JP2023091591A - Information processing device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To secure performance according to a use situation.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a system device, a first casing, and a second casing, wherein a positional relation between the first casing and the second casing is changeable while the first casing and the second casing are at least partially joined, an open/close state for the first casing and the second casing is determined, a part of supplied electric power supplied from a power source is supplied to the system device, and the system device is activated on the basis of a detected temperature. The system device is stored in the first casing or the second casing. When electric power is not supplied from an external power source and the open/close state is in a close state, the system device is activated in at least a predetermined temperature range so as to be less activated than when the electric power is supplied from the external power source or the open/close state is in an open state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and control method, and more particularly to thermal protection that limits operation at high temperatures.

Information processing apparatuses such as personal computers (PCs) generally include processors that consume a lot of power. Since the processor generates heat as it consumes power, it raises its own temperature. On the other hand, electronic components such as processors can be damaged by heat. In addition, the temperature of the information processing apparatus may exceed the allowable temperature for surrounding objects and the user. Therefore, some information processing apparatuses have a thermal protection mechanism. The thermal protection mechanism has the function of limiting its own operation at high temperatures to suppress or stop the temperature rise.

For example, the exothermic device described in Patent Document 1 incorporates a processor capable of changing the maximum power consumption value. The device periodically measures power consumption and temperature values of the processor. When a value representative of a set of measured power consumption values exceeds a predetermined threshold value and a temperature value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the processor continues to generate a large amount of heat for a certain period of time. is detected and the maximum power consumption value of the processor is reduced.

JP-A-2007-233782

2. Description of the Related Art Some information processing apparatuses have hardware configurations that can change their shape in order to facilitate portability. For example, a notebook PC (called notebook PC, etc.) typically includes two housings, one of which is rotatable with respect to the other housing. In such an information processing apparatus, the heat radiation performance may vary depending on the usage pattern. For example, when two enclosures are open, more heat is radiated than when they are closed. In such cases, even though the risk of thermal damage is relatively low, the thermal protection mechanism may not operate to provide the desired performance. On the other hand, when the two housings are closed, for example, when they are stored in a narrow space with high heat insulation such as when they are stored in a bag, they tend to be filled with heat. In such cases, the need for thermal protection is high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a system device, a first housing, a second housing, and the first housing. a displacement mechanism that can change the positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing while at least a part of the housing and the second housing are coupled; and and an open/close determination unit that determines the open/closed state of the second housing, a power supply unit that supplies part of the power supplied from the power supply to the system device, a temperature sensor that detects temperature, and the temperature and a system control unit that operates the system device based on: the system device is housed in the first housing or the second housing, and the system control unit receives power from an external power supply. When not supplied and the switching state is the closed state, at least within a predetermined temperature range, power is supplied from the external power source or the switching state is less active than when the switching state is the open state. to operate the system device.

In the information processing apparatus described above, the system control unit sets a transition temperature, which is a temperature at which the normal operation transitions to the surface temperature protection mode, when power is not supplied from an external power source and the open/close state is the closed state. , the temperature may be set to be lower than the transition temperature when power is supplied from the external power source or when the switching state is the open state. The surface temperature protection mode is an operating state in which the power limit of the system device is lower than the predetermined power limit in the normal operation.

In the above information processing apparatus, the displacement mechanism has one side of the first housing coupled to one side of the second housing, and the first housing is positioned relative to the second housing. It may be rotatable.

The above information processing apparatus includes a detection sensor for detecting whether or not the first housing is approaching the second housing, and the opening/closing determination unit determines whether the opening/closing state is detected when the approach is detected. may be determined to be the closed state, and the open/closed state may be determined to be the open state when the approach is not detected.

In the information processing device described above, the temperature sensor may be installed on a surface of the first housing or the second housing.

In the information processing apparatus described above, the power supply unit includes a charger that charges at least part of the power supplied from the external power supply, and the AC power supplied from the external power supply. a control circuit that converts supply power into DC power and supplies it as the supply power, and supplies the DC power supplied from the charger as the supply power when AC power is not supplied from the external power supply. good too.

In a control method according to a second aspect of the present invention, a system device, a first housing, a second housing, and at least a part of the first housing and the second housing are combined. a displacement mechanism that can change the positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing; a power supply unit that supplies part of the power supplied from a power source to the system device; and a system control unit that operates the system device based on the temperature, wherein the system device stores information processing stored in the first housing or the second housing. A control method for an apparatus, comprising: determining an open/closed state of the first housing and the second housing by the information processing apparatus; operating the system device such that when is in the closed state, at least within a predetermined temperature range, power is supplied from the external power source or the switching state is less active than when the switching state is in the open state; ,

According to the embodiments of the present invention, performance can be ensured according to usage conditions.

1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a side view which illustrates the side of the information processor concerning this embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing an example of functional composition concerning heat protection processing concerning this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of control of the operating state of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a setting example of operation states according to the embodiment; It is a table|surface which shows an example of the control table which concerns on this embodiment. It is a table showing another example of the control table according to the present embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of thermal protection processing according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a front view showing another external configuration example of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, an outline of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description mainly assumes that the information processing apparatus 10 is a notebook PC. The information processing device 10 is not necessarily limited to a notebook PC, and may be configured as a smart phone or the like.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of an information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.
The information processing device 10 includes a first housing 101 and a second housing 105 . The first housing 101 is rotatable with respect to the second housing 105, and the angle formed by the surface of the first housing 101 and the surface of the second housing 105 (hereinafter referred to as "opening angle") is variable. and More specifically, side 101c of first housing 101 and side 105c of second housing 105 are coupled using hinge mechanisms 121a and 121b.

The first housing 101 has side surfaces 101a to 101d and a rear surface 101e. The first housing 101 has a box-like interior and has a touch screen 103 mounted thereon. At this position, the user can perform touch operations on the surface of the touch screen 103 while viewing various information displayed on the touch screen 103 . Members such as a microphone, a speaker, a camera, an antenna, and a magnetic sensor 175 (FIG. 2) are mounted inside the frame along the side surface 101a of the first housing 101 .

The second housing 105 has side surfaces 105a to 105d and a rear surface 105e. Various members including a system device SD (FIG. 2) are mounted inside the second housing 105 . A keyboard 107 and a touch pad 109 are mounted on the surface of the second housing 105 . A permanent magnet 179 is installed inside the edge frame along the side surface 105 a of the second housing 105 . When the second housing 105 is closed with respect to the first housing 101 , the position of the permanent magnet 179 corresponds to the position facing the magnetic sensor 175 . As will be described later, the magnetic sensor 175 and the permanent magnet 179 can be used to detect the open/closed state of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 . Note that, in the following description, the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 may be collectively simply referred to as "the housing".

Hinge mechanisms 121a and 121b are attached along the side surfaces 101c and 105c so that the first housing 101 can rotate relative to the second housing 105 around a rotation axis 121ax parallel to the side surfaces 101c and 105c. there is The hinge mechanisms 121a and 121b can rotate the first housing 101 within an opening/closing angle θ of 0° to 180°. The hinge mechanisms 121a and 121b can maintain the opening/closing angle θ at an arbitrary opening/closing angle θ even if some torque is applied (FIG. 3).
With such a configuration, when the first housing 101 is closed with respect to the second housing 105 (for example, the opening/closing angle θ is 0° or an angle close to 0°, typically 30° or less), the detection element 173 a approaches the surface of the second housing 105 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a system device SD, an EC (Embedded Controller) 171 and a power supply unit 191 .
The system device SD includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 151 , a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) 153 , a system memory 155 and an I/O (Input/Output Controller) controller 163 . A CPU 151 , a GPU 153 , an audio device 157 , a communication module 159 , a HDD (Hard-Disk Drive) 161 and an EC 171 are connected to the I/O controller 163 . A system memory 155 is connected to the CPU 151 , and a display that constitutes the touch screen 103 is connected to the GPU 153 . Hereinafter, the CPU 151 and GPU 153 may be collectively referred to as processors. Audio device 157 includes the aforementioned microphones and speakers. The touch screen 103 has, for example, a structure in which a display and a transparent touch sensor are laminated.

The EC 171 is a microcomputer composed of a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a programmable logic circuit, and the like, separately from the system device SD. The EC 171 operates independently of the CPU 151 and functions, for example, as a control unit that manages the operating environment of the information processing apparatus 10 . The EC 171 reads out a control program (for example, firmware, sometimes abbreviated as ECFW) stored in advance in the ROM, executes the processing indicated by various commands described in the read control program, and performs the following: Implements the illustrated functionality. In the following description, execution of processing instructed by commands written in various programs (application programs (hereinafter referred to as apps), OS (Operating System), etc., regardless of type) is referred to as "program is sometimes called "running the program".

As will be described later, the EC 171 acquires information indicating the usage environment of its own device, and controls the operating state of the system device SD according to the learned usage environment. Information indicating the usage environment includes the state of power supply to the power supply unit 191 (for example, the presence or absence of power supply from an external power source), the open/closed state of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105, the temperature of the device itself, and the like. , in part or in whole. Control of operating conditions by the EC 171 includes thermal protection. Thermal protection stops the operation or reduces the activity of the system device SD when an elevated or high temperature is detected. Operation state control will be described later.

The EC 171 includes, for example, an open/close determination unit 201, a system control unit 203, and a control table 215 as functional configurations.
The open/close determination unit 201 determines whether the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are opened or closed based on the magnetic detection signal input from the magnetic sensor 175 . For example, when the strength of the magnetic field indicated by the magnetic detection signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined strength reference value, the open/close determination unit 201 determines that the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are closed, and determines that the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are closed. is less than the reference value of the strength, it can be determined that the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are open. When the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are closed, the permanent magnet 179 arranged in the first housing 101 approaches the magnetic sensor 175 arranged in the facing position of the second housing 105. Therefore, the magnetic sensor 175 can receive a strong magnetic field from the permanent magnet 179 . When the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are open, the permanent magnet 179 approaches the magnetic sensor 175, so the magnetic sensor 175 does not receive the magnetic field from the permanent magnet 179. FIG. Alternatively, even if it receives a magnetic field, its strength is relatively weak. The open/close determination unit 201 outputs open/close state information indicating the determined open/close state to the system control unit 203 .

The system control unit 203 controls the operation of the system device SD based on the usage environment of its own device. The system control unit 203 refers to the control table 215 stored in advance in the EC 171 in thermal protection. The control table describes information on the operating state (operating mode) of the system device SD in association with each of the plurality of temperature ranges (see FIG. 6). Normal operation is associated with the lowest temperature range of the described operating states. The normal operation is an operating state in which the information processing apparatus 10 is expected to exhibit its functions and performance. Normal operation may include one or both of changing the power control mode in response to changes in power consumption and controlling the heat dissipation mechanism in response to temperature. The next lowest temperature range is associated with a skin temperature protection mode (STP). The STP includes a process of setting a power limit (PL) of the processors (CPU 151, GPU 153, etc.) constituting the system device SD to a power value sufficiently smaller than a predetermined power limit in normal operation. The power limit includes at least the rated power and may also include the maximum power. The rated power allows the moving average value of power consumption to temporarily exceed this value, but it is necessary to limit the constant (for example, several seconds to several tens of seconds or more) exceeding this value. is the threshold. The window length in moving average (observation period for moving average of power consumption) is typically, for example, about 1 to 10 seconds. The maximum power is a threshold for restricting the moving average of power consumption from temporarily exceeding this value. The maximum power is sometimes called PL2 (Power Limit 2) or Short Term Power Limit. The maximum power corresponds to the upper limit of power consumption of the processor. The maximum power as control power related to STP can be a value smaller than the rated power in normal operation.

The system control unit 203 refers to the control table 215 to determine the operating state corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 173 (thermal protection processing). The system control unit 203 operates the system device SD according to the determined operating state. In the example of FIG. 2, the system control unit 203 controls each device based on the power supply information input from the power supply unit 191, the open/close state information input from the open/close determination unit 201, and the temperature signal input from the temperature sensor 173. control behavior. When the power supply information indicates that power is not supplied from the external power source and the switching state indicated by the switching state information is the closed state, the system control unit 203 supplies power from the external power source at least within a predetermined temperature range. or operate each device such that the open/closed state is less active than when it is open. Devices to be controlled include at least the system device SD and other devices that can operate on the premise of the operation of the system device SD, such as the communication module 159 . Devices to be controlled may include other devices. The predetermined temperature range includes the temperature range for STP. For example, when power is not supplied from the external power source and the switching state is the closed state, the system control unit 203 controls STP more than when power is supplied from the external power source or when the switching state is the open state. The upper limit of the temperature range of is set to a low temperature. Then, the system control unit 203 outputs a control signal indicating the determined operating state to the device to be controlled and the power supply unit 191 . A device to be controlled operates according to the operating state indicated by the control signal input from the system control unit 203 . A specific example of the control table will be described later.

The EC 171 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 173 , the magnetic sensor 175 , the input device 177 , the touch sensors forming the touch screen 103 , and the power supply unit 191 .
The temperature sensor 173 detects its own temperature and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected temperature to the EC 171 . Temperature sensor 173 includes, for example, a thermocouple. The temperature sensor 173 is installed, for example, on the surface of the housing. In that case the skin temperature is measured. Surface temperature can be strongly influenced by thermal insulation or heat dissipation in the surrounding environment. The location of the temperature sensor 173 may be, for example, the surface of the location where the system device SD, especially the CPU 151 is installed. At this position, the influence of heat dissipation from the system device SD such as the CPU 151 can also be strong.

The magnetic sensor 175 detects a magnetic field around it and outputs a magnetic detection signal indicating the intensity of the detected magnetic field to the EC 171 . Magnetic sensor 175 includes, for example, a Hall sensor. As described above, in the closed state where the second housing 105 is closed with respect to the first housing 101 , the permanent magnet 179 is positioned facing the magnetic sensor 175 . In that case, the magnetic sensor 175 detects a strong magnetic field. In the open state where the second housing 105 is opened with respect to the first housing 101 , the permanent magnet 179 is separated from the position facing the magnetic sensor 175 . Therefore, the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 175 is reduced. Therefore, the open/closed states of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 are determined according to the intensity of the detected magnetic field.

The input device 177 receives an external force by a user's operation, generates an operation signal according to the received external force, and outputs the generated operation signal to the EC 171 . The input device 177 includes the above-described keyboard 107 , touch pad 109 , and touch sensors that constitute the touch screen 103 .

The power supply unit 191 functions as a power supply unit that supplies the power required for the operation of each member constituting the information processing apparatus 10 from the power supplied from the power supply. The power unit 191 includes a power control circuit 193 , a DC/DC converter 195 and a charger 197 .
The power supply control circuit 193 converts the supplied AC power into DC power when AC power is supplied from an AC power supply, which is an external power supply, via an AC (Alternating Current) adapter (not shown). The power control circuit 193 supplies the converted DC power to the DC/DC converter 195 and the charger 197 via the power control circuit 193 . At this time, the power supply control circuit 193 outputs to the EC 171 power supply information indicating that power will be supplied from the external power supply. In the following description, a state in which power is supplied from an external power source is sometimes referred to as "power connection". The power supply control circuit 193 can determine whether or not AC power is being supplied, based on whether or not significant AC power can be detected using a known method.

The power supply control circuit 193 supplies the DC power discharged from the charger 197 to the DC/DC converter 195 when the AC power is not supplied. The power supply control circuit 193 outputs to the EC 171 power supply information indicating that power will be supplied from the external power supply. In the following description, when power is not supplied from an external power supply, that is, the state in which DC power from the charger 197 is supplied to each device via the DC/DC converter 195 may be referred to as "battery drive". be.
Note that the power control circuit 193 may be configured integrally with the AC adapter. The AC adapter may be installed in either first housing 101 or second housing 105 , or may be separate from information processing apparatus 10 .

The DC/DC converter 195 operates according to instructions from the EC 171 and supplies power of a predetermined voltage to each device included in the information processing apparatus 10 . The system control unit 203 of the EC 171 starts supplying power of a predetermined voltage to each device, for example, when the information processing apparatus 10 is instructed to start by a start switch (not shown). After that, the system control unit 203 starts activation of each device. The DC/DC converter 195 specifies the power supply amount of each device according to the operating state of the control signal input from the system control unit 203, and supplies the power of the specified power supply amount to the device. In addition, the system control unit 203 receives a preparation complete event from the system device SD when the operation state of the system device SD is stopped or transitioned to the sleep state. At this time, the system control unit 203 outputs to the DC/DC converter 195 a control signal indicating an instruction to stop powering the device. DC/DC converter 195 stops supplying power to a predetermined device in accordance with an instruction notified by a control signal input from system control section 203 .
However, the DC/DC converter 195 does not allow the EC 171 and each device (for example, the temperature sensor 173, the magnetic sensor 175, etc.) required for execution of operation state control by the system control unit 203 to determine whether the operation state of the system device SD is Power can be supplied regardless of whether it is in a halted or sleeping state.

The charger 197 can include a rechargeable battery (primary battery, battery) that charges residual DC power that is not consumed by each device of the information processing apparatus 10 out of the DC power supplied from the power supply control circuit 193 . When the DC power is not supplied from the power control circuit 193 , the charger 197 supplies the DC power discharged from the power stored therein to the DC/DC converter 195 via the power control circuit 193 .

Next, a functional configuration related to control of the operation state of each device configuring the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. The temperature-based operating state control described below is sometimes referred to as a thermal protection process. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a functional configuration example related to thermal protection processing according to this embodiment.
The open/close determination unit 201 determines whether the first housing and the second housing 105 are open or closed based on the intensity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 175 . The open/close determination unit 201 notifies the system control unit 203 of the determined open/close state.

The system control unit 203 refers to the control table 215 to refer to the open/closed state notified by the open/close determination unit 201, the power supply state determined by the power supply unit 191 as the presence or absence of power supply from the external power source, and the temperature sensor 173. determines the operating state of each device to be controlled, including the system device SD, based on the detected temperature.
More specifically, the system control unit 203 sets the operating state of each device to at least within a predetermined temperature range when power is not supplied from an external power supply (battery drive) and the open/close state is closed. It defines a less active operating state than when it is supplied with power from an external power supply (power supply connected) or when the switching state is in the open state.
The system control unit 203 causes the operating state of each device to be controlled to follow the determined operating state.

Next, an example of control of the operating state of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of control of the operating state of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the presence/absence of transition from normal operation to STP is the main concern.

In this example, the transition temperature to STP when the switching state is closed and power is not supplied from the external power source (battery drive) is set to TL22, and the switching state is open or power is supplied from the external power source. TL21 is set as the transition temperature when the power supply is connected (connected to the power supply). The transition temperature corresponds to the lower limit value of the temperature range related to the operation state to which the temperature rise is to be transitioned, or the upper limit value of the temperature range related to the operation state with higher activity. The transition temperature TL22 is set to a temperature lower than TL21 (for example, 4 to 8°C). From another point of view, the TL 22 is set to a temperature (for example, 1 to 3° C.) slightly lower than the internal temperature of the bag in which the information processing apparatus 10 in operation is stored. As a result, the information processing apparatus 10 operating in the closed state while consuming the DC power supply when driven by the battery operates according to STP as the operating state (transitions to STP) when stored inside the bag. On the other hand, even if the information processing apparatus 10 consumes DC power and operates in a closed state, if it is installed on a desk and heat is effectively dissipated, it is more likely to be stored inside a bag. The temperature Temp (for example, the surface temperature) of the information processing device 10 can become low. Since this temperature Temp is lower than the transition temperature TL22, the device of the information processing apparatus 10 operates normally (does not transition to STP).

When the switching state is the open state, or when power is supplied from an external power supply (power supply connection), if the temperature Temp is less than the transition temperature TL21, the device operates normally (transitions to STP). without). In an environment where the heat retention performance is higher than inside the bag, for example, when the information processing apparatus 10 in operation is covered with a blanket, the temperature Temp becomes higher than the transition temperature TL21, and the operation state is STP (transition to STP).

Next, an example of setting the operating state for each temperature range in the thermal protection process will be described.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a setting example of operation states according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates the range of operating states and surface temperatures Temp for each step of thermal protection (hereinafter “protection step”). In this example, the activity of the operation of the system device SD decreases in the order of steps 1-4, and the activity in step 4 is the lowest. Consumed or limited power also decreases as activity decreases.

As step 4, when the surface temperature Temp is higher than the transition temperature TL4 from step 3 to step 4, hardware (HW) shutdown is set as the operating state. HW shutdown is to stop the operation of the device to be controlled.
As step 3, when the surface temperature Temp is lower than the transition temperature TL4 but higher than the transition temperature TL3 from step 2 to step 3, OS (Operating System) shutdown is set as the operating state. OS shutdown stops the execution of the OS and various types of processing that presuppose the execution of the OS, such as the execution of application programs.

As step 2, the above two transition temperatures TL21 and TL22 are set for STP as an operating state. That is, when the power supply state is battery drive or the switching state is the open state, the surface temperature Temp is lower than the transition temperature TL3 but higher than the transition temperature TL21 from step 1 to step 2, the operation STP is set as the state. When the power supply state is the power supply connection and the switching state is the closed state, the surface temperature Temp is lower than the transition temperature TL3 to step 3, but higher than the transition temperature TL22 to step 2, the operating state STP is set as
As step 1, normal operation is set as the operation state. When the power supply state is the power supply connection or the switching state is the open state, the operating state is normal operation when the surface temperature Temp is equal to or lower than the transition temperature TL2 to STP. When the power supply state is battery drive and the opening/closing state is the closed state, the operating state is normal operation when the surface temperature Temp is equal to or lower than the transition temperature TL2 to STP.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the control table 215 according to this embodiment. The control table illustrated in FIG. 7 is referred to when the system control unit 203 executes thermal protection processing. In the example of FIG. 7, transition temperatures TL4 and TL3 are described for steps 4 and 3, respectively, regardless of usage conditions. For step 2, the transition temperature TL21 is set when the power supply state is connected to the power source or the open/close state is closed as the usage state, and the power supply state is battery drive and the open/close state is open as the usage state. A transition temperature TL22 is described for the state.
In steps 4 and 3, since at least the OS is not executed, the process desired by the user is not executed, and no operation by the user is assumed. Therefore, there is relatively little need to use different protection steps for different usage situations.

Note that the information processing device 10 may include a plurality of temperature sensors 173 . When the temperature detected by any one temperature sensor 173 becomes higher than the transition temperature to a certain protection step, the system control section 203 may set the operating state of the device to that protection step. In the control table, the transition temperature to some of the transition destination protection steps is described for each temperature sensor. may also be described. Further, the temperature measured by a specific temperature sensor 173 is used to determine whether transition to a specific operating state is necessary, and the temperatures measured by other temperature sensors 173 are used to determine whether transition to that operating state is necessary. may not be used for the determination of Thus, it is possible to determine whether or not to transition to a specific operating state according to the position and resistance to heat of a member installed near a specific temperature sensor 173 .

FIG. 8 shows another example of the control table 215 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 shows that the information processing apparatus 10 is provided with two temperature sensors 173, one temperature sensor 173 is on the surface of the housing, and the other temperature sensor 173b (not shown) is on another part, for example, inside the housing. A case where it is provided at a position adjacent to the CPU 151 installed in the wall is taken as an example. In this example, the temperature Temp1 (corresponding to the surface temperature) detected by one temperature sensor 173 is used for the transition from step 1 to step 2, ie, STP, and the temperature Temp3 (corresponding to the surface temperature) detected by the other temperature sensor 173b is used. (equivalent to CPU temperature), all of steps 1-4 are candidates for the transition destination in determining the operating state.

In the example of FIG. 8, a common value is described as the transition temperature TL23 from step 1 to step 2 used for comparison with the temperature Temp3 regardless of the usage conditions. This is because the temperature Temp3 measured in the vicinity of the CPU 151 has less difference due to usage conditions than the temperature Temp1 of the housing surface. The transition temperature TL4 to step 4 and the transition temperature TL3 to step 3 can be used to determine whether transition is necessary based on the temperature Temp3 detected by the temperature sensor 173b, that is, to determine the operating state.

Next, an example of thermal protection processing according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of thermal protection processing according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 exemplifies a case where the system control unit 203 uses the control table 215 illustrated in FIG. 8 and the initial operating state is normal operation (step 1).

(Step S102) The system control unit 203 determines whether or not the power supply state is battery drive and the open/close state is closed. When it is determined that it is battery driven and closed (step S102 YES), the process proceeds to step S104. When it is determined that the power source is connected or open (step S102 NO), the process proceeds to step S106.
(Step S104) The system control unit 203 determines whether the surface temperature Temp1 is higher than the transition temperature TL22 or the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL23. When the surface temperature Temp1 is higher than the transition temperature TL22 or the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL23 (step S104 YES), the process proceeds to step S108. When the surface temperature Temp1 is lower than the transition temperature TL22 and the CPU temperature Temp3 is lower than the transition temperature TL23 (step S104 NO), the process returns to step S102.

(Step S106) The system control unit 203 determines whether the surface temperature Temp1 is higher than the transition temperature TL21 or the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL23. When the surface temperature Temp1 is higher than the transition temperature TL21 or the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL23 (step S106 YES), the process proceeds to step S108. When the surface temperature Temp1 is lower than the transition temperature TL21 and the CPU temperature Temp3 is lower than the transition temperature TL23 (step S106 NO), the process returns to step S102.
(Step S108) The system control unit 203 sets the operation state of the devices constituting the information processing apparatus 10 as STP (step 2), and causes each device to be controlled to operate according to STP.

(Step S110) The system control unit 203 determines whether or not the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL3. When the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL3 (step S110 YES), the process proceeds to step S112. When the CPU temperature Temp3 is equal to or lower than the transition temperature TL3 (step S110 NO), the process returns to step S102.
(Step S112) The system control unit 203 determines that the operating state of the devices constituting the information processing apparatus 10 is OS shutdown, and causes each device to be controlled to operate or stop according to the OS shutdown (step 3). Here, the CPU 151 stops the execution of the OS, and also stops the operation of devices that cannot operate due to the execution of the OS, or devices that can operate but do not perform meaningful operations (for example, the communication module 159).

(Step S114) The system control unit 203 determines whether or not the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL4. When the CPU temperature Temp3 is higher than the transition temperature TL4 (step S114 YES), the process proceeds to step S116. When the CPU temperature Temp3 is equal to or lower than the transition temperature TL4 (step S114 NO), the process returns to step S110.
(Step S116) The system control unit 203 sets the operation state of the devices constituting the information processing apparatus 10 to HW shutdown (step 4), and stops the operation of all devices as devices to be controlled. After that, the process of FIG. 9 ends.

(Modification)
It should be noted that the above-described embodiment may be modified and implemented as follows. In the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9, the case where the number of stages of the operating state in the thermal protection process is four, but it is not limited to this. An operating state corresponding to a higher temperature range should be more active. In the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9, the transition temperatures TL21, TL22, and TL3 associated with the transition from normal operation (step 1) to STP (step 2) correspond to usage conditions (that is, the power supply state is battery drive, and , whether the open/closed state is closed or not), and other transition temperatures are set in common regardless of the usage conditions, but the present invention is not limited to this. Transition temperature for transitions between other operating states, e.g. transition temperature for transition from STP (step 2) to OS shutdown (step 3), transition from OS shutdown (step 3) to HW shutdown (step 4) Regarding one or both of the transition temperatures related to (installation position). The system control unit 203 may use the transition temperature corresponding to the usage status in addition to the temperature for transition to OS shutdown (step 3) and transition to HW shutdown (step 4).

In the above description, the case where the opening/closing determination unit 201 determines the opening/closing state of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 based on the magnetic detection signal has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The open/close determination unit 201 may determine the open/close state based on the open/close angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 . For example, when the opening/closing angle θ is less than a predetermined opening/closing determination angle (eg, 45°-90°), the opening/closing determination unit 201 determines that the opening/closing state of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 is the closed state. , the opening/closing determination angle or more, it can be determined that the opening/closing state of the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 is the open state. In order to detect the opening/closing angle θ, the information processing apparatus 10 may include an angle sensor (not shown) in one of the hinge mechanisms 121a, 121b in place of or together with the magnetic sensor 175 and the permanent magnet 179. The open/close determination unit 201 can use the angle detected by the angle sensor as the open/close angle θ.

Information processing apparatus 10 may include one acceleration sensor (not shown) in first housing 101 and second housing 105 instead of or in addition to the angle sensor. Each acceleration sensor is capable of detecting three-dimensional acceleration, and is oriented such that the direction of each sensitivity axis is parallel to the surface of each housing and perpendicular to the rotation axis 121ax. The open/close determination unit 201 can calculate the open/close angle θ based on the cosine value obtained by dividing the inner product of the acceleration vectors representing the three-dimensional acceleration detected by the individual acceleration sensors by the norm of each acceleration vector. can.

Further, the information processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. However, it is not limited to this. As long as the relative positional relationship between the first housing 101 and the second housing 105 can be changed by the user's operation, they may be in other forms without rotation.

For example, an information processing device 10c shown in FIG. 10 includes a guide mechanism (not shown). The guide mechanism slides in the depth direction while the first housing 101 faces the second housing 105 and the rear surface 101e (not shown) of the first housing 101 faces and approaches the surface of the second housing 105. (Slide) Make it possible. Here, the depth direction is the direction from the side surface 101c to the side surface 101a. The open/close determination unit 201 determines that a state in which most of the surface of the second housing 105 is covered with the first housing 101 is a closed state. In this state, heat dissipation from the housing is relatively low, and it can be stored inside a bag. However, although the touch screen 103 installed on the surface of the first housing 101 can be used, the keyboard 107 and the touch pad 109 installed on the surface of the second housing 105 cannot be used. On the other hand, the open/close determination unit 201 determines that the state in which the surface of the second housing 105 is exposed without being covered by the first housing 101 except for a small portion is the open state. In this state, the heat dissipation from the housing is relatively low, and it is not suitable for storage in a closed space with high heat insulation such as a bag. However, both the touch screen 103 installed on the surface of the first housing 101 and the keyboard 107 and the touch pad 109 installed on the surface of the second housing 105 are usable.

In order to detect the open/closed state, the information processing apparatus 10 has, for example, a position where the keyboard 107 and the touch pad 109 are exposed when the keyboard 107 and the touch pad 109 are exposed. A switch (not shown) may be provided in which the two contacts do not contact each other when 107 and touchpad 109 are in an unexposed position. The open/close determination unit 201 can determine whether the open/closed state is the open state or the closed state according to the presence/absence of conduction between the contacts.

The second housing 105 related to the information processing apparatuses 10 and 10c may be detachable from the first housing 101, or may function alone as a keyboard device. The second housing 105 may include a keyboard 107 and a touch pad 109 as well as peripheral devices such as a magnetic disk device, an optical disk device, and a battery device.

As described above, the information processing apparatus (for example, the information processing apparatus 10, 10c) according to the present embodiment includes the system device SD, the first housing (for example, the first housing 101), the second relative position of the first housing (e.g., the second housing 105) and at least a portion of the first housing and the second housing while coupling A displacement mechanism (for example, hinge mechanisms 121a and 121b, a guide mechanism) that can change the relationship, an open/close determination unit 201 that determines the open/closed state of the first housing and the second housing, and a power source. A power supply unit (e.g., power supply unit 191) that supplies part of the supplied power to the system device SD, a temperature sensor 173 that detects temperature, and a system control unit 203 that operates the system device SD based on the temperature. Prepare. The system device SD is housed in the first housing or the second housing, and the system control unit 203 controls at least a predetermined temperature when power is not supplied from the external power supply and the opening/closing state is closed. In range, power is supplied from an external power source or the system device SD is operated such that the open/close state is less active than when it is in the open state.
With this configuration, the case where the operation of the system device SD becomes inactive is limited when power is not supplied from the external power source and the opening/closing state is the closed state. Power consumption can be reduced by restricting cases in which performance cannot be demonstrated due to inactivity of the system device SD to cases where user operation is not expected, and system device SD can be used when user operation is expected. SD performance is ensured. As a result, performance can be ensured according to usage conditions, thereby improving user satisfaction.

The system control unit 203 sets the transition temperature, which is the temperature at which the normal operation transitions to STP when power is not supplied from the external power supply and the open/close state is the closed state, when power is supplied from the external power supply, or It may be set to a temperature lower than the transition temperature when the switching state is the open state. STP is an operating state in which the power limit of system device SD is lower than the predetermined power limit in normal operation.
With this configuration, when power is not supplied from the external power source and the switching state is the closed state, the transition temperature, which is the temperature at which the normal operation transitions to STP, is set lower. Therefore, when the surrounding heat insulation is high (for example, when stored inside a bag), the temperature rise inside the information processing apparatus is suppressed at an early stage, thereby protecting the system device SD.

In the displacement mechanism, one side of the first housing may be coupled to one side of the second housing, and the first housing may be rotatable with respect to the second housing.
With this configuration, the first housing is rotatable with respect to the second housing, so that the open/closed state is changed by an external force. The open/closed state can be easily changed according to the user's operation, and the system device SD operates in the operating state corresponding to the opened/closed state.

The information processing apparatus includes a detection sensor (for example, a magnetic sensor 175, an acceleration sensor, an angle sensor) that detects whether the first housing is approaching the second housing. The open/closed state may be determined to be the closed state when the approach is detected, and the open/closed state may be determined to be the open state when the approach is not detected.
Since the open/closed state of the first housing and the second housing is determined with a simple configuration, the means for determining the open/closed state can be economically realized.

The temperature sensor 173 may be installed on the surface of the first housing or the second housing.
With this configuration, the surface temperature of the surface of the housing is detected, and the operating state of system device SD is controlled based on the detected surface temperature. Since the surface temperature is affected by the heat dissipation performance of the surroundings, protection against temperature rise is achieved by heat insulation.

The power supply unit (for example, the power supply unit 191) includes a charger 197 that charges at least part of AC power supplied from an external power source, and a charger 197 that converts the AC power into DC power when the AC power is supplied from the external power source. and a control circuit (for example, the power supply control circuit 193) that supplies the DC power supplied from the charger 197 as the supply power when the AC power is not supplied from the external power supply.
With this configuration, whether or not to supply DC power from the charger 197 is controlled depending on whether or not AC power is to be supplied.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes designs and the like within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily as long as there is no contradiction, and some configurations may be omitted.

For example, instead of the EC 171 , the temperature sensor 173 , magnetic sensor 175 , input device 177 and power supply unit 191 may be connected to the I/O controller 163 . The I/O controller 163 may read a control program pre-stored in the HDD 161 or other storage medium, and execute the read control program to realize the functions of the open/close determination unit 201 and the system control unit 203. . In that case, the EC171 may be omitted.

In addition, the number of processors as the system device SD is not limited to one for each of the CPU 151 and GPU 153, and may be a plurality of processors. good.
As the power limit, the maximum power or rated power of the power consumption of the entire system device SD may be defined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10c... Information processing apparatus, 101... 1st housing|casing, 103... Touch screen, 105... 2nd housing|casing, 107... Keyboard, 109... Touch pad, 121a, 121b... Hinge mechanism, 151... CPU, 153... GPU , 155... System memory, 157... Audio device, 159... Communication module, 161... HDD, 163... I/O controller, 171... EC, 173... Temperature sensor, 175... Magnetic sensor, 177... Input device, 191... Power supply unit 193 Power supply control circuit 195 DC/DC converter 197 Charger 201 Opening/closing determination unit 203 System control unit 215 Control table SD System device

Claims (7)

a system device, a first housing, a second housing;
a displacement mechanism capable of varying the positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing while coupling at least a portion of the first housing and the second housing;
an open/close determination unit that determines an open/closed state with respect to the first housing and the second housing;
a power supply unit that supplies part of the power supplied from the power supply to the system device;
a temperature sensor for detecting temperature;
a system control unit that operates the system device based on the temperature,
the system device is housed in the first housing or the second housing;
The system control unit
When power is not supplied from an external power source and the switching state is the closed state, the temperature is higher than when power is supplied from the external power source or the switching state is the open state at least within a predetermined temperature range. An information processing device that operates the system device to be inactive. The system control unit
When power is not supplied from the external power source and the open/close state is the closed state, power is supplied from the external power source to a transition temperature, which is a temperature at which the normal operation transitions to the surface temperature protection mode, or set to a temperature lower than the transition temperature when the open/close state is the open state;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface temperature protection mode is an operating state in which the limited power of the system device is lower than the predetermined limited power in the normal operation. The displacement mechanism is
One side of the first housing is coupled to one side of the second housing, and the first housing is rotatable with respect to the second housing. The information processing device according to . A detection sensor that detects whether or not the first housing is approaching the second housing,
The opening/closing determination unit
determining the open/closed state as a closed state when the approach is detected;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the approach is not detected, the open/closed state is determined to be the open state. The temperature sensor is
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is installed on a surface of the first housing or the second housing. The power supply unit
a charger that charges at least part of the power supplied from the external power source;
When AC power is supplied from the external power supply, converting the AC power into DC power and supplying it as the supply power,
The information processing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control circuit that supplies DC power supplied from the charger as the supply power when AC power is not supplied from the external power supply. Device. a system device, a first housing, a second housing;
a displacement mechanism capable of varying the positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing while coupling at least a portion of the first housing and the second housing;
a power supply unit that supplies part of the power supplied from the power supply to the system device;
a temperature sensor for detecting temperature;
a system control unit that operates the system device based on the temperature, wherein the system device is a control method in an information processing apparatus stored in the first housing or the second housing, ,
The information processing device
determining an open/closed state with respect to the first housing and the second housing;
When power is not supplied from an external power source and the switching state is the closed state, the temperature is higher than when power is supplied from the external power source or the switching state is the open state at least within a predetermined temperature range. operating said system device to become inactive.

Images