JP2014126891A - Information processing device, cooling control method of information processing device, and cooling control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device which can detect dust clogging in a heat dissipation unit of a CPU.SOLUTION: A thermal throttling processing unit 1 executes thermal throttling processing for changing an operation frequency of a CPU on the basis of temperature of the CPU, and notifies a cooling control unit 4 of an execution state of thermal throttling. The cooling control unit 4 calculates a time ratio in which the thermal throttling has been executed per unit time on the basis of the execution state of the thermal throttling, and notifies a dust clogging monitoring unit 2 of the calculated time ratio. The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 outputs a warning on detecting dust clogging in a heat dissipation unit provided in the CPU on the basis of a result of comparison between the given time ratio and a threshold.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a cooling control method for the information processing apparatus, and a cooling control program.

  In a personal computer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that generates a large amount of heat is cooled using a heat sink for heat radiation and an air cooling fan. However, while the personal computer is used for a long period of time, dust is clogged between adjacent heat dissipating fins of the heat sink, in other words, the slit portion, and the cooling efficiency of the CPU decreases.

  Therefore, the CPU temperature is monitored, and it is determined that dust clogging has occurred when the CPU temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, in other words, the detection temperature of dust clogging. The detection temperature of dust clogging is set to a high value that cannot be reached in a normal use environment of a personal computer, and to a value lower than the shutdown temperature set for protection of the CPU.

  In addition, when a dustproof film is provided at the air intake of the information processing device, when the temperature of the CPU relative to the outside air temperature at the air intake or exhaust is higher than a preset temperature and the cooling fan is operating normally, the dustproof film It has been proposed that it is determined that the cooling performance of the cooling fan has deteriorated due to film clogging, and on the other hand, if the cooling fan is not operating normally, it is determined that the cooling performance has deteriorated due to a failure of the cooling fan.

JP 2006-127283 A

  Normally, when the temperature of the CPU reaches a predetermined threshold value, the CPU executes a process for lowering the frequency at which the CPU operates, in other words, thermal throttling. When thermal throttling is executed, the temperature of the CPU decreases as a result. For this reason, even if the CPU cooling efficiency is reduced due to dust clogging of the heat sink and the temperature of the CPU should be higher than the detection temperature of dust clogging, the CPU temperature is actually Dust clogging detection temperature is not reached. Therefore, it is necessary to make the detection temperature of dust clogging lower than the starting temperature of thermal throttling.

  However, in particular, in a thin notebook personal computer, there is no room for the cooling structure, so the temperature of the CPU tends to rise and easily reaches the starting temperature of thermal throttling. For this reason, it is difficult to set the dust clogging detection temperature between a temperature that cannot be reached in a normal use environment and the start temperature of thermal throttling.

  In such a case, dust clogging cannot be detected and there is no opportunity to improve the cooling efficiency of the CPU. For this reason, the temperature rise of the CPU and the cooling by thermal throttling are repeated. Since thermal throttling is accompanied by a decrease in the CPU operating frequency, as a result, the average operating frequency of the CPU decreases and the processing performance of the CPU decreases. Therefore, the performance of the computer cannot be fully exhibited.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that can detect dust clogging in a heat dissipation portion of a CPU.

  According to one aspect, the information processing apparatus is based on a thermal throttling processing unit that executes thermal throttling, which is a process of changing the operating frequency of the CPU based on the temperature of the CPU, and a state of execution of the thermal throttling. Based on the result of comparing the calculated time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time with a predetermined threshold value, a dust clogging in the heat radiating unit provided in the CPU is detected and a warning is output. And a dust clogging monitoring unit.

  According to one aspect, the information processing apparatus can detect clogging of dust in the heat dissipation portion of the CPU.

It is a figure which shows an example of information processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of information processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a hardware structure of information processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of dust clogging detection. It is explanatory drawing of dust clogging detection. It is a figure which shows an example of a warning screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a warning screen. It is a processing flow of dust clogging detection processing. It is a figure which shows another example of information processing apparatus. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the information processing apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing apparatus.

  The information processing apparatus is, for example, a personal computer 100 as described later with reference to FIG. The personal computer 100 is, for example, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, or the like, and an information processing device in which a CPU 110 described later with reference to FIG. 3 is air-cooled by a fan, or information including a heat sink for heat dissipation of the CPU 110 Any processing device may be used.

  The personal computer 100 includes a thermal throttling processing unit 1, a dust clogging monitoring unit 2, an output processing unit 3, and a cooling control unit 4. The thermal throttling processing unit 1 includes a CPU temperature sensor 11. The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 includes a threshold value table 21. The output processing unit 3 includes output data 31. The cooling control unit 4 includes a fan 41 and a temperature sensor 42.

  The thermal throttling processing unit 1 executes thermal throttling processing. In other words, the thermal throttling process is a process of monitoring the temperature of the CPU 110 and executing thermal throttling based on the temperature of the CPU 110. Thermal throttling is to reduce the operating frequency of the CPU 110, which is the frequency at which the CPU 110 operates, based on the temperature of the CPU 110.

  Specifically, when the temperature of the CPU 110 reaches a predetermined threshold value T1, the thermal throttling processing unit 1 reduces the operating frequency of the CPU 110 to a predetermined value. As a result, power consumption in the CPU 110 can be suppressed and the temperature of the CPU 110 can be lowered. The execution of thermal throttling is a state in which the operating frequency of the CPU 110 is lowered based on the temperature of the CPU 110.

  Further, when the temperature of the CPU 110 reaches a predetermined threshold value T2, the thermal throttling processing unit 1 increases the operating frequency of the CPU 110 to a predetermined value. As a result, the operating frequency of the CPU 110 can be increased and the processing speed of the CPU 110 can be improved. As a result, the temperature of the CPU 110 rises. The release of the thermal throttling is a state in which the lowering of the operating frequency of the CPU 110 is released based on the temperature of the CPU 110, in other words, it is not lowered.

  The operating frequency of the CPU 110 is set in the system controller 120, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 3, by using, for example, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The thermal throttling processing unit 1 uses the frequency set in the system controller 120 as an upper limit frequency, and limits the operating frequency of the CPU 110 to a value of several tens of percent of the upper limit frequency by thermal throttling.

  The temperature of the CPU 110 is detected by a CPU temperature sensor 11 provided in the CPU 110. The CPU temperature sensor 11 is an example of a temperature detection unit, and detects the temperature of the mounting package of the CPU 110 or the semiconductor substrate. The thermal throttling processing unit 1 acquires a value detected by the CPU temperature sensor 11 periodically, for example, every unit time that is a predetermined time interval, and converts it into a digital value by AD (analog-digital) conversion. As a result, the temperature of the CPU 110 is used. The unit time will be described later.

  The thermal throttling processing unit 1 transmits the execution state of thermal throttling to the cooling control unit 4 via a dedicated signal line 190 as described later with reference to FIG. To do. The dedicated signal line 190 is provided separately from the bus 180 of the personal computer 100 and connects the CPU 110 and the cooling control unit 4. For example, the thermal throttling processing unit 1 outputs “1” to the dedicated signal line 190 when thermal throttling is being executed, in other words, when a high level signal is output and thermal throttling is not being executed. In other words, a low level signal is output. The case where thermal throttling is not in progress is a state where thermal throttling is released. Thus, transmission / reception of the execution state of thermal throttling itself can be executed without requiring processing by the CPU 110.

  The thermal throttling processing unit 1 notifies the cooling control unit 4 of the execution state of thermal throttling not via the dedicated signal line 190 but via the bus 180 described later with reference to FIG. Also good.

  The cooling control unit 4 is, for example, a microcomputer provided independently of the CPU 110, and is connected to the CPU 110 through a dedicated signal line 190. The cooling control unit 4 receives the state of execution of thermal throttling from the thermal throttling processing unit 1 provided in the CPU 110 via the dedicated signal line 190, in other words, is notified. The cooling control unit 4 calculates a time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time based on the notified state of execution of thermal throttling. As a result, it is possible to calculate the time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time without burdening the CPU 110. The cooling control unit 4 transmits the calculated time ratio to the dust clogging monitoring unit 2, in other words, notifies.

  For example, the cooling control unit 4 samples the value of the signal of the dedicated signal line 190 at every sampling time that is a predetermined time interval. The sampling time is sufficiently shorter than the unit time. For example, the sampling time is set to several microseconds, and the unit time is set to several milliseconds. The unit time is a period during which sampling for calculating a time ratio at which thermal throttling per unit time is performed, in other words, a sampling period. The cooling control unit 4 counts the number of times the signal value of the sampled signal line 190 is “1” and “0” per unit time, and the ratio of the count value is executed by thermal throttling per unit time. As a percentage of time spent. For example, if the count value of the number of times that the signal value is “1” is 500 times and the count value of the number of times that the signal value is “0” is 500 times, thermal throttling per unit time is executed. The time ratio is “50%”.

  Instead of the cooling control unit 4, an application provided in the CPU 110, for example, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2, may calculate a time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time. The cooling control unit 4 may be provided in a microcomputer other than the microcomputer that controls the fan 41.

  Further, the cooling control unit 4 transmits the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 to the dust clogging monitoring unit 2, in other words, notifies. The ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 is detected by the temperature sensor 42. The cooling control unit 4 acquires the value detected by the temperature sensor 42 and converts it into a digital value by AD (analog-digital) conversion, and uses it as the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100. The temperature sensor 42 is an example of a temperature detection unit, and detects, for example, the temperature of an air cooling air intake provided in the housing of the personal computer 100. Note that the temperature sensor 42 may detect the temperature of the air intake port of the fan 41. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 is the temperature of the air intake for air cooling, in other words, the room temperature of the room in which the personal computer 100 is installed. The ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 is notified from the cooling control unit 4 to the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 provided in the CPU 110 via the bus 180 and a system controller 120 described later with reference to FIG.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 detects dust clogging in the heat sink provided in the CPU 110 based on a result of comparing the time ratio notified from the cooling control unit 4 with a predetermined threshold value. The heat sink is an example of a heat radiating portion, and is fixedly provided on a mounting portion of the CPU 110, for example, a package, and includes a plurality of fins to improve the heat radiating efficiency of the CPU 110. For example, if dust is clogged between adjacent fins, in other words, air for cooling from the fan 41 does not reach the slit portion, resulting in the heat dissipation efficiency of the CPU 110, in other words, cooling. Efficiency decreases.

  Actually, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 uses the threshold value table 21 to select a threshold value according to the ambient temperature notified from the cooling control unit 4, and based on the result of comparing the time ratio with the selected threshold value. Detect dust clogging. The threshold value table 21 is stored in, for example, a threshold value table storage unit provided in the memory 130 described later with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the information processing apparatus and shows the threshold value table 21.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the threshold table 21 includes a unit threshold table 211 corresponding to each model of the personal computer 100. Therefore, the threshold value table 21 includes a plurality of unit threshold value tables 211 corresponding to the number of models of the personal computer 100, for example. Thereby, even if the cooling performance of the personal computer 100 is different for each model, it is possible to select a threshold corresponding to each model appropriately. In addition, for a plurality of personal computers 100 having different cooling performance for each model, it is possible to select a threshold appropriately corresponding to each model simply by preparing one threshold table 21.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the threshold value table 21 stores threshold values that are determined to be clogged with dust corresponding to the ambient temperature range of the personal computer 100. For example, when the ambient temperature is 10 ° C. or lower, the time ratio “30%” at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time is set as the threshold value. Thereby, when the ambient temperature is 10 ° C. or lower, “30%” is selected as the threshold value.

  Therefore, when the ambient temperature is 10 ° C. or less and the time ratio of thermal throttling per unit time is smaller than “30%”, it is determined that there is no dust clogging. On the other hand, when the ambient temperature is 10 ° C. or less and the time ratio of thermal throttling per unit time is “30%” or more, it is determined that there is dust clogging. It is considered that the fact that the time ratio of thermal throttling per unit time exceeds “30%” despite the extremely low ambient temperature of 10 ° C. or less is not normally cooled. Because. Thereby, even if the easiness of thermal throttling varies depending on the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100, it is possible to accurately detect dust clogging of the heat sink of the CPU 110 in accordance with the ambient temperature.

  For example, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 acquires the model of the personal computer 100 from the OS, and uses the acquired model of the personal computer 100 to use one unit threshold table 211 corresponding to the model from the threshold table 21. Select. Then, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects one threshold value corresponding to the ambient temperature from the selected unit threshold value table 211 according to the ambient temperature notified from the cooling control unit 4.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 compares the time ratio notified from the cooling control unit 4 with the selected threshold value, and detects dust clogging based on the comparison result. For example, when the time ratio notified from the cooling control unit 4 is smaller than the selected threshold value, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 determines that no dust clogging is detected. When the time ratio notified from the cooling control unit 4 is equal to or larger than the selected threshold, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 determines that dust clogging has been detected.

  When the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 detects dust clogging in the heat sink of the CPU 110, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 outputs a warning indicating to the user that the dust clogging has been detected. In practice, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 requests the output processing unit 3 to output a warning indicating that the user has detected dust clogging. Upon receiving the warning output request, the output processing unit 3 generates a warning screen using the output data 31 and displays the warning screen on the display 161 via the graphics controller 160, for example, a pop-up display. The output data 31 is stored in, for example, an output data storage unit provided in the hard disk 141 described later with reference to FIG.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 uses the frequency at which thermal throttling occurs per unit time or the time during which thermal throttling continues, instead of the time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time. Thus, dust clogging in the heat sink of the CPU 110 may be detected.

  Further, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 may detect dust clogging in a device that generates a large amount of heat other than the CPU 110, for example, the heat sink of the system controller 120 or the memory 130.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus.

  The personal computer 100 includes a CPU 110, a system controller 120, a memory 130, a disk controller 140, a cooling control unit 150, a graphics controller 160, and an input / output controller 170. The system controller 120 is connected to the CPU 110 and the memory 130. The system controller 120 is connected to the disk controller 140, the cooling control unit 150, the graphics controller 160, and the input / output controller 170 via the bus 180.

  A hard disk 141 is connected to the disk controller 140. For example, a fan 151 and a temperature sensor 152 are connected to the cooling control unit 150. The cooling control unit 150 is the cooling control unit 4 in FIG. 1, the fan 151 is the fan 41 in FIG. 1, and the temperature sensor 152 is the temperature sensor 42 in FIG. The cooling control unit 150 is connected to the system controller 120 via a dedicated signal line 190 different from the bus 180. A display 161 is connected to the graphics controller 160. A keyboard 171 is connected to the input / output controller 170. For example, a mouse, a printer, or the like may be connected to the input / output controller 170. Note that a mouse, a printer, a transmission / reception device, and the like may be connected to the USB controller via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port.

  The system controller 120 controls the entire personal computer 100. When the power of the personal computer 100 is turned on by the user, the CPU 110 reads the operating system (OS), which is a control program, from the hard disk 141 by executing the loaded BIOS, and stores it in the memory 130, which is the main memory. Start resident.

  The CPU 110 controls the personal computer 100 according to the OS resident on the memory 130. CPU 110 executes an application program on memory 130. Thereby, the thermal throttling processing unit 1, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2, and the output processing unit 3 are realized. An application that realizes the thermal throttling processing unit 1 and the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 is loaded from the hard disk 141 onto the memory 130 by the OS when the OS is started, and is resident. The same applies to the threshold table 21. The application program is stored in, for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD, input from the recording medium to the hard disk 141 via a CD-ROM drive or DVD drive, and loaded from the hard disk 141 to the memory 130.

  The disk controller 140 controls the hard disk 141 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 110 via the system controller 120 and executes input / output of various programs and various data. The output data 31 is loaded from the hard disk 141 onto the memory 130 as necessary. The graphics controller 160 controls the display 161 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 110 via the system controller 120 and executes various screen displays. The input / output controller 170 controls the keyboard 171 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 110 via the system controller 120 and executes input from the keyboard 171.

  Next, the dust clogging process executed by the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of dust clogging detection and shows the temperature rise of the CPU 110 when a load is applied to the CPU 110.

  In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the temperature of the CPU 110 at a certain time is a value indicated by # 0. Thereafter, a load is applied to the CPU 110, in other words, the CPU 110 operates and the temperature of the CPU 110 rises.

  In FIG. 4, a graph represented by a dotted line shows a case where the heat sink of the CPU 110 is not clogged with dust, and thus the CPU 110 is normally cooled by the fan 41.

  In this case, when the CPU 110 starts operating, as shown by # 1, the temperature of the CPU 110 gradually increases and reaches the threshold value T1. Thereby, thermal throttling is performed. The threshold value T1 is a temperature at which thermal throttling is performed, in other words, a temperature at which the operating frequency of the CPU 110 is limited based on the temperature of the CPU 110.

  When the thermal throttling is executed, the CPU 110 is normally cooled, so the temperature of the CPU 110 quickly decreases and reaches the threshold value T2. Thereby, thermal throttling is released. The threshold value T2 is a temperature at which the thermal throttling being performed is released, in other words, a temperature at which the operating frequency of the CPU 110 is not limited based on the temperature of the CPU 110.

  Thereafter, as shown in # 2, the decrease in the temperature of the CPU 110 due to the execution of the thermal throttling and the increase in the temperature of the CPU 110 due to the release of the thermal throttling are repeated at a longer cycle than in the case indicated by the solid line. It is.

  In FIG. 4, a graph represented by a solid line shows a case where the CPU 110 is not normally cooled by the fan 41 because the heat sink of the CPU 110 is clogged with dust.

  In this case, when the CPU 110 starts operating, as shown in # 3, the temperature of the CPU 110 suddenly rises and reaches the threshold value T1 in a relatively short time. Thereby, thermal throttling is performed.

  When the thermal throttling is performed, the CPU 110 is gradually cooled although it is insufficient. For this reason, the temperature of the CPU 110 gradually decreases and reaches the threshold value T2. Thereby, thermal throttling is released.

  Thereafter, as shown in # 4, the temperature decrease of the CPU 110 due to the execution of the thermal throttling and the temperature increase of the CPU 110 due to the release of the thermal throttling are repeated in a shorter cycle than the case indicated by the dotted line. It is.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of dust clogging detection, and shows the repeated execution and release of thermal throttling in the CPU 110. In FIG. 5, the solid line indicates an increase in the temperature of the CPU 110, and the dotted line indicates a decrease in the temperature of the CPU 110.

  In FIG. 5, the upper graph shows a case where the heat sink of the CPU 110 is not clogged with dust, and thus the CPU 110 is normally cooled by the fan 41. Note that the upper graph corresponds to a portion of the graph represented by the dotted line in FIG. 4 where the temperature decrease and increase of the CPU 110 are repeated periodically.

  In this case, since the CPU 110 is normally cooled by the fan 41, as described above, the temperature of the CPU 110 gradually rises and falls quickly. Therefore, in FIG. 5, the time represented by the solid line is long and the time represented by the dotted line is short. In other words, when the CPU 110 is normally cooled, the thermal throttling is released for a long time and the thermal throttling is executed for a short time. As a result, the thermal slot per unit time is reduced. The percentage of time that the ring was executed is small.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 5, the lower graph shows a case where the CPU 110 is not normally cooled by the fan 41 because the heat sink of the CPU 110 is clogged with dust. Note that the lower graph corresponds to a portion of the graph represented by a solid line in FIG. 4 in which the temperature decrease and increase of the CPU 110 are periodically repeated.

  In this case, since the CPU 110 is not normally cooled by the fan 41, as described above, the temperature of the CPU 110 rapidly increases and gradually decreases. Therefore, in FIG. 5, the time represented by the solid line is short and the time represented by the dotted line is long. In other words, if the CPU 110 is not properly cooled, the time during which the thermal throttling is released is short and the time during which the thermal throttling is performed is long. The percentage of time that the ring was executed is large.

  Based on the above, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 uses the time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time for determining whether or not the CPU 110 is normally cooled. Thereby, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 can accurately detect the dust clogging of the heat sink of the CPU 110 based on the time ratio at which the thermal throttling is performed per unit time regardless of the temperature of the CPU 110. In particular, since the personal computer 100 is thin and notebook-type, there is no room for space for the cooling structure, and even when the CPU temperature easily rises and reaches the start temperature of thermal throttling, the CPU 110 Dust clogging can be detected regardless of temperature. In this case, the cooling efficiency of the CPU 110 can be improved by detecting dust clogging, the average operating frequency of the CPU 110 can be improved, and a decrease in the processing capacity of the CPU 110 can be avoided.

  Next, output processing executed by the output processing unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating examples of warning screens.

  As described above, when the output processing unit 3 receives a warning output request indicating to the user that dust clogging has been detected from the dust clogging monitoring unit 2, for example, a warning screen as shown in FIG. This is displayed on the display 161. Thereby, it can inform a user that it is necessary to improve the cooling efficiency of CPU110.

  When the user who sees the warning screen in FIG. 6A clicks “To the care method”, the output processing unit 3 displays a warning screen as shown in FIG. 6B on the display 161. When the user who sees the warning screen in FIG. 6B clicks “to actual procedure”, the output processing unit 3 displays a warning screen as shown in FIG. This informs the user that the heat sink of the CPU 110 is clogged and can guide the user to improve the clog of the heat sink of the CPU 110.

  Note that the warning screen displayed by the output processing unit 3 is not limited to the examples in FIGS. 6 and 7, and various other displays are possible. Further, the warning displayed by the output processing unit 3 may be a warning by sound or voice, blinking of a predetermined LED (Light Emitting Diode), or the like. For example, the LED may be provided in the vicinity of the air-cooling air intake provided in the housing of the personal computer 100 or in the vicinity of the fan 41.

  FIG. 8 is a processing flow of dust clogging detection processing.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 is activated when the OS is activated and resides in the memory (step S1). Thereafter, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 acquires the execution state of thermal throttling from the cooling control unit 4, and based on the acquired execution state, the time ratio at which thermal throttling is executed per unit time is obtained. In addition, the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 that is the output of the temperature sensor 42 is acquired from the cooling control unit 4 (step S2).

  Next, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects one threshold value from the threshold value table 21 based on the acquired ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 (step S3).

  Next, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 compares the calculated time ratio at which thermal throttling per unit time is executed with the selected threshold value (step S4). If the time ratio at which thermal throttling per unit time is performed is lower than the threshold, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 repeats step S2.

  In this case, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 holds the time when the process of step S2 is executed in step S2, acquires the current time from the CPU timer included in the CPU 110, and compares the held time with the current time. When the unit time has elapsed since the previous execution of the process in step S2, a new process in step S2 is executed. Thereby, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 can monitor the clogging of the heat sink of the CPU 110 every time the unit time elapses.

  If the time ratio at which thermal throttling per unit time is performed is equal to or greater than the threshold, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 determines that dust clogging has been detected, and requests the output processing unit 3 to cause the user to clog the dust. A warning notifying that it has been detected is output (step S5). Thereby, the user can know that the heat sink of the CPU 110 is clogged, and can eliminate the clogging.

  Note that the timing at which the output processing unit 3 outputs a warning is not limited to the point in time when it is detected that the time ratio at which thermal throttling per unit time is executed is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and is output at various timings. Also good. For example, it may be output when the personal computer 100 is shut down. Further, the timing at which the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 requests the output processing unit 3 to output a warning may be set at various timings, and the output processing unit 3 holds the warning output request from the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 Then, it may be executed at a predetermined timing.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the information processing apparatus.

  The temperature of the CPU 110 depends on the load on the CPU 110 and greatly depends on the load on the CPU 110. If the load on the CPU 110 is large, the temperature of the CPU 110 becomes high and thermal throttling is easily performed. Therefore, if the load on the CPU 110 is large, the time ratio at which thermal throttling is executed per unit time increases. On the other hand, if the load of the CPU 110 is large, it is normal from the viewpoint of dust clogging even if the temperature of the CPU 110 is high, and normal from the viewpoint of dust clogging even if the time ratio during which thermal throttling is performed is large.

  9, instead of the unit threshold value table 211 corresponding to each model of the personal computer 100 in the example of FIG. 1, the unit threshold value table 211 corresponding to each of the predetermined ranges of the load of the CPU 110 is changed. Use. In other words, the threshold value table 21 includes a plurality of unit threshold value tables 211 corresponding to each of predetermined ranges of the load on the CPU 110. Thereby, a threshold value can be determined for each predetermined range of the load on the CPU 110.

  The load on the CPU 110 is expressed by, for example, the usage rate (%) of the CPU 110. For example, the load of the CPU 110 is divided into ranges of 0 to 25%, 26 to 50%, 51 to 75%, and 76 to 100%, and threshold values corresponding to the ambient temperature shown in FIG. A unit threshold value table 211 is stored. In this case, in each unit threshold value table 211, different threshold values are stored corresponding to the same ambient temperature. As the load on the CPU 110 increases, a larger value corresponding to the same ambient temperature is stored as a threshold in the corresponding unit threshold table 211.

  In this case, the personal computer 100 includes a CPU load detector 5 as shown in FIG. The CPU load detection unit 5 is a part of the OS, for example, detects the load on the CPU 110, and notifies the detected load on the CPU 110 to the dust clogging monitoring unit 2.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects a threshold according to the load of the CPU 110 and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 notified from the cooling control unit 4, and based on the result of comparing the time ratio with the selected threshold, Detects dust clogging and outputs a warning. Specifically, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects the unit threshold value table 211 from the threshold value table 21 according to the load of the CPU 110, and according to the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 from the selected unit threshold value table 211. Select a threshold. The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 detects dust clogging and outputs a warning based on the result of comparing the time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time with the selected threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to accurately detect the dust clogging of the heat sink of the CPU 110 in consideration of the fluctuation of the time ratio in which the thermal throttling per unit time is executed according to the load of the CPU 110.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the information processing apparatus.

  The temperature of the CPU 110 depends on the power consumption of the personal computer 100 and greatly depends on the power consumption of the personal computer 100. If the power consumption of the personal computer 100 is large, the temperature of the CPU 110 becomes high and thermal throttling is easily performed. Therefore, if the power consumption of the personal computer 100 is large, the time ratio at which thermal throttling is executed per unit time increases. On the other hand, if the power consumption of the personal computer 100 is large, it is normal from the viewpoint of dust clogging even if the temperature of the CPU 110 is high. is there.

  Therefore, in the example of FIG. 10, instead of the unit threshold value table 211 corresponding to each model of the personal computer 100 in the example of FIG. 1, the unit threshold value corresponding to each predetermined range of the power consumption of the personal computer 100. A table 211 is used. In other words, the threshold value table 21 includes a plurality of unit threshold value tables 211 corresponding to each of the predetermined ranges of power consumption of the personal computer 100. Thereby, a threshold value can be determined for each predetermined range of power consumption of the personal computer 100.

  For example, the power consumption of the personal computer 100 is divided into four ranges, and a unit threshold value table 211 that stores threshold values corresponding to the ambient temperature shown in FIG. 2B is provided for each range. In this case, in each unit threshold value table 211, different threshold values are stored corresponding to the same ambient temperature. As the power consumption of the personal computer 100 is higher, a larger value corresponding to the same ambient temperature is stored as a threshold value in the corresponding unit threshold value table 211.

  In this case, the personal computer 100 includes a power consumption detector 6 as shown in FIG. The power consumption detection unit 6 is, for example, an application program, and includes an ammeter and a voltmeter for detecting power consumption. The power consumption of the personal computer 100 is multiplied by the detection value of the ammeter and the detection value of the voltmeter. And the detected power consumption of the personal computer 100 is notified to the dust clogging monitoring unit 2.

  The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects a threshold according to the power consumption of the personal computer 100 and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 notified from the cooling control unit 4, and compares the time ratio with the selected threshold. Based on this, it detects dust clogging and outputs a warning. Specifically, the dust clogging monitoring unit 2 selects the unit threshold value table 211 from the threshold value table 21 according to the power consumption of the personal computer 100, and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100 from the selected unit threshold value table 211. The threshold value is selected according to The dust clogging monitoring unit 2 detects dust clogging and outputs a warning based on the result of comparing the time ratio at which thermal throttling is performed per unit time with the selected threshold value. Thereby, considering that the time ratio for executing thermal throttling per unit time varies according to the power consumption of the personal computer 100, it is possible to accurately detect dust clogging of the heat sink of the CPU 110.

  The unit threshold value table 211 in the threshold value table 21 may be configured hierarchically. For example, the unit threshold value table 211 may be provided for each predetermined range of the load of the CPU 110 corresponding to each model of the personal computer 100. Thereby, an appropriate threshold value can be selected according to the model of the personal computer 100, the load of the CPU 110, and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100.

  Further, for example, a unit threshold table 211 may be provided for each predetermined range of power consumption of the personal computer 100 corresponding to each model of the personal computer 100. Thereby, an appropriate threshold value can be selected according to the model of the personal computer 100, the power consumption of the personal computer 100, and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100.

  The unit threshold value table 211 in the threshold value table 21 may be hierarchically configured by combining the model of the personal computer 100, the load of the CPU 110, the power consumption of the personal computer 100, and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100. . Thereby, an appropriate threshold value can be selected according to the model of the personal computer 100, the load of the CPU 110, the power consumption of the personal computer 100, and the ambient temperature of the personal computer 100.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal throttling processing part 2 Dust clogging monitoring part 3 Output processing part 4 Cooling control part 11 CPU temperature sensor 21 Threshold table 31 Output data 41 Fan 42 Temperature sensor

Claims (8)

A thermal throttling processing unit for performing thermal throttling, which is processing for changing the operating frequency of the CPU based on the temperature of the CPU;
The CPU is provided on the basis of a result of comparing a predetermined threshold with a time ratio at which the thermal throttling is executed per unit time calculated based on the execution state of the thermal throttling. An information processing apparatus comprising: a dust clogging monitoring unit that detects dust clogging in the heat radiating unit and outputs a warning. The information processing apparatus further includes:
Based on the state of execution of the thermal throttling, includes a cooling control unit that calculates the time ratio and notifies the calculated time ratio to the dust clogging monitoring unit,
The thermal throttling processing unit notifies the cooling control unit of the execution state of the thermal throttling;
The cooling control unit notifies the dust clogging monitoring unit of the time ratio calculated based on the execution state of the thermal throttling,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust clogging monitoring unit detects the dust clogging based on a result of comparing the time ratio and the threshold value, and outputs the warning. The cooling control unit notifies the ambient temperature of the information processing device to the dust clogging monitoring unit,
The dust clogging monitoring unit selects the threshold according to the notified ambient temperature, detects the dust clogging based on a result of comparing the time ratio with the selected threshold, and outputs a warning. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The information processing apparatus further includes:
The CPU load detection unit that detects the CPU load and notifies the detected dust load to the dust clogging monitoring unit, or the power consumption of the information processing device is detected and the detected power consumption of the information processing device Including a power consumption detection unit that notifies the dust clogging monitoring unit,
The dust clogging monitoring unit selects the threshold according to the load of the CPU and the ambient temperature, or selects the threshold according to the power consumption of the information processing device and the ambient temperature, and the time The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dust clogging is detected and a warning is output based on a result of comparing the ratio with the selected threshold value. The temperature of the CPU is detected by a temperature detection unit provided in the CPU,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ambient temperature is detected by a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of an air cooling air inlet provided in a housing of the information processing apparatus. The state of execution of the thermal throttling is provided separately from the bus of the information processing apparatus, and the cooling is performed from the thermal throttling processing unit via a dedicated signal line that connects the CPU and the cooling control unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is notified to the control unit. The thermal throttling processing unit executes thermal throttling, which is processing for changing the operating frequency of the CPU based on the temperature of the CPU,
The dust clogging monitoring unit is based on a result of comparing the time ratio at which the thermal throttling is performed per unit time calculated based on the execution state of the thermal throttling with a predetermined threshold value. A cooling control method for an information processing apparatus, comprising: detecting a dust clog in a heat dissipating unit provided in the CPU and outputting a warning. On the computer,
A process of thermal throttling, which is a process of changing the operating frequency of the CPU based on the temperature of the CPU;
The CPU is provided on the basis of a result of comparing a predetermined threshold with a time ratio at which the thermal throttling is executed per unit time calculated based on the execution state of the thermal throttling. A cooling control program that executes a process of detecting a dust clogging in a heat radiating section and outputting a warning.

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