the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 are removed in step S26 (see FIG. 5), the power supply to the PMU_VCC 1221 is stopped and the power to the PMU 1222 that operates by receiving the power supply from the PMU_VCC 1221 is stopped. Supply is stopped.

  Further, in step S26 (see FIG. 5), when at least one of the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 is temporarily removed after being removed, electric power is supplied from the attached AC adapter 56 or the battery 55 to the PMU_VCC 1221. At the same time, power is supplied from the PMU_VCC 1221 to the PMU 1222, and the PMU 1222 recognizes that the AC adapter 56 or the battery 55 is connected to the notebook computer 10 again.

When such a recognition is made by the PMU 1222, the CPU 119 resets the accumulated rotational speed stored in the E ² PROM 121 in step S23 (see FIG. 5) and displays it on the display screen 31 in step S25 (see FIG. 5). An instruction signal according to an instruction to close the warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) is given to the display controller 116 (see FIG. 2) to close the warning window 311 (see FIG. 6). The CPU 119 corresponds to an example of a reset unit referred to in the present invention.

  As described above, in the notebook computer 10 of the first embodiment, the rotation number calculation unit 118 calculates the rotation number per unit time based on the pulse signal, and the CPU 119 reads the rotation number read at a predetermined time interval. The cumulative number of revolutions is obtained from the sum of the product with the predetermined time, whether or not the cumulative number of revolutions exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and the determination result that the cumulative number of revolutions exceeds the threshold value is received. A warning to prompt the cleaning of 54 is given. Therefore, according to the notebook personal computer 10 of the first embodiment, a warning is issued based on the cumulative number of revolutions proportional to the amount of foreign matter accumulated on the fan 54 and the filter 541. The cleaning time is notified accurately and reliably.

  Further, according to the notebook personal computer 10 of the first embodiment, since the accumulated rotational speed and the warning are reset upon reattachment of at least one of the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55, operations other than the reattachment are performed. This is even more preferable because a warning is notified when foreign matter accumulates again on the fan 54 and the filter 541 after the cleaning is completed.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  Note that the second embodiment described below has substantially the same configuration as the configuration described in the first embodiment described above, and therefore pays attention to the differences from the first embodiment described above, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. A description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram of the second embodiment of the notebook computer 10 whose appearance is shown in FIG.

  The hardware configuration shown in FIG. 8 includes a hard disk controller 111, an MO drive 112, an optical disk drive 113, a track pad controller 114, a keyboard controller 115, a display controller 116, a fan control unit 117, a cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218, and a CPU 119. A main memory 120 and a power management unit 122 are shown, which are connected to each other by a bus 110.

The cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 plays a role of obtaining the cumulative rotational speed of the fan 54 mounted in the main unit 20. The cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 corresponds to an example of the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit referred to in the present invention. Further, the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 has an E ² PROM 221 that writes the calculated cumulative rotational speed as needed and saves it in a nonvolatile manner. The E ² PROM 221 stores a predetermined threshold value in advance. Note that the notebook computer 10 issues a warning that prompts the fan 54 to be cleaned based on the accumulated number of revolutions obtained by the accumulated number of revolutions calculation unit 218. A detailed description of the fan cleaning warning is provided below. It will be described later.

  Further, the CPU 119 has a role of reading various programs stored in the hard disk 51 and developing them on the main memory 120 and executing the various programs developed on the main memory 120.

  Here, the feature of the notebook personal computer 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 8 as an embodiment of the present invention is that the fan 54 is based on the cumulative rotational speed obtained by the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 shown in FIG. The operation is to issue a warning for prompting cleaning, and this operation will be described in more detail below.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the main components responsible for the operation of issuing a warning that prompts the fan 54 to be cleaned based on the cumulative rotational speed obtained by the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218.

FIG. 9 shows the fan 54, the filter 541, the fan control unit 117, the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218, the E ² PROM 221, and the CPU 119 among the components built in the main unit 20.

  Based on the pulse signal output from the fan 54, the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 calculates the rotational speed per unit time at predetermined time intervals, and the cumulative rotational speed is calculated by adding the product of the rotational speed and the predetermined time. Find a number.

Also, the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 writes the obtained cumulative rotational speed to the E ² PROM 221 in the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 as needed, and stores it in a nonvolatile manner by overwriting. The E ² PROM 221 stores a predetermined threshold value set in advance via the BUS.

CPU119 is accumulated rotation number stored is calculated ^E 2 PROM 221 by accumulated rotation number calculating unit ^218, from time to time monitors whether exceeds a predetermined threshold value which is previously stored in the E 2 PROM 221 by Alert Output determination To do. The CPU 119 corresponds to an example of a determination unit referred to in the present invention.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of operation in the cumulative speed calculation unit 218 from when the fan 54 mounted in the main unit 20 rotates until the cumulative speed of the fan 54 is stored. is there.

  The operation illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is performed by driving the notebook personal computer 10 to which the battery 55 is attached and the AC adapter 56 is connected to an external power source as necessary, and the CPU 119 generates heat to a predetermined temperature or more according to the operation. Then, the rotation is started by the rotation of the fan 54 whose rotation is controlled by the fan control unit 117 according to the temperature of the CPU 119.

  First, a pulse signal (two pulses per rotation) synchronized with the rotation of the fan 54 is input (step S31).

  Based on the pulse signal input in step S31, the number of rotations per unit time is calculated at predetermined time intervals (step S32).

  The accumulated rotational speed is obtained from the sum of the products of the rotational speed per unit time calculated in step S32 and the predetermined time (step S33).

The cumulative rotational speed obtained in step S33 is written to the E ² PROM 221 in the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 as needed, and is overwritten and stored in a nonvolatile manner (step S34).

  Thereafter, the operations from step S31 to step S34 are repeatedly executed.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of operations in the CPU 119 from when the accumulated rotational speed stored in the E ² PROM 221 is read until the fan cleaning warning is issued and the cumulative rotational speed is reset.

The operation described in the flowchart shown in FIG. 11 is started by accessing the E ² PROM 221 in the cumulative rotation speed calculation unit 218 at predetermined time intervals.

First, the accumulated rotational speed stored in the E ² PROM 221 is read at predetermined time intervals (step S41).

It is determined whether or not the accumulated rotational speed read in step S41 exceeds a predetermined threshold value stored in advance in the E ² PROM 221 (step S42).

  If the determination result determined in step S42 is a determination result indicating that the accumulated rotational speed exceeds the threshold value (step S42: Yes), the determination result is received and the cleaning of the fan 54 is prompted. An instruction signal according to an instruction to display a warning on the display screen 31 is given to the display controller 116 (see FIG. 8), and a warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) is displayed on the display screen 31 (step S43).

  If the determination result determined in step S42 is a determination result indicating that the accumulated rotational speed is less than the threshold value (step S42: No), the operation shown in this flowchart ends upon receiving this determination result.

After a warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) for prompting the fan 54 to be cleaned is displayed on the display screen 31 in step S43, at least one of the AC adapter 56 and the battery 55 after being removed is received. Then, the cumulative rotation speed stored in the E ² PROM 221 is reset, and an instruction signal according to an instruction to close the warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) displayed on the display screen 31 in step S43 is displayed on the display controller 116 ( The warning window 311 (see FIG. 6) is closed (see FIG. 8) (step S44).

  As described above, the notebook computer 10 according to the second embodiment determines whether or not the cumulative rotational speed of the fan 54 calculated by the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit 218 has exceeded a predetermined threshold, and the cumulative rotational speed is In response to the determination result that the threshold value has been exceeded, a warning is given to encourage cleaning of the fan 54. Therefore, according to the notebook personal computer 10 of the second embodiment, a warning is issued based on the cumulative number of revolutions proportional to the amount of foreign matter accumulated on the fan 54 and the filter 541. The cleaning time is notified accurately and reliably.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the electronic device of the present invention is a notebook computer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a fan is built in and air-cooled with an airflow generated by the rotation of the fan. If it is an electronic device, the kind of electronic device will not ask | require.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the example in which the warning unit according to the present invention performs a warning by displaying an image representing the warning on the display screen has been described. However, the warning unit according to the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be a warning lamp or a warning sound by a warning sound.
Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the example in which the power cord according to the present invention is an AC adapter has been described. However, the power cord according to the present invention is not limited to this and can be connected to an external power source. I just need it.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the reset unit according to the present invention receives at least one of the AC adapter and the battery after being temporarily removed, and resets the accumulated rotational speed and the warning. The reset unit referred to in the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a unit that receives a manual operation such as a keyboard operation and resets the accumulated rotational speed and the warning.

1 is an external perspective view showing a first embodiment of a notebook computer to which an embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention is applied. It is a hardware block diagram of the notebook personal computer of 1st Embodiment which showed the external appearance in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of main components that perform an operation of issuing a warning that prompts the fan to be cleaned based on the accumulated rotational speed obtained by the CPU shown in FIG. 2. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an operation flow in a rotation speed calculation unit from when a fan mounted in a main body unit rotates until the rotation speed per unit time of the fan is temporarily stored. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an operation flow in the CPU from when the rotational speed per unit time temporarily stored in the temporary storage area is read to when the fan cleaning warning is issued and the cumulative rotational speed is reset. . It is a figure which shows an example of the warning window displayed on a display screen. It is a block diagram of the main components which are responsible for resetting the cumulative rotational speed and warning when receiving at least one of the AC adapter and the battery after being removed once. It is a hardware block diagram of 2nd Embodiment among the notebook personal computers which showed the external appearance in FIG. It is a block diagram of the main components which bear the operation | movement which performs the warning which encourages the cleaning of the fan 54 based on the cumulative rotational speed calculated | required by the cumulative rotational speed calculation unit. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an operation flow in a cumulative rotation speed calculation unit from when a fan mounted in a main body unit rotates until the cumulative rotation speed of the fan is stored. In CPU, a reads the accumulated rotation number stored in the E ² PROM, a flow chart for explaining the flow of operations until the reset accumulated rotation number by performing a warning fan cleaning.

Explanation of symbols

10 Notebook PC 110 Bus 111 Hard Disk Controller 112 MO Drive 113 Optical Disk Drive 114 Track Pad Controller 115 Keyboard Controller 116 Display Controller 117 Fan Control Unit 118 Rotation Speed Calculation Unit 1181 Temporary Storage Area 218 Cumulative Rotation Speed Calculation Unit 119 CPU
120 Main memory 121,221 E ² PROM
122 Power management unit 1221 PMU_VCC
1222 PMU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Main body unit 21 Keyboard 22 Trackpad 23 Left click button 24 Right click button 25 Locking unit 26 Side 27 Opening / closing lid 30 Display unit 31 Display screen 311 Warning window 32 Fastening unit 40 Connecting part 51 Hard disk 52 MO
53 Optical disk 54 Fan 541 Filter 55 Battery 56 AC adapter

Claims (5)

In an electronic device that has a built-in fan and is air-cooled with an airflow generated by the rotation of the fan,
A cumulative rotational speed calculation unit for determining the cumulative rotational speed of the fan;
A determination unit that determines whether or not the cumulative rotation number calculated by the cumulative rotation number calculation unit exceeds a predetermined threshold;
An electronic device comprising: a warning unit that issues a warning in response to a determination result by the determination unit that the accumulated rotational speed exceeds a threshold value. The fan outputs a pulse signal synchronized with the rotation of the fan,
The cumulative rotational speed calculation unit calculates the rotational speed per unit time at predetermined time intervals based on the pulse signal, and obtains the cumulative rotational speed by the sum of products of the rotational speed and the predetermined time. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is provided.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reset unit that resets the accumulated rotational speed and the warning in response to a manual operation. At least one of a power cord connectable to an external power source and a removable battery;
The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reset unit that resets the cumulative rotational speed and the warning upon receiving at least one of the power cord and the battery after being temporarily removed. . In a program that is executed by an electronic device that incorporates a fan and that is air-cooled by an airflow generated by the rotation of the fan, the program is:
A cumulative rotational speed calculation unit for determining the cumulative rotational speed of the fan;
A determination unit that determines whether or not the cumulative rotation number calculated by the cumulative rotation number calculation unit exceeds a predetermined threshold;
A warning unit that gives a warning in response to a determination result that the cumulative rotational speed exceeds a threshold value by the determination unit;
For functioning as an electronic device equipped with

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