JP7293327B1 - Information processing device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

A search indexing process based on temperature and power control modes is controlled more reliably. A data management unit associates and stores a search index with each data file, and executes search index processing for generating or updating the search index based on operation information indicating the operating state of a heat dissipation fan. , the temperature sensor detects the temperature, the operation information notification unit determines operation information indicating a pseudo operation state of the heat dissipation fan based on the power control mode of the processor and the temperature, and sends the operation information to the data management unit. Notice. [Selection drawing] Fig. 3

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and control method, and for example, to searching for data files.

An information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer) generally has a storage section storing a plurality of data files, and searches for a data file corresponding to an indicated data item. One or more keywords are used as data items. A search index is used in searching the data files. The search index indicates information indicating the location of a data file or part thereof for each data item. By using the search index, it is possible to avoid accessing the storage unit one by one, thereby speeding up the search of the data file.

On the other hand, in the information processing device, the data file changes as it operates. Changes include creating new data files, erasing existing data files, and updating existing data files. In order to quickly search for desired data files, ideally one would expect to constantly update the search index. In general, updating a search index tends to consume a lot of power. Power consumption increases unexpectedly, which can lead to shorter battery life. In addition, since the temperature rises as the power consumption increases, the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan may be increased to promote heat dissipation. This increase in rotational speed is also a factor in increasing power consumption.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-523152

Therefore, it is conceivable to stop the search index process when the rotational speed of the heat radiation fan becomes high to encourage the stop of the heat radiation fan, and to restart the search index process and restart the operation of the heat radiation fan when the rotational speed becomes low. On the other hand, it is conceivable that the information processing apparatus includes a temperature control section, operates a heat radiation fan when the temperature of the apparatus becomes high, and stops the operation of the heat radiation fan when the temperature becomes low. In this case, there is a possibility that a series of events such as operation of the heat radiation fan due to the temperature rise, temperature decrease due to the operation of the heat radiation fan, stop of the heat radiation fan due to the temperature decrease, and temperature increase due to the stop of the heat radiation fan may be repeated. Due to this repetition, if the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan oscillates, the user may feel uncomfortable.

On the other hand, if users expect fast searches, it is desirable to allocate commensurate power and update the search index. In addition, when the operating status of the heat radiation fan is indicated by the rotation speed, even if the rotation speed is common, the cooling capacity or the amount of noise varies depending on the model of the heat radiation fan. In some cases, it cannot be applied to an information processing device. Such temperature control and control involving the operation of a heat radiation fan cannot be applied to an information processing apparatus that does not have a heat radiation fan.

The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above problems, and an information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention stores a search index in association with each data file, and operates a heat dissipation fan. a data management unit that executes search index processing that is processing for generating or updating the search index based on operation information indicating a state; a temperature sensor that detects temperature; an operation information notification unit that determines operation information indicating a pseudo operation state of the heat dissipation fan and notifies the data management unit of the operation information.

In the information processing apparatus described above, the data management unit may determine the priority of the search index process so that the more active the operating state of the heat dissipation fan, the lower the priority.

In the above information processing apparatus, when the operating state of the heat dissipation fan is more active than a predetermined reference value for the operating state, the data management unit lowers the priority of the search index process below a predetermined reference priority. A low priority may be set, and when the operating state of the heat dissipation fan is less active than a predetermined operating state reference value, the reference priority may be set as the priority for the search index processing.

The information processing apparatus described above includes a power control unit, the processor is capable of adopting a plurality of stages of power control modes with different power ratings, and the power control unit controls the power consumption of the processor based on the power consumption of the processor. A step power control mode may be defined from the step power control modes.

In the above information processing device, the operation information notifying unit is configured to detect when the temperature exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, or when an automatic setting mode that determines one power control mode from the plurality of power control modes is selected. and the data management unit may be notified of operation information indicating the pseudo operation state.

In the information processing device described above, the operation information may indicate a rotational speed of the heat radiation fan.

A control method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a control method in an information processing apparatus including a data management unit that stores a search index in association with each data file, and a temperature sensor that detects temperature. a data management step in which the management unit executes search index processing, which is processing for generating or updating the search index based on operation information indicating the operating state of the heat dissipation fan; determining pseudo operation information corresponding to the temperature, and notifying the data management unit of the operation information.

According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to more reliably control search index processing based on temperature and power control mode.

1 is a plan view showing a hardware configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a functional configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the power control table which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the mode transition table which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the setting screen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the rotation speed control table which concerns on this embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of execution control of search index processing 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 internal configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, a case where the information processing apparatus 1 is a PC is mainly taken as an example. The information processing apparatus 1 may be a PC of any form, regardless of whether it is a notebook type or a desktop type. The information processing device 1 is not limited to a PC, and may be configured as a tablet terminal device, a smart phone, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a hardware configuration example of an information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 schematically shows the inside of the housing BD of the information processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. A motherboard MB, a storage medium 23, an audio system 24, a battery 34, and a cooling unit 35 are arranged inside the housing BD.
A processor 11, a video subsystem 13, a chipset 21, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) memory 22, an embedded controller 31, and a power supply circuit 33 are installed on the motherboard MB.

The cooling unit 35 includes a heat dissipation fan 351 , a heat pipe 352 and a temperature sensor 353 . The heat dissipation fan 351 and the heat pipe 352 are examples of heat spreaders.
The heat radiation fan 351 has a motor that rotates fins (wings), and causes air to flow into the housing BD from the intake port 81 . The air that has flowed in is heat-exchanged with the heat pipe 352 and then exhausted from the housing BD through the exhaust port 83 . The operation of the heat dissipation fan 351 may be controlled by the heat dissipation control section 220 (described later) based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 353 .

The heat pipe 352 is a heat transfer member having a tube made of metal and a working fluid and a wick sealed inside the tube. Copper, aluminum, or the like can be used as the material of the tube. Water or the like can be used as the working fluid. A porous material or the like can be used as the wick. The wick is formed with pores that generate capillary force in the liquid-phase working fluid.
Heat pipe 352 has an evaporator and a condenser. The evaporator portion of the heat pipe 352 is provided close to or in contact with the processor 11 so as to take in heat generated in the processor 11, for example. A condensing portion of the heat pipe 352 is provided in the vicinity of the heat dissipation fan 351 .

The evaporator of the heat pipe 352 evaporates the working fluid by receiving the heat generated by the processor. In the evaporating section, the vaporization of the working fluid increases the pressure, so that the vapor-phase working fluid moves toward the condensing section. In the condensing section, the heat of the working fluid is taken away by the airflow generated by the heat radiation fan 351 . The airflow that has taken heat from the working fluid is discharged from the exhaust port 83 to the outside of the housing BD.
The working fluid that has lost heat in the condensing section condenses into a liquid phase. The liquid-phase working fluid flows toward the evaporator by capillary force through pores formed in the wick. The liquid-phase differential fluid that reaches the evaporator receives heat from the processor 11 again and evaporates. After that, the above phenomenon is repeated.
In this manner, the processor 11 can be cooled by the cooling section 35 having the heat pipe 352 .

The temperature sensor 353 detects temperature and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected temperature to the embedded controller 31 . The temperature sensor 353 is provided at a position where the temperature of the portion corresponding to the evaporating portion of the heat pipe 352 can be detected. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 353 roughly corresponds to the temperature of the processor 11 .

Next, a hardware configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.
The information processing device 1 includes a processor 11, a main memory 12, a video subsystem 13, a display 14, a chipset 21, a BIOS memory 22, a storage medium 23, an audio system 24, a WLAN card 25, It includes a USB connector 26, an embedded controller 31, an input section 32, a power supply circuit 33, a battery 34, and a cooling section 35 (including a heat radiation fan 351 and a temperature sensor 353).

The processor 11 executes various arithmetic processes instructed by instructions written in software (programs). The processing executed by the processor 11 includes processing for displaying display information on the display 14 (typically, processing for drawing characters, figures, patterns, etc.). Processor 11 includes, for example, one or more CPUs. The processor 11 may include one or more GPUs (Graphic Processing Units). One CPU may be formed on the same core as the GPU, or may be formed on a separate core. The CPU controls the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 as a whole. The CPU executes processing based on software such as an OS, BIOS, and application programs (also referred to as “apps” in this application). Note that executing a process instructed by an instruction written in software is sometimes referred to as "executing the software". A GPU is a processor mainly responsible for real-time image processing and other parallel arithmetic processing. The GPU may share the load of the CPU.

The main memory 12 is a writable memory used as a read area for the execution program of the processor 11 or as a work area for writing processing data of the execution program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The execution program includes an OS, various drivers for hardware operation of peripheral devices, various services/utilities, applications, and the like.

The video subsystem 13 is a subsystem for realizing functions related to image display, and includes a video controller. The video controller processes drawing commands from the processor 11, writes the processed drawing information to the video memory, reads the drawing information from the video memory, and outputs it to the display 14 as display data indicating the display information. If processor 11 includes a GPU, that GPU may function as video subsystem 13 . In that case, video subsystem 13 may be integrated with processor 11 .

The display 14 displays a display screen based on drawing data (display data) output from the video subsystem 13 . The display 14 may be, for example, an organic electroluminescence display (OLED), a liquid crystal display, or the like.

The chipset 21 supports USB (Universal Serial Bus), serial ATA (AT Attachment), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, PCI-Express bus, and LPC (Low Pin Count) bus. It has a controller and multiple devices are connected. For example, the multiple devices include a BIOS memory 22, a storage medium 23, an audio system 24, a WLAN card 25, a USB connector 26, and an embedded controller 31, which will be described later.

The BIOS memory 22 is, for example, an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash ROM. The BIOS memory 22 stores the BIOS and system firmware for controlling the embedded controller 31 and the like.

The storage medium 23 includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid Stage Drive), and the like. For example, the storage medium 23 stores an OS, various drivers, various services/utilities, applications, and various data.

The audio system 24 is connected with a microphone and a speaker (not shown), and records, reproduces, and outputs audio data. Note that the microphone and the speaker may be built in the information processing device 1 or may be separate from the information processing device 1, for example.

A WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) card 25 connects to a network via a wireless (wireless) LAN to perform data communication. For example, when receiving data from the network, the WLAN card 25 generates an event trigger indicating that the data has been received.
The USB connector 26 is a connector for connecting peripheral devices using USB.

The input unit 32 includes an input device such as a keyboard or a touch pad that detects an external force caused by a user's operation and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the detected external force to the embedded controller 31 . The input unit 32 may be configured as a touch sensor superimposed on the display 14 (FIG. 1).

The power supply circuit 33 includes, for example, a DC/DC converter, a charging/discharging unit, an AC/DC adapter, and the like. For example, the power supply circuit 33 operates the information processing apparatus 1 by using the voltage of AC power supplied from an external power supply such as an AC adapter (not shown) or the voltage of DC power supplied from the battery 34 . Convert to multiple types of voltage required for Also, the power supply circuit 33 supplies power to each section of the information processing apparatus 1 based on control from the embedded controller 31, and functions as a power supply section.

The battery 34 includes, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The battery 34 is charged via the power supply circuit 33 when power is supplied to the information processing apparatus 1 from an external power supply. The battery 34 supplies power accumulated via the power supply circuit 33 as operating power for the information processing apparatus 1 when power is not supplied to the information processing apparatus 1 from an external power supply.

An embedded controller (EC) 31 is a one-chip microcomputer that monitors and controls various devices (peripherals, sensors, etc.) regardless of the system state of the information processing apparatus 1 . The embedded controller 31 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, multiple channels of A/D input terminals, D/A output terminals, a timer, and digital input/output terminals (not shown). The digital input/output terminals of the embedded controller 31 are connected to, for example, the input unit 32, the power supply circuit 33, the heat radiation fan 351, etc. The embedded controller 31 can control these operations.
The embedded controller 31 may also set, change, etc. various control parameters (for example, power limit, clock frequency, etc.) of the processor 11 via the chipset 21 . Power consumption of the processor 11 can be controlled by this process as well.

The information processing device 1 can also be regarded as an electronic device provided with a computer system including hardware and software. Hardware constituting the computer system includes at least a processor 11 , a main memory 12 , a video subsystem 13 , a chipset 21 and an embedded controller 31 . Software that constitutes a computer system includes an OS, various drivers, various programs such as various services/utilities, and data storing their operation parameters.

Next, a functional configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.
The information processing device 1 includes a data management unit 110 , a power control unit 120 , an operation information notification unit 210 and a heat dissipation control unit 220 . The processor 11 implements the functions of the data management unit 110 and the power control unit 120 by executing processes indicated by commands written in programs such as the OS and various services/utilities. Either or both of the embedded controller 31 and the chipset 21 execute processing indicated by instructions written in programs such as various drivers and various services/utilities, and operate the operation information notification unit 210 and the heat dissipation control unit. H.220 functions are realized.

The data management unit 110 stores various data in association with a search index (search index) for each data file. The search index includes, for each data file, a character string indicating the file name and an address indicating the location where the data file is stored.
The data management unit 110 has an index processing unit 112 and a data storage unit 114 . Data storage unit 114 refers to the search index when a file reference request indicating part or all of a file name is input from another functional unit (for example, input unit 32, application execution unit (not shown)). to identify the address associated with that file name. The data storage unit 114 outputs address information indicating the specified address to other functional units as a response (return value) to the file reference request. Therefore, it is possible to refer to the data file from other functional units more efficiently than in the case of searching the data file each time a file reference request is input. As for the format of the search index and the method of creating and updating it, known methods such as those described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-22933 and Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2011-523152 can be used.

Ideally, the index processing unit 112 should create or update a search index (collectively referred to herein as “search indexing”) each time a change occurs in the data file. A change includes creating a new data file, changing part or all of the file name, erasing part or all of the data stored in the data file, adding data to the data file, and adding one each. Such as aggregation of multiple fragmented data belonging to a data file. However, the power consumption required for search index processing cannot be ignored compared to the processing capability of the processor 11 . Especially in the power control mode in which power consumption is low, the execution of an application instructed by the user to be executed may be hindered.

Therefore, the index processing unit 112 determines whether or not the priority of the search index processing is to be prioritized over the execution of other programs according to the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 . More specifically, the index processing unit 112 receives operation information indicating the rotation speed as the operation state of the heat dissipation fan 351 from the operation information notification unit, and determines whether the rotation speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference rotation speed. judge. The reference rotational speed corresponds to the reference value of the rotational speed. The index processing unit 112 determines the priority for search index processing so that the lower the rotation speed indicated by the motion information, the higher the priority. The index processing unit 112 sets, for example, a predetermined reference priority as the priority for search index processing. The reference priority corresponds to a reference value of priority. When the rotation speed indicated by the motion information is higher than the reference rotation speed, the index processing unit 112 sets low priority as the priority for search index processing. Low priority corresponds to a predetermined priority that is lower than the reference priority. As a result, the more the processing amount of the processor 11 is increased, the higher the rotational speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 for heat dissipation, the more the search index process is urged to stop.

The power control unit 120 controls the power consumption of the processor 11 based on the power consumption of the processor 11 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 353 .
In general, the greater the power consumption of the processor 11, the higher the processing performance and the greater the amount of heat generated. The control parameters for the processing capacity of the processor 11 include the first power limit and the second power limit. The first power limit is a parameter corresponding to the rated power, and is sometimes called PL1 (Power Limit 1) or Long Term Power Limit. 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 second power limit is a threshold for limiting the moving average value of power consumption from exceeding this value. The second power limit is a parameter corresponding to maximum power, and is sometimes called PL2 (Power Limit 2) or Short Term Power Limit. The second power limit corresponds to the upper limit of power consumption of the processor 11 . The power control unit 120 stores a power control table indicating control parameters for each power control mode. A specific example of the power control table will be described later.

The power control unit 120 controls the power consumption of the processor 11 so that the moving average value of the power consumption is equal to or less than the rated power. The power control unit 120 monitors the power consumption of the processor 11, and when the time when the power consumption exceeds the rated power continues for a predetermined reference duration τ (for example, 0.2 to 1 second), the moving average of the power consumption The power consumption of the processor 11 is reduced until the value becomes equal to or less than the rated power. In general, the higher the operating voltage, the higher the power consumption of the processor 11, the higher the clock frequency, or the higher the throttling rate. The power control unit 120 can control the power consumption of the processor 11 by setting any one of the operating voltage, the clock frequency, and the throttling rate, or any combination thereof. The throttling rate corresponds to the ratio (duty ratio) of the period of the operating state in each cycle when the operating state and the stopped state are alternately switched (throttling, intermittent operation) at each predetermined cycle.
The power control unit 120 may include a TCC (Thermal Control Circuit). The TCC monitors the temperature indicated by the temperature signal input from temperature sensor 353 . When the load increases and the detected temperature rises above a predetermined target temperature, the TCC reduces the operating frequency and operating voltage, and intermittently operates to control the temperature rise. . A target temperature may be predefined for each power control mode. The TCC may use the target temperature corresponding to the power control mode defined in power control section 120 for temperature control.

As the power control mode of the processor 11, the power control unit 120 may select one power control mode from a plurality of preset power control modes, or may select one power control mode instructed according to an operation. A power control mode may be employed. An operation mode in which one power control mode is selected from a plurality of power control modes is sometimes called an automatic setting mode (Auto mode). The power control mode corresponds to power control characteristics of the processor 11 and is defined with control parameters. That is, the set of the first power limit and the second power limit differs among the plurality of power control modes. A higher second power limit may be set for a power control mode with a higher first power limit. The processor 11 operates according to control parameters associated with the power control mode selected by the power control section 120 . In this embodiment, the automatic setting mode may be handled as part of the power control mode in that it becomes a selection target according to the user's operation.

The power control unit 120 specifies, for example, a power control mode indicated by an operation signal input from the input unit 32, and operates the processor 11 according to the specified power control mode. The power control unit 120 may cause the display 14 to display a predetermined setting screen. The power control unit 120 outputs display data indicating a setting screen to the display 14, for example. The setting screen is a screen that guides selection of one of a plurality of power control modes. The setting screen may guide you to the automatic setting mode. When an operation signal indicating the automatic setting mode is input from the input unit 32, the power control unit 120 determines the power control mode of the processor 11 based on the trend of change in the power consumption of the processor 11 under the automatic setting mode. . An automatic setting mode may be set in advance in the power control unit 120 .

In the automatic setting mode, the power control unit 120 sets the power consumption of the processor 11 to a higher power control mode in which the first limit power is higher than the current power control mode (referred to as a "upgrading condition" in this application). ) is satisfied, the current power control mode is changed to a higher power control mode as a transition destination.
The power control unit 120 sets the power consumption of the processor 11 to a lower power control mode in which the first limit power is lower than the current power control mode (in the present application, this may be referred to as a “downgrading condition”). is satisfied, the power control mode of the processor 11 is changed to a lower power control mode as a transition destination.

The power control unit 120 stores in advance a mode transition table indicating transition conditions to a power control mode to be transitioned to. The power control unit 120 refers to the mode transition table to specify a transition condition that the power consumption of the processor 11 up to that time satisfies. Note that when the power consumption of the processor 11 satisfies a plurality of transition conditions, the power control unit 120 preferentially adopts the upgrade condition over the downgrade condition. When a plurality of upgrade conditions are satisfied, the power control unit 120 selects the upgrade condition with a transition destination of the power control mode one level higher than the current power control mode, with priority over other upgrade conditions. Here, the higher power control mode means a power control mode with a higher first limit power (rated power). When a plurality of downgrading conditions are satisfied, the power control unit 120 preferentially selects a downgrading condition whose transition destination is a power control mode one step lower than the current power control mode over other downgrading conditions. A lower power control mode means a power control mode with a lower first power limit (rated power).
The power control unit 120 outputs power control mode information indicating the determined power control mode to the operation information notification unit 210 and the heat dissipation control unit. The power control mode notified by the power control mode information at one time is one of a plurality of stages of power control modes, and the automatic setting mode does not have to be notified.

The power control mode information is input from the power control unit 120 and the temperature signal is input from the temperature sensor 353 to the operation information notification unit 210 . The operation information notification unit 210 generates operation information indicating the operating state of the dummy (dummy) heat dissipation fan 351 based on the power control mode indicated by the input power control mode information and the temperature indicated by the temperature signal. “Pseudo” means that the heat dissipation fan 351 is not in the actual operating state. However, even a pseudo operating state may coincidentally become equal to or similar to the actual operating state.

As an example of the operation state, the operation information notification unit 210 may be set in advance with a rotation speed control table in which the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 is associated with each predetermined temperature range. When the temperature indicated by the input temperature signal exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, or when the power control mode to be set exceeds a predetermined reference power control mode (for example, low noise mode (Q)). When changing to a higher power control mode (eg, balance mode (B), high performance mode (P)), the rotation speed corresponding to that temperature is determined. The motion information notification unit 210 outputs motion information indicating the determined rotation speed to the data management unit 110 .

The heat dissipation control unit 220 determines the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 based on the temperature indicated by the temperature signal input from the temperature sensor 353 using a preset correspondence relationship between the temperature and the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 . The heat radiation control unit 220 mainly controls the operation of the heat radiation fan 351, and is different from the TCC that controls the processor 11. FIG. A temperature control table (not shown) is set in advance in the heat dissipation control unit 220 to show the correspondence between the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 and the operating temperature in a plurality of stages. The operating temperature is a temperature that instructs the radiation fan 351 to start operating at the associated rotational speed. This rotation speed is different from the rotation speed determined by the motion information notification unit 210 in that it is a target value of the actual rotation speed. When the temperature tends to rise and exceeds a certain stage of operating temperature in the current power control mode, the heat dissipation control unit 220 determines the rotational speed corresponding to that stage of operating temperature.
However, the rotational speed is such that the noise level that can be generated by operation at that rotational speed does not exceed a predetermined noise level. Heat radiation control unit 220 presets the upper limit of the rotation speed corresponding to the noise level corresponding to the power control mode indicated in the power control mode information input from power control unit 120, and uses the above temperature control table. If the rotation speed determined by the above exceeds the upper limit, the heat dissipation control unit 220 sets the rotation speed as the upper limit.

Heat dissipation control unit 220, in the power control mode at that time, when the temperature tends to decrease and falls below the operating temperature at a certain stage by a predetermined decrease width (for example, 2 to 3 [°C]), A rotation speed corresponding to a stage operating temperature one stage lower than the stage operating temperature is determined. Heat dissipation control unit 220 outputs a drive control signal indicating operation at a predetermined rotational speed to heat dissipation fan 351 . When there is no output corresponding to the operating temperature one step lower, that is, when the operation amount of the 0th step is determined, the heat dissipation control unit 220 determines to stop, and outputs the drive control signal indicating the stop of the heat dissipation fan. 351 output.

Next, an example of the power control table according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a power control table according to this embodiment. The power control table illustrated in FIG. 4 shows control parameters for each of the three power control modes, low noise mode (Q), balance mode (B) and high performance mode (P). The power control unit 120 can refer to the power control table and specify control parameters corresponding to the determined power control mode. The illustrated control parameters include the upper limit of noise and the target temperature in addition to the first limit power PL1 and the second limit power PL2.

The low noise mode (Q) is a power control mode that focuses on saving power or reducing the noise level by operating the heat dissipation fan 351 . The target temperature for the low noise mode (Q) is set to TEMq, the noise upper limit is set to SNDq, the first limit power PL1 is set to PL1q, and the second limit power PL2 is set to PL2q.
The balance mode (B) is a power control mode that emphasizes the balance between power saving or noise level reduction and processor 11 performance. The target temperature for the balance mode (B) is set to TEMb, the noise upper limit is set to SNDb, the first limit power PL1 is set to PL1b, and the second limit power PL2 is set to PL2b.
A high performance mode (P) is a power control mode that emphasizes the performance of the processor 11 . The target temperature for the high performance mode (P) is set to TEMp, the noise upper limit is set to SNDp, the first limit power PL1 is set to PL1p, and the second limit power PL2 is set to PL2p.

The target temperature becomes higher in the power control mode with the higher first limit power. Specifically, TEMq<TEMb<TEMp.
The noise upper limit becomes higher in the power control mode with more first power limit. Specifically, SNDq<SNDb<SNDp.
The second power limit increases as the power control mode increases the first power limit. Specifically, PL2q<PL2b<PL2p.

Next, an example of the mode transition table according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mode transition table according to this embodiment. The mode transition table exemplified in FIG. The conditions for downgrading to B) are described. A transition condition is defined by a state of power consumption and duration. The upgrade condition refers to a transition condition to a higher power control mode with a higher rated power. A downgrade condition refers to a transition condition to a lower power control mode with less low and less bad power. For example, as a condition for upgrading to the high-performance mode (P) described in the second line, a state in which the moving average value Power of the power consumption of the processor 11 is equal to or greater than the power consumption reference value SP23 as the state of power consumption lasts T23. It is shown that the above is continued.
The reference value SP23 related to the upgrade condition to the high performance mode (P) is a real value larger than the reference value SP12 related to the upgrade condition to the balance mode (B). The reference value SP23 can be a real value larger than the rated power PL1b in the balance mode (B). The reference value SP12 can be a real value larger than the rated power PL1q in the low noise mode (Q). The duration T23 may be common to or independent of the duration T12.

The reference value SP21 relating to the condition for downgrading to the low noise mode (Q) is a real value smaller than the reference value SP32 relating to the condition for downgrading to the balance mode (B). The reference value SP21 can be a real number smaller than the rated power PL1q in the low noise mode (Q). The reference value SP32 can be a real value smaller than the rated power PL1b in the balance mode (B). The duration T21 may be common to or independent of the duration T32. Making the durations T23 and T12 shorter than T32 and T21, respectively, encourages upgrading the power control mode rather than downgrading it, which is suitable when performance is emphasized. Making the durations T23 and T12 longer than T32 and T21, respectively, promotes downgrading rather than upgrading the power control mode, which is suitable when saving power consumption is emphasized. For example, when AC power is not supplied and DC power is supplied, the durations T23 and 12 are relatively longer than T32 and T21, respectively, than when AC power is not supplied. You can define it to be longer.

Next, an example of the setting screen will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to this embodiment. The illustrated setting screen is a screen for instructing one of the low noise mode (Q), the automatic setting mode, and the high performance mode (P) according to the operation input. The setting screen has a slider bar as an example, and when the position of the pointer indicated according to the operation is the left end, the center, or the right end, the low noise mode (Q; emphasis on battery life), automatic setting mode, high A performance mode (P; performance focused) is selected. The illustrated example shows a state in which the automatic setting mode is selected. The automatic setting mode is selected from a plurality of power control modes preset according to the power consumption of the processor 11 (in this example, low noise mode (Q), balance mode (B), and high performance mode (P)). It is the control mode that defines the street power control mode.

Next, an example of the mode transition table according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a mode transition table according to this embodiment. The mode transition table exemplified in FIG. The conditions for downgrading to B) are described. A transition condition is defined by a state of power consumption and duration. For example, as a condition for upgrading to the high-performance mode (P) described in the second line, a state in which the moving average value Power of the power consumption of the processor 11 is equal to or greater than the power consumption reference value SP23 as the state of power consumption lasts T23. It is shown that the above is continued.

Next, an example of the rotation speed control table according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a rotation speed control table according to this embodiment. The rotation speed control table illustrated in FIG. 7 indicates the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 for each predetermined temperature range. In the illustrated example, different rotational speeds are associated with the four temperature ranges. As temperature ranges, RPM0, RPM1, RPM2, and RPM3 are associated with rotational speeds of less than TP1, TP1 to less than TP2, TP2 to less than TP3, and TP3, respectively. The rotational speed increases in the order of RPM0, RPM1, RPM2 and RPM3, with RPM3 being the highest. RMP0, which corresponds to the rotation speed of the 0th stage, may be zero. For example, when the power control mode is changed to a power control mode with a higher rated power, or when the temperature Temp measured by the temperature sensor 353 becomes higher than a predetermined reference temperature, the operation information notification unit 210 detects that the temperature Temp is TP1 or higher. If it is less than TP2, the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 can be defined as RPM1. Then, operation information notification unit 210 notifies power control unit 120 of operation information indicating the determined rotational speed RMP1. Note that the heat dissipation control unit 220 refers to a rotation speed control table having a configuration similar to that illustrated in FIG. The rotation speed to be used may be determined, and the radiation fan 351 may be controlled to operate at the determined rotation speed.

Next, an example of execution control of search index processing according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of execution control of search index processing according to this embodiment.
(Step S102) The operation information notification unit 210 determines whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 353 is higher than a predetermined reference temperature. When it is determined that the temperature is higher than the reference temperature (step S102 YES), the process proceeds to step S108. When determining that the temperature is equal to or lower than the reference temperature (step S102 NO), the process proceeds to step S104.
(Step S<b>104 ) The operation information notification unit 210 determines whether or not the power control mode is instructed by the power control unit 120 . When it is determined that an instruction has been given (step S104 YES), the process proceeds to step S106. When it is determined that no instruction has been given (step S104 NO), the process returns to step S102.
(Step S106) The operation information notification unit 210 determines whether or not the instructed power control mode is the automatic setting mode. When it is determined to be the automatic setting mode (step S106 YES), the process proceeds to step S108. When it is determined that the mode is not the automatic setting mode (step S106 NO), the process proceeds to step S114.

(Step S<b>108 ) The motion information notification unit 210 refers to the rotational speed control table to determine the rotational speed corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 353 . The motion information notification unit 210 notifies the data management unit 110 of motion information indicating the determined rotational speed.
(Step S110) The data management unit 110 determines whether or not the rotation speed indicated in the motion information notified from the motion information notification unit 210 is higher than a predetermined reference rotation speed. When it is determined that the rotation speed is higher than the reference rotation speed (step S110 YES), the process proceeds to step S112. When it is determined that the rotation speed is equal to or lower than the reference rotation speed (step S110 NO), the process proceeds to step S114.
(Step S112) The data management unit 110 sets the priority for search index processing to a low priority lower than a predetermined reference priority. Since the processor 11 preferentially executes a process for which a higher priority is set, the stop of the search index process is urged more than when the priority is the standard priority. After that, the process returns to step S102.
(Step S114) The data management unit 110 sets the priority for search index processing to the reference priority. After that, the process returns to step S102.

As described above, the information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment associates and stores a search index for each data file, and generates or updates the search index based on operation information indicating the operating state of the heat dissipation fan. A data management unit 110 that executes a search index process, a temperature sensor 353 that detects temperature, and operation information indicating a pseudo operation state of a heat dissipation fan 351 based on the power control mode of the processor 11 and the temperature. and a motion information notification unit 210 that determines the motion information and notifies the data management unit 110 of the motion information.
According to this configuration, search index processing is executed based on a pseudo operating state determined based on the power control mode of the processor 11 and the detected temperature, regardless of the actual operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 . Therefore, it is possible to more reliably control the search index process according to the temperature and the power control mode without affecting the operation of the heat dissipation fan 351 . In addition, control of the search index process is realized even for the information processing apparatus 1 that does not have the heat dissipation fan 351 .

The data management unit 110 may determine the priority of the search index process so that the more active the heat dissipation fan 351 is, the lower the priority.
According to this configuration, the more active the notified operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 is, the lower the priority for the search index process. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably stop the search index processing when notified of a pseudo-active operating state at the time of temperature rise, thereby reducing the amount of heat generated.

When the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 is more active than the predetermined reference value of the operating state, the data management unit 110 sets the priority for the search index process to a low priority lower than the predetermined reference priority, When the operating state of 351 is less active than a predetermined operating state reference value, the priority for search index processing may be set to the reference priority.
According to this configuration, whether or not the notified operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 is more active than the reference value of the predetermined operating state determines whether the priority for the search index process is low priority or reference priority. is determined. Therefore, when the temperature rises, it is possible to reduce the amount of heat generated by lowering the priority of search index processing by being notified of a pseudo-active operating state.

The information processing apparatus 1 includes a power control unit 120, and the processor 11 operates in a plurality of power control modes with different rated power (for example, low noise mode (Q), balance mode (B), high performance mode (P)). , and the power control unit 120 may determine one power control mode from a plurality of power control modes based on the power consumption of the processor 11 .
According to this configuration, the presence or absence of search index processing according to the power control mode selected from a plurality of power control modes according to the power consumption of the processor 11 does not immediately depend on the operating state of the actual heat dissipation fan 351. . Therefore, unintended fluctuations in the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 can be suppressed.

The operation information notification unit 210 indicates a pseudo operation state when the temperature exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, or when an automatic setting mode that defines a power control mode of one stage from a plurality of power control modes is selected. The operation information may be notified to the data management unit 110 .
According to this configuration, the pseudo operating state is indicated when the temperature exceeds the predetermined reference temperature, or when the automatic setting mode that defines one power control mode from a plurality of power control modes is selected. This serves as a trigger for notifying the data management unit 110 of the operation information. Therefore, the processing related to the notification of the operation information and the change of the priority of the search index based on the notified operation information is performed only when necessary, so that the load on the information processing apparatus 1 can be reduced.

The operation information may indicate the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan 351 .
With this configuration, the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 is quantitatively represented, so that the data management unit 110 can quantitatively set the priority for the search index processing.

Various design items related to the above processing are not limited to those illustrated, and may differ according to various requirements such as the processing power of processors, the number of processors, and the size of a housing. The design items include, for example, the rotation speed control table, the temperature divisions in the mode transition table, the number of stages, the number of stages of the power control mode, individual setting values, and the like. Moreover, regardless of whether it is pseudo or realistic, the index value indicating the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351 is not limited to the rotational speed, and may be represented by noise level, power consumption, or the like. The activity of the operating state of the heat dissipation fan 351, that is, the degree of activity is not limited to two stages, and may be any of three stages or more, or may be represented by an arbitrary real number. The priority for search index processing is not limited to the two levels of standard priority and low priority, and may be set to any of three levels or more. Also, the relationship between multiple types of element values may not necessarily be represented using a data table, and may be represented using a predetermined function.
The operation information notification unit 210 may use, for example, the temperature reference value for determining whether or not to rotate the heat dissipation fan 351, for example, TP1 illustrated in FIG. 7, as the reference temperature in step S102.

Note that search index processing may be performed as part of background processing. Background processing does not necessarily require input of an operation signal from the input unit 32 and presentation of display data on the display 14 . Therefore, the data management unit 110 may execute index processing as a maintenance task. A maintenance task is a process that is executed during a predetermined period of time when the information processing apparatus 1 is not used by the user or is rarely used by the user. The data management unit 110 may set a higher priority for index processing as a maintenance task than for index processing as a normal task.

Further, when the power supply circuit 33 is not supplied with external power (mainly AC power) from the external power supply, the DC power supplied from the battery 34 is consumed. Therefore, the data management unit 110 may set the priority of the index process, which is a maintenance task, to be lower when external power is not supplied than when external power is supplied. The data management unit 110 can determine whether or not external power is supplied based on the power supply information, which is notified from the power supply circuit 33 and indicates whether or not external power is to be supplied. This reduces the likelihood that indexing will be performed, thus saving overall power consumption.
Further, in the information processing apparatus 1, the heat dissipation control section 220 and the cooling section 35 may be omitted.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes design and the like within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily.

Reference Signs List 1 information processing device 11 processor 12 main memory 13 video subsystem 14 display 21 chipset 22 BIOS memory 23 storage medium 24 audio system 25 WLAN card 26 USB connector 31 embedded controller 32 input unit 33 power supply circuit 34 battery 35 cooling unit 110 data management unit 112 index processing unit 114 data storage unit 120 power Control unit 210 Operation information notification unit 220 Heat dissipation control unit 351 Heat dissipation fan 352 Heat pipe 353 Temperature sensor

Claims (7)

A search index is associated with each data file and stored,
a data management unit that executes a search index process that is a process of generating or updating the search index based on operation information indicating the operating state of the heat dissipation fan;
a temperature sensor for detecting temperature;
Operation information indicating the operating state of the heat radiation fan based on the power control mode of the processor and the temperature is determined separately from a target value for the operating state of the heat radiation fan based on the temperature , and the operation information is used in the data management. and an operation information notification unit that notifies the unit. The data management unit
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the priority of said search index processing is determined such that the more active the operating state of said heat dissipation fan, the lower the priority. The data management unit
setting the priority for the search index process to a low priority lower than a predetermined reference priority when the operating state of the heat dissipation fan is more active than a predetermined reference value of the operating state;
setting the reference priority as the priority for the search index process when the operating state of the heat dissipation fan is less active than a predetermined operating state reference value;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . Equipped with a power control unit,
The processor is capable of taking power control modes of multiple stages with different rated powers,
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power control unit determines one power control mode from the plurality of power control modes based on the power consumption of the processor. The operation information notification unit
When the temperature exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, or when an automatic setting mode that defines one power control mode from the multiple power control modes is selected, the target value of the operating state of the heat dissipation fan is different. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation information of is notified to the data management unit. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation information indicates a rotation speed of the heat radiation fan. a data management unit that associates and stores a search index for each data file;
A control method for an information processing device comprising a temperature sensor that detects temperature,
a step in which the data management unit executes a search index process, which is a process of generating or updating the search index based on operation information indicating the operating state of the heat dissipation fan;
An operation information notification unit determines operation information indicating an operation state of the heat radiation fan based on the power control mode of the processor and the temperature separately from a target value of the operation state of the heat radiation fan based on the temperature , and determines the operation information. a step of notifying information to the data management unit; and a control method.

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