Heat exchange device and method for high pressure cooling fan applications

Abstract

Heat exchange apparatus and methods for high pressure cooling fan applications (e.g., computing devices). The device includes a material having high thermal conductivity and is configured to cover an inner surface of the housing such that the inner surface of the device is exposed to hot air flowing inside the housing and an outer surface of the device occludes at least some of the existing through-holes of the housing. In operation, the device converts the through-hole into a passive heat exchange area passively transferring heat from inside the housing to outside the housing, which reduces the internal air temperature and the junction temperature (Tj) of the heat generating component. Embodiments provided do not require remaking the original industrial design (ID) of the enclosure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to heat exchange apparatus and methods for high pressure cooling fan applications. Background Art

[0002] The heat generated by some components such as central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) poses a thermal management technology problem for the development of many consumer products. Proposed thermal management solutions include various cooling fan applications and devices. However, continued improvements in thermal management of consumer products are desired. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard located within the housing and positioned above a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second subset of the plurality of through holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the mainboard; and a heat exchange assembly located within the housing on the lower cover, the heat exchange assembly being configured to occlude the first subset of the plurality of through holes.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a device comprising: a housing comprising a C cover attached to a D cover, wherein the C cover comprises a keyboard and the D cover comprises an arrangement of a plurality of through holes; a motherboard located within the housing and positioned above a first portion of the arrangement, wherein the motherboard has a central processing unit (CPU) attached thereto; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second portion of the arrangement, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and pass the air through the motherboard; and a heat exchange assembly covering the D cover within the housing, the heat exchange assembly being configured to occlude the first portion of the arrangement.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard located within the housing and positioned above a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second subset of the plurality of through holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the mainboard; and a component for heat exchange located on the lower cover in the housing, the component for heat exchange being configured to block the first subset of the plurality of through holes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 is an illustration of an exemplary consumer product in which embodiments of a heat exchange device may be implemented.

[0007] Figure 2 An exemplary D-cap industrial design is provided in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0008] Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating an application of a high-pressure cooling fan according to various embodiments.

[0009] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a simplified side view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a heat exchange device in a high pressure cooling fan application.

[0010] Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 5C is a simplified top-down view of a vent in a D-cover for discussion of additional embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an example computing node that may include any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0013] Figure 8 A multi-processor environment is shown in which embodiments may be implemented.

[0014] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an example processor unit for executing computer-executable instructions as part of implementing the techniques described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Many consumer products and devices have chassis or motherboards that include one or more components (e.g., central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs)) that generate undesirable heat. Reducing this heat is a technical problem to be solved, and the technical problem is further exacerbated in consumer devices with thin housings because the heat-generating components have very little space around them and can form hot air stagnation areas that cause skin hotspots in the housing. Skin hotspots are measured as skin temperature, and various thermal management solutions have been proposed to reduce high skin temperatures that may occur.

[0016] The enclosure may be embodied as a hard shell to protect the components within it, and as a first-level thermal management solution, embodiments of the enclosure are typically perforated with multiple vents or through-holes through which hot air can escape and / or ambient air can enter. Many technical solutions implement cooling fans in the enclosure to push hot air to the exterior of the enclosure and device through vents in the enclosure (which is sometimes referred to as an evacuation flow architecture). It is generally expected that the arrangement of the through-holes and the shape of the individual through-holes (essentially a grille design) will improve the cooling fan operating point by increasing the open-air ratio on the D-cover, especially in the area directly above the cooling fan. However, even with the cooling fan running at full speed, hot chassis temperatures are particularly technically challenging for gaming and high-performance laptops, as the temperature can easily exceed the maximum temperature specification for the enclosure specified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) (<48°C).

[0017] Further changes to the evacuation flow architecture, such as running cooling fans at faster speeds, using larger cooling fans, using multiple cooling fans, adding even more vents, and building fan impellers with blade variations, can all provide improvements, but each change brings its own disadvantages. For example, faster fans generally produce more noise, larger and / or more fans may require an unacceptable amount of fixed area in the housing, additional perforations in the housing may make the housing undesirably fragile, etc. In practice, many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) take advantage of skin hot spot temperature measurement exemptions; as a general rule, areas with through holes in the housing are not subjected to skin temperature measurements. However, not measuring this area does not mean that the thermal problem has been solved.

[0018] Another thermal management solution for consumer devices implements a high-pressure cooling fan. The high-pressure cooling fan is housed in its own housing and is configured to draw in ambient air, pressurize the air, and push the pressurized air through an outlet / output port in its housing. Unlike the above-described evacuation flow architecture, in a high-pressure cooling fan application, ambient air is drawn in and pressurized air is pushed through heat-generating components in the chassis, thereby producing heated air. The pressurized environment surrounding the chassis causes the heated air to be directed as an airflow and pushed to the exterior of the housing through an air outlet; in some embodiments, the air outlet may be located on the sidewall of the housing. Therefore, a housing for a high-pressure cooling fan typically has fewer through-holes than a housing for an evacuation flow architecture; a housing for a high-pressure cooling fan has an air inlet and an air outlet. Fewer perforations or through-holes facilitate making the housing more robust. A high-pressure cooling fan application can also provide a quieter laptop computer because the high-pressure cooling fan can be operated at a lower speed to achieve the desired chassis cooling compared to the above-described evacuation flow architecture.

[0019] Given the advantages of high-pressure cooling fan applications, there may be some scenarios where it is desirable to convert the thermal design of an existing laptop or other consumer device from an evacuation flow architecture to a high-pressure cooling fan application. However, in addition to replacing the fan assembly, the mismatch in the number of vents and vent locations also presents technical challenges, especially when applied on a large scale.

[0020] To comprehensively consider this technical challenge, the industrial design (ID) of the housing (also called the shell) typically includes a C cover with a keyboard attached to a D cover that typically includes a vent. The ID of the housing can be intuitively communicated to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the device. For a given OEM, the ID of the D cover may include variations in the shape and wall thickness of the D cover, as well as a pattern or arrangement of multiple vents or through holes. Therefore, a robust conversion solution that can accommodate a variety of IDs is desired.

[0021] Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a technical solution to this technical problem and other related enhancements in the form of a heat exchange device and method for high pressure cooling fan applications. Various embodiments include a heat exchange device that is actively heated by hot air inside the housing and passively dissipates heat to the outside of the housing. The heat exchange device can be considered non-contact because it does not contact (one or more) heat generating components, which is in contrast to thermal management solutions such as heat pipes, vapor chambers, etc.

[0022] The provided embodiments advantageously utilize the original ID of the housing. The provided heat exchange device includes a material with high thermal conductivity (e.g., copper, aluminum, etc.). The heat exchange device is configured to cover the inner surface of the D cover so that the inner surface is exposed to the hot air flowing inside the housing, and the outer surface occludes at least some of the existing through holes. In operation, the heat exchange device converts the through holes into a passive heat exchange area capable of passively transferring heat from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing, which reduces the internal air temperature and the junction temperature (Tj) of the heat generating component. The amount of reduction in Tj is related to the exposed surface area of ​​the heat exchange device, and the exposed surface area further depends on the original ID (e.g., vent size, position, etc.). Various aspects of the present disclosure can be applied to various computing devices designed by various OEMs (e.g., but not limited to, laptops, desktop computers, kiosks, and phones).

[0023] Embodiments may be tested using visual inspection of the computing device's housing, particularly the D-cover, to find the heat exchange devices disclosed herein. A more detailed description of various aspects of the disclosure follows the terminology section.

[0024] the term

[0025] As used herein, a "computing system" or "computing device" refers to any of a variety of computing devices, and includes systems thereof that include multiple discrete physical components. In some embodiments, the computing system is located in a data center, such as an enterprise data center (e.g., a data center owned and operated by a company and typically located on the company's premises), a hosting service data center (e.g., a data center managed by a third party on behalf of a company), a collaborative data center (e.g., a data center in which the data center infrastructure is provided by a data center host and the company provides and manages its own data center components (servers, etc.)), a cloud data center (e.g., a data center operated by a cloud service provider that hosts a company's applications and data), and an edge data center (e.g., a data center that typically has a smaller footprint than other data center types and is located close to the geographic area it serves).

[0026] As used herein, the term "processor unit", "processing unit" or "processor" may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data from registers and / or memory to convert the electronic data into other electronic data that can be stored in registers and / or memory. The processor unit may be a system on a chip (SOC), and / or include one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), general purpose GPUs (GPGPUs), accelerated processing units (APUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), neural network processing units (NPUs), data processor units (DPUs), accelerators (e.g., graphics accelerators, compression accelerators, artificial intelligence accelerators), controller cryptographic processors (specialized processors that execute cryptographic algorithms in hardware), server processors, controllers, or any other suitable type of processor unit. Therefore, a processor unit may be referred to as an XPU (or xPU).

[0027] The term or value modified by the word "substantially" includes an arrangement, direction, interval or position that differs from the meaning of the unmodified term or value by plus or minus 20% (including 20%). The term or value modified by the word "about" includes a value that differs from the meaning of the unmodified term or value by plus or minus 10% (including 10%).

[0028] As used herein, "covering" expresses a positional relationship and is independent of the method of application. In other words, if layer A covers element B, then in a cross-sectional view, layer A will appear as a veneer on element B, while in a top view, layer A will appear as superimposed on element B.

[0029] Description of Aspects of the Disclosure

[0030] Example embodiments are described below in conjunction with the following figures, in which like reference numerals represent like elements. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. It is understood that certain terms, such as, for example, "upper", "uppermost", "lower", "above", "below", "bottom", and "top", refer to directions based on viewing the referenced figures. In addition, terms such as "front", "back", "rear", "side", "vertical", and "horizontal" can describe directions and / or positions within a consistent but arbitrary reference system, which can be clearly understood by reference to the text and related figures describing the components in question. Such terms may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar meaning. For simplicity, well-known structures and devices may be shown in block diagram form to facilitate their description.

[0031] Embodiments of the heat exchange device may be implemented in a variety of consumer products and computing devices. Figure 1 In the example embodiment, the computing device 100 is embodied as a laptop computer. The computing device 100 includes a housing including a lid portion 102 and a base portion 104. The lid portion 102 includes a display screen 112, and the base portion 104 includes a keyboard 114. The illustrative computing device 100 is embodied as a laptop computer having a clamshell configuration, wherein one or more hinges 118 link the base portion 104 and the lid portion 102. Thus, the computing device 100 can be in an open configuration (e.g., Figure 1 ) or a closed configuration in which the lid portion 102 is located on top of the base portion 104 and the display screen 112 is located face-down above the keyboard on the base portion 104 (see, for example, Figure 2 ). Other variations of computing device 100 may include a display screen that can rotate up to 360°, allowing computing device 100 to be in a book configuration, a tablet configuration, etc. Computing device 100 may be a two-in-one device, having a lid portion 102 that can be separated from a base portion 104. In addition, computing device 100 may be embodied as a single housing without hinge 118.

[0032] The display screen 112 can be any suitable size and / or resolution, for example, a 5-18 inch display screen with a resolution from 340×480 to 3820×2400. The display screen 112 can use any suitable display screen technology, for example, LED, OLED, QD-LED, electronic paper display screen, and can be a touch screen display screen. The cover portion 102 can also include a camera 116. The camera 116 can include one or more fixed or adjustable lenses and one or more image sensors. The image sensor can be any suitable type of image sensor, for example, a CMOS or CCD image sensor. The camera 116 can have any suitable aperture, focal length, field of view, etc. For example, the field of view of the camera 116 in azimuth and / or elevation direction can be 60-110°. It can be understood that the computing device 100 can also be another portable or non-portable electronic device, for example, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a server computer, etc.

[0033] The base portion 104 includes a housing 106 including an upper cover 108 attached to a lower cover 110. In various embodiments, the upper cover 108 is a C cover including a keyboard 114, and the lower cover 110 is a D cover including a plurality of through holes or vents. As described above, the ID of the D cover may vary from OEM to OEM and across various brands and models of computing devices.

[0034] The outer surface of the D-cover or lower cover 110 can be seen by turning the laptop device over. Figure 2 Some non-limiting examples of D cover IDs are provided. In D cover 200, a plurality of through holes are arranged in a first arrangement 202 across a portion of the surface of D cover 200. In D cover 230, a plurality of through holes are arranged in a second arrangement 232 across a portion of the surface of D cover 230. In D cover 250, a plurality of through holes are arranged in a third arrangement 252 across a portion of the surface of D cover 250. Note that in each example, the arrangement of through holes (i.e., vents) spans about 20% to about 50% of the entire surface of the D cover. In addition, the through holes can have a variety of shapes, such as rectangles, squares, diagonals, etc., and can be arranged in grids, columns, or other patterns. The arrangement of through holes and the shape of the individual through holes (essentially rectangular vents arranged in a grille design) can be specific to the OEM or brand and model.

[0035] Now go to Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B , and continue to participate Figure 1 and Figure 2 . Figure 3300 is a simplified illustration of the bottom side of the housing 106 (i.e., the laptop is still flipped over) with the D-cover (200, 230, 250) or lower cover removed. Volume 301 represents the interior of the housing 106. A motherboard 312 is located within the housing 106 (upper cover 406 and lower cover 408) and is positioned above a first subset 405 of the plurality of through holes. A fan assembly 302 is located within the housing 106 and is positioned above a second subset (through holes 427) of the plurality of through holes, wherein the fan assembly 302 is configured to draw ambient air 304 (and ambient air 428) into the housing and push air 306 through the motherboard 312. The motherboard 312 has at least one heat generating component 308 attached thereto, such as a CPU or GPU. The air 306 is heated by the heat generating component 308, thereby generating hot air 310. In various embodiments, the pressurized air (the push air 306 ) includes air 416 that is pushed above the main board 312 , and air 418 that is pushed below the main board 312 .

[0036] The fan assembly 302 may be attached to the housing to support the pressurized compartment or sealed chamber using gaskets 404. The gaskets 404 are illustrated as four discrete gaskets 404-1, 404-2, 404-3, and 404-4, however in other embodiments, the gaskets may appear more like a ring or continuous adhesive around the periphery of the fan assembly 302.

[0037] An optional thermal management component 414 may be attached to heat generating component 308 on motherboard 312; optional thermal management component 414 may be a vapor chamber, heat pipe, or other similar component.

[0038] Various aspects of the present disclosure introduce a heat exchange device. Non-limiting example embodiments include a heat exchange assembly 420 and a heat exchange assembly 452. As shown, the heat exchange assembly is located on the inner surface of the lower cover 408. The heat exchange assembly (420, 452) is configured to block the first subset 405 of the plurality of through holes.

[0039] The heat exchange assembly (420, 452) may include one or more of a variety of highly thermally conductive materials. In an embodiment, the heat exchange assembly (420, 452) includes copper. In another embodiment, the heat exchange assembly (420, 452) includes aluminum. In an embodiment, the heat exchange assembly (420, 452) includes copper having a thickness of about 0.05 millimeters (mm).

[0040] In an exemplary method for manufacturing a heat exchange assembly, a lower cover ID is identified, and based on the lower cover ID, vents are mapped to create a heat exchange assembly that cooperates with the lower cover, so that the divots or fins / protrusions are aligned with the corresponding vents shown in the figure. In various aspects of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly (420, 452) can be manufactured by different processes. Non-limiting examples of processes include chemical etching, mechanical stamping, or forming of flexible foil. More specifically, the exemplary method determines the number of vents, one or more sizes of the vents, the vent positions, and the vent directions. The exemplary method obtains a sheet of thermally conductive material, and then chemically etches, mechanically stamps, or otherwise forms a thermally conductive material so that the thermally conductive material will exhibit the features described herein and cooperate with the lower cover. Once completed, the heat exchange assembly is placed and attached to the lower cover, as shown in the figure. Depending on the ID and mechanical requirements of the consumer device, the determination of the thermally conductive material and the manufacturing method / process can be application-dependent.

[0041] exist Figure 4A In the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly 420 can be stamped to create a divot 422 that fits with the vent or through hole of the lower cover 408. Although the view 400 is not drawn to scale, it is intentional that the divot 422 does not extend to the outer surface of the lower cover 408 so that the heat exchange area 425 does not contact the user's skin when the computing device is held. In other words, the divot 422 completely occludes but only partially fills the corresponding vent. Using a stamping process can result in a heat exchange assembly 420 of substantially uniform thickness, which can be very affordable compared to other solutions.

[0042] exist Figure 4B , heat exchange assembly 452 may be chemically etched copper or chemically etched aluminum. As shown, using a chemical etching process, embodiments may include protrusions 454 or fin features extending substantially perpendicular to the base surface of heat exchange assembly 452. Adding protrusions 454 increases the overall surface area of ​​heat exchange assembly 452. Similar to above, while view 450 is not drawn to scale, it is intentional that any protrusions 454 do not extend to the outer surface of lower cover 408 so that when the computing device is held, heat exchange area 455 does not contact the user's skin.

[0043] like Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the heat exchange assembly includes at least one heat exchange portion that is configured to block and partially fill a corresponding through hole or vent. Using a chemical etching process may be able to produce a heat exchange assembly 452 with a non-uniform thickness that may have higher precision. In addition, using a chemical etching process can create more complex features in the heat exchange portion (the portion that is configured to block and partially fill the vent) compared to the above-mentioned stamping process. Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C A top-down view of Figure 6 The cross-sectional side view in provides a non-limiting example to illustrate the concept.

[0044] View 500 is a simplified bottom / exterior surface of a D-cover 502 including vents 504. In various embodiments, the heat exchange assembly may also include an industrial design that, for a corresponding through hole, occludes the hole with a textured area. The textured area may include various arrangements of fins or other etched or stamped shapes.

[0045] exist Figure 5B , the industrial design of the heat exchange portion 530 of the heat exchange assembly may include a textured area having a plurality of fins 532 positioned around the periphery of the vent 504 or through hole, each fin 532 having a length 534 and a width 536, the fins 532 being separated from each other by gaps 538, the vent width 540. As can be appreciated, this design can be replicated across all relevant vents in the D cover. In an embodiment, the fins 532 may have a width of approximately 0.3 mm and a length of approximately 1.1 mm, separated by gaps of 0.2 mm.

[0046] exist Figure 5C , the industrial design of the heat exchange portion 550 of the heat exchange assembly may include a textured area having a plurality of fins 552 positioned across the width of the vent 504 or through hole (the fin length being substantially equal to the vent width 540), each fin 552 having a width 554, the fins 552 being separated from each other by gaps 556. As can be appreciated, this design can be replicated across all associated vents in the D cover. In the example embodiment, the fins 552 have a length of approximately 1.8 mm and a thickness of approximately 0.3 mm, and the gaps 556 are 0.2 mm.

[0047] exist Figure 6, view 600 is a side view depicting a D cover 602 having a vent 604 represented by a vent width 606, with a heat exchange portion 608 of a heat exchange device therein. The heat exchange portion 608 has an industrial design including a textured area for a designated vent or through hole. For example, the heat exchange portion 608 has a base thickness 610 and a repeating bevel shape to increase the surface area, the bevel shape being defined by a substantially flat peak with a width of 614 and a subsequent substantially flat valley with a width of 616. The bevel shape is a non-limiting example of a textured area designated for a through hole. The peak has a height 612 less than the overall thickness of the D cover, so that there is still a gap 618 between the outer surface 620 of the D cover 602 and the peak of the heat exchange portion 608 of the heat exchange device, for the reasons described above. The C cover is indicated as being a distance 622 from the heat exchange component, which is an area / region where the components of the device may be located. As can be understood, this industrial design or any other embodiment described above can be replicated across all relevant vents in the D cover. In an embodiment, the base thickness is about 0.1 mm, the peak width is about 0.2 mm, the valley width is about 0.2 mm, and the peak height is about 0.2 mm.

[0048] exist Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 6 In the present invention, the heat exchange assembly can be regarded as a means for heat exchange. The means for heat exchange includes at least one heat exchange portion, which is configured to block and partially fill a corresponding through hole or vent. The means for heat exchange may include a textured area for a designated vent or through hole.

[0049] As described above, in operation, the heat exchange device (and the components for heat exchange) converts the through holes into passive heat exchange areas that can passively transfer heat from the inside of the shell to the outside of the shell by blocking the through holes with thermally conductive materials. This passive heat transfer reduces the internal (volume 301 inside the shell) air temperature and the junction temperature (Tj) of the heat generating component. The amount of reduction in Tj is related to the exposed surface area of ​​the heat exchange device, and the exposed surface area further depends on the original ID (e.g., vent size, position, etc.). This solution works well on plastic shell or housing designs (i.e., produces a large Tj / Tgpu reduction) because the relatively low thermal conductivity of plastics makes it impossible for plastics to passively dissipate heat. During the testing of the embodiments, it has been demonstrated that the greater the percentage of the surface area of ​​the heat exchange component exposed to the ambient air through the vents or through holes, the greater the improvement in thermal effect.

[0050] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the provided apparatus and methods can be extended for use with computing devices having more than one high-pressure cooling fan; for example, a second high-pressure cooling fan can be placed in the housing and oriented to push air from a second direction such that the pushed air (hot air) from the first and second high-pressure cooling fans merges and is moved out of the housing through the same or nearby outlets.

[0051] Thus, a heat exchange apparatus and method for high pressure cooling fan applications is provided.The following description illustrates various scenarios for using and applying various aspects provided by the present disclosure.

[0052] The disclosed embodiments may be implemented in a computing node. Figure 7 In the simplified example depicted, computing node 700 includes a computing engine (referred to herein as "computing circuitry") 702, an input / output (I / O) subsystem 708, a data storage device 710, a communication circuit subsystem 712, and optionally one or more peripheral devices 714. With respect to this example, computing node 700 or computing circuitry 702 can perform operations and tasks attributed to system 101. In other examples, each computing node 700 can include other or additional components, such as those components typically found in a computer (e.g., a display, peripheral devices, etc.). Furthermore, in some examples, one or more illustrative components can be integrated into or otherwise constitute a part of another component.

[0053] In some examples, computing node 700 may be embodied as a single device, such as an integrated circuit, an embedded system, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on a chip (SOC), or other integrated system or device. In an illustrative example, computing node 700 includes or is embodied as a processor 704 and a memory 706. Processor 704 may be embodied as any type of processor capable of performing the functions described herein (e.g., performing compilation functions and executing applications). For example, processor 704 may be embodied as (one or more) multi-core processors, microcontrollers, processing units, dedicated or special purpose processing units, or other processors or processing / control circuits.

[0054] In some examples, the processor 704 may be embodied as, include, or be coupled to an FPGA, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), reconfigurable hardware or hardware circuit, or other dedicated hardware to facilitate the execution of the functions described herein. In addition, in some examples, the processor 704 may be embodied as a dedicated x-processing unit (xPU), also referred to as a data processing unit (DPU), an infrastructure processing unit (IPU), or a network processing unit (NPU). Such an xPU may be embodied as an independent circuit or circuit package, integrated within a SOC, or integrated with a networking circuit (e.g., in a SmartNIC or enhanced SmartNIC), an acceleration circuit, a storage device, or AI hardware (e.g., a GPU or a programmed FPGA). Such an xPU may be designed to receive programming to process one or more data streams outside a CPU or general processing hardware and perform specific tasks and actions for the data streams (e.g., hosting microservices, performing service management or orchestration, organizing or managing server or data center hardware, managing a service grid, or collecting and distributing telemetry data). However, it will be appreciated that xPUs, SOCs, CPUs, and other variations of processors 704 may work in coordination with one another to perform various types of operations and instructions within and on behalf of compute node 700 .

[0055] The memory 706 may be embodied as any type of volatile (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.) or non-volatile memory or data storage device capable of performing the functions described herein. Volatile memory may be a storage medium that requires power to maintain the state of the data stored by the medium. Non-limiting examples of volatile memory may include various types of random access memory (RAM), such as DRAM or static random access memory (SRAM). One type of DRAM that can be used in the memory module is synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM).

[0056] In an example, the storage device is a block addressable storage device, such as a storage device based on NAND or NOR technology. The storage device may also include a three-dimensional cross-point storage device (e.g., 3D XPoint TM Memory) or other byte-addressable write-in-place non-volatile storage devices. The storage device can refer to the die itself and / or the packaged memory product. In some examples, 3D crosspoint memory (e.g., 3D XPoint TMMemory 706 may include a transistor-free stackable cross-point architecture in which memory cells are located at the intersection of word lines and bit lines and are individually addressable, and in which bit storage is based on changes in body resistance. In some examples, all or a portion of memory 706 may be integrated into processor 704. Memory 706 may store various software and data used during operation, such as one or more applications, data operated by (one or more) applications, libraries, and drivers.

[0057] The computing circuit 702 is communicatively coupled to other components of the computing node 700 through an I / O subsystem 708, which may be embodied as circuits and / or components to facilitate input / output operations with the computing circuit 702 (e.g., with the processor 704 and / or the main memory 706) and other components of the computing circuit 702. For example, the I / O subsystem 708 may be embodied as or otherwise include a memory controller hub, an input / output control hub, an integrated sensor hub, a firmware device, a communication link (e.g., a point-to-point link, a bus link, a wire, a cable, an optical guide, a printed circuit board trace, etc.), and / or other components and subsystems to facilitate input / output operations. In some examples, the I / O subsystem 708 may constitute part of a system on a chip (SoC) and be integrated into the computing circuit 702 along with one or more of the processor 704, the memory 706, and other components of the computing circuit 702.

[0058] One or more illustrative data storage devices 710 may be embodied as any type of device configured for short-term or long-term data storage, such as, for example, memory devices and circuits, memory cards, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, or other data storage devices. Each data storage device 710 may include a system partition that stores data and firmware code for the data storage device 710. For example, depending on the type of computing node 700, each data storage device 710 may also include one or more operating system partitions that store data files and executable files for an operating system.

[0059] The communication subsystem 712 may be embodied as any communication circuit, device, transceiver circuit, or collection thereof that enables communication over a network between the computing circuit 702 and another computing device (e.g., an edge gateway implementing an edge computing system).

[0060] The communication subsystem 712 may implement any of a variety of wireless standards or protocols, including but not limited to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards, including Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), IEEE 802.16 standards (e.g., IEEE 802.16-2005 amendment), Long Term Evolution (LTE) project, and any amendments, updates and / or revisions (e.g., Advanced LTE project, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) project (also known as "3GPP2"), etc.). Broadband wireless access (BWA) networks compatible with IEEE 802.16 are generally referred to as WiMAX networks, which is an abbreviation for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and is a certification mark for products that have passed conformance and interoperability testing of the IEEE 802.16 standard. The communication subsystem 712 may operate according to a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Evolved HSPA (E-HSPA), or LTE network. The communication subsystem 712 can operate according to Enhanced Data GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM Evolution Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) or Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). The communication subsystem 712 can operate according to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Enhanced Wireless Communication (DECT), Evolution Data Optimization (EV-DO) and its derivative protocols, and any other wireless protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G and higher versions. In other embodiments, the communication subsystem 712 can operate according to other wireless protocols. The communication subsystem 712 may include an antenna to facilitate wireless communication and / or receive other wireless communications (e.g., AM or FM radio transmissions).

[0061] In some embodiments, the communication subsystem 712 can manage wired communications, such as electrical, optical, or any other suitable communication protocol (e.g., IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard). As described above, the communication subsystem 712 can include multiple communication components. For example, the first communication subsystem 712 can be dedicated to short-range wireless communications, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the second communication subsystem 712 can be dedicated to longer-range wireless communications, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, EV-DO, etc. In some embodiments, the first communication subsystem 712 can be dedicated to wireless communications, and the second communication subsystem 712 can be dedicated to wired communications.

[0062] The illustrative communication subsystem 712 includes an optional network interface controller (NIC) 720, which may also be referred to as a host structure interface (HFI). The NIC 720 may be embodied as one or more add-in-boards, daughter cards, network interface cards, controller chips, chipsets, or other devices that the computing node 700 may be used to connect to another computing device (e.g., an edge gateway node). In some examples, the NIC 720 may be embodied as part of a system on a chip (SoC) including one or more processors, or may be included in a multi-chip package that also includes one or more processors. In some examples, the NIC 720 may include a local processor (not shown) and / or a local memory (not shown), both of which are located locally on the NIC 720. In these examples, the local processor of the NIC 720 may be capable of performing one or more of the functions of the computing circuit 702 described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in such examples, the local memory of the NIC 720 may be integrated into one or more components of the client computing node at the circuit board level, the socket level, the chip level, and / or other levels.

[0063] Additionally, in some examples, each computing node 700 may include one or more peripheral devices 714. Depending on the particular type of computing node 700, such peripheral devices 714 may include any type of peripheral devices found in a computing device or server, such as, for example, audio input devices, displays, other input / output devices, interface devices, and / or other peripheral devices. In further examples, computing node 700 may be embodied by each edge computing node (whether a client, gateway, or aggregation node) in an edge computing system or similar form of appliance, computer, subsystem, circuit, or other component.

[0064] In other examples, computing nodes 700 may be embodied as any type of device or collection of devices capable of performing various computing functions. Each computing node 700 may be embodied as a type of device, appliance, computer, or other "thing" capable of communicating with other computing nodes (which may be edge, networking, or endpoint components). For example, a computing node may be embodied as a personal computer, a server, a smart phone, a mobile computing device, a smart appliance, a smart camera, an in-vehicle computing system (e.g., a navigation system), an all-weather or all-weather sealed computing device, a stand-alone device within a housing, etc., or other devices or systems capable of performing the functions described.

[0065] Figure 8A multi-processor environment in which an embodiment can be implemented is shown. Processor units 802 and 804 also include cache memories 812 and 814, respectively. Cache memories 812 and 814 can store data (e.g., instructions) used by one or more components (e.g., processor cores 808 and 810) of processor units 802 and 804. Cache memories 812 and 814 can be part of the memory architecture of computing system 800. For example, cache memory 812 can locally store data that is also stored in memory 816 to allow processor unit 802 to access the data faster. In some embodiments, cache memories 812 and 814 can include multiple cache levels, such as level 1 (L1), level 2 (L2), level 3 (L3), level 4 (L4), and / or other caches or cache levels. In some embodiments, one or more levels of cache memory (e.g., L2, L3, L4) can be shared between multiple cores in a processor unit or between multiple processor units in an integrated circuit assembly. In some embodiments, the last level of cache memory on an integrated circuit assembly can be referred to as a last level cache (LLC). One or more higher-level cache levels (smaller and faster caches) in the memory architecture can be located on the same integrated circuit die as the processor core, and one or more lower cache levels (larger and slower caches) can be located on an integrated circuit die that is physically separate from the processor core integrated circuit die.

[0066] Although computing system 800 is shown as having two processor units, computing system 800 may include any number of processor units. In addition, a processor unit may include any number of processor cores. A processor unit may take a variety of forms, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a general purpose GPU (GPGPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), a data processor unit (DPU), an accelerator (e.g., a graphics accelerator, a digital signal processor (DSP), a compression accelerator, an artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator), a controller, or other types of processing units. Therefore, a processor unit may be referred to as an XPU (or xPU). In addition, a processor unit may include one or more of these various types of processing units. In some embodiments, a computing system includes a processor unit having multiple cores, and in other embodiments, a computing system includes a single processor unit having a single core. As used herein, the terms "processor unit" and "processing unit" may refer to any processor, processor core, component, module, engine, circuit, or any other processing element described or referenced herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, computing system 800 may include one or more processor units that are heterogeneous or asymmetric with another processor unit in the computing system. There may be various differences between the processing units in the system in terms of a range of value metrics including architecture, microarchitecture, thermal characteristics, power consumption characteristics, etc. These differences may manifest themselves as asymmetry and heterogeneity between the processor units in the system.

[0068] Processor units 802 and 804 may be located in a single integrated circuit component (e.g., a multi-chip package (MCP) or a multi-chip module (MCM)), or may be located in separate integrated circuit components. An integrated circuit component that includes one or more processor units may include additional components, such as embedded DRAM, stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM), shared cache memory (e.g., L3, L4, LLC), input / output (I / O) controller, or memory controller. Any of these additional components may be located on the same integrated circuit die as the processor unit, or on one or more integrated circuit dies that are separate from the integrated circuit die that includes the processor unit. In some embodiments, these separate integrated circuit dies may be referred to as a "chipset." In some embodiments where there is heterogeneity or asymmetry between processor units in a computing system, the heterogeneity or asymmetry may be heterogeneity or asymmetry between processor units located in the same integrated circuit component. In embodiments where the integrated circuit component includes multiple integrated circuit dies, the interconnections between the dies may be provided by a packaging substrate, one or more silicon interposers, one or more silicon bridges embedded in the packaging substrate (e.g., embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB)), or a combination thereof.

[0069] Processor units 802 and 804 also include memory controller logic (MC) 820 and 822. Figure 8 As shown, MCs 820 and 822 control memories 816 and 818 coupled to processor units 802 and 804, respectively. Memories 816 and 818 may include various types of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM)) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, chalcogenide-based phase change non-volatile memory), and include one or more layers of the memory architecture of the computing system. Although MCs 820 and 822 are illustrated as being integrated into processor units 802 and 804, in alternative embodiments, the MCs may be external to the processor units.

[0070] Processor units 802 and 804 are coupled to an input / output (I / O) subsystem 830 through point-to-point interconnects 832 and 834. Point-to-point interconnect 832 connects a point-to-point interface 836 of processor unit 802 and a point-to-point interface 838 of I / O subsystem 830, and point-to-point interconnect 834 connects a point-to-point interface 840 of processor unit 804 and a point-to-point interface 842 of I / O subsystem 830. Input / output subsystem 830 also includes an interface 850 that couples I / O subsystem 830 to a graphics engine 852. I / O subsystem 830 and graphics engine 852 are coupled through bus 854.

[0071] The input / output subsystem 830 is further coupled to the first bus 860 via an interface 862. The first bus 860 may be a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus or any other type of bus. Various I / O devices 864 may be coupled to the first bus 860. A bus bridge 870 may couple the first bus 860 to a second bus 880. In some embodiments, the second bus 880 may be a low pin count (LPC) bus. Various devices may be coupled to the second bus 880, including, for example, a keyboard / mouse 882, an audio I / O device 888, and a storage device 890, such as a hard drive, a solid state drive, or another storage device for storing computer executable instructions (code) 892 or data. The code 892 may include computer executable instructions for performing the methods described herein. Other components that may be coupled to the second bus 880 include (one or more) communication devices 884 that may provide communications between the computing system 800 and one or more wired or wireless networks 886 (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, or satellite networks) via one or more wired or wireless communications links (e.g., wires, cables, Ethernet connections, radio frequency (RF) channels, infrared channels, Wi-Fi channels) using one or more communications standards (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 standard and its supplements).

[0072] In embodiments where the communication device 884 supports wireless communications, the communication device 884 may include a wireless communication component coupled to one or more antennas to support communications between the computing system 800 and external devices. The wireless communication component may support various wireless communication protocols and technologies, such as near field communication (NFC), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) variants, WiMax, Bluetooth, Zigbee, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and 5G broadband cellular technology. In addition, the wireless modem may support communication with one or more cellular networks to communicate data and voice within a single cellular network, between cellular networks, or between the computing system and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

[0073] The system 800 may include removable memory, such as a flash memory card (e.g., an SD (Secure Digital) card), a memory stick, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card). The memory in the system 800 (including caches 812 and 814, memory 816 and 818, and storage device 890) may store data and / or computer executable instructions for executing an operating system 894 and application programs 896. Example data includes web pages, text messages, images, sound files, and video data of a particular user, biometric thresholds, or other data sets received and / or sent by the system 800 from one or more network servers or other devices through one or more wired or wireless networks 886, or for use by the system 800. The system 800 may also access external memory or storage devices (not shown), such as an external hard drive or cloud-based storage device.

[0074] The operating system 894 (also referred to herein as "OS") can control Figure 6 The components are distributed and used in support of one or more applications 896. Applications 896 may include common computing system applications (eg, email applications, calendars, contact managers, web browsers, messaging applications), and other computing applications.

[0075] In some embodiments, a hypervisor (or virtual machine manager) runs on an operating system 894, and applications 896 run within one or more virtual machines that run on the hypervisor. In these embodiments, the hypervisor is a Type 2 or hosted hypervisor because it runs on the operating system 894. In other hypervisor-based embodiments, the hypervisor is a Type 1 or "bare-metal" hypervisor that runs directly on the platform resources of the computing system 894 without an intervening operating system layer.

[0076] In some embodiments, applications 896 can run within one or more containers. A container is a running instance of a container image, which is an encapsulation of a binary image of one or more applications 896 and any libraries, configuration settings, and any other information required for the one or more applications 896 to execute. The container image can conform to any container image format, such as Appc or LXC container image format. In a container-based embodiment, a container runtime engine (e.g., Docker Engine, LXU, or a container runtime compatible with the Open Container Initiative (OCI) (e.g., Railcar, CRI-O)) runs on an operating system (or a virtual machine monitor) to provide an interface between the container and the operating system 894. The orchestrator can be responsible for managing the computing system 800 and various container-related tasks, such as deploying container images to the computing system 894, monitoring the performance of deployed containers, and monitoring the utilization of the resources of the computing system 894.

[0077] The computing system 800 may support a variety of additional input devices (generally represented as user interfaces 898), such as touch screens, microphones, monoscopic cameras, stereo cameras, trackballs, touchpads, trackpads, proximity sensors, light sensors, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, PPG (photocardiogram) sensors, galvanic skin response sensors, and one or more output devices, such as one or more speakers or displays. Other possible input and output devices include piezoelectric and other tactile I / O devices. Any input or output device may be internal, external, or removably attached to the system 800. External input and output devices may communicate with the system 800 via wired or wireless connections.

[0078] In addition, one or more user interfaces 898 may be natural user interfaces (NUIs). For example, operating system 894 or application 896 may include voice recognition logic as part of a voice user interface that allows a user to operate system 800 via voice commands. In addition, computing system 800 may include input devices and logic that allow a user to interact with computing system 800 via body, hand, or facial gestures. For example, a user's gestures may be detected and interpreted to provide input for a gaming application.

[0079] I / O device 864 may include: at least one input / output port, including a physical connector (e.g., USB, IEEE1394 (Firewire), Ethernet, RS-232); a power source (e.g., a battery); a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver); a gyroscope; an accelerometer; and / or a compass. The GNSS receiver may be coupled to a GNSS antenna. The computing system 800 may further include one or more additional antennas coupled to one or more additional receivers, transmitters, and / or transceivers to implement additional functionality.

[0080] In addition to what has been discussed, integrated circuit components, integrated circuit constituent components, and other components in computing system 894 may communicate with interconnect technologies such as: Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI), Computer Express Link (CXL), Accelerator Cache Coherent Interconnect Serializer / deserializer (SERDES), NVLink, ARM Infinity Link, Gen-Z, or Open Coherent Accelerator Processor Interface (OpenCAPI). Other interconnect technologies may be used, and computing system 894 may use more interconnect technologies.

[0081] will understand, Figure 8 Only one example computing system architecture is illustrated. Computing systems based on alternative architectures may be used to implement the techniques described herein. For example, instead of processors 802 and 804 and graphics engine 852 being located on separate integrated circuits, a computing system may include a SoC (system on a chip) integrated circuit that combines multiple processors, a graphics engine, and additional components. In addition, the computing system may be implemented by connecting to Figure 8 The components are connected in different bus or point-to-point configurations. Figure 8 The components shown in the drawings are not required or all-inclusive, as shown components may be removed and other components may be added in alternative embodiments.

[0082] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an example processor unit 900 that executes computer-executable instructions as part of implementing the techniques described herein. Processor unit 900 may be a single-threaded core or a multi-threaded core in that it may include more than one hardware thread context (or "logical processor") in each processor unit.

[0083] Fig. 9 Also shown is a memory 910 coupled to the processor unit 900. The memory 910 can be any memory described herein or any other memory known to those skilled in the art. The memory 910 can store computer executable instructions 915 (code) executable by the processor unit 900.

[0084] The processor unit includes front-end logic 920 that receives instructions from memory 910. Instructions may be processed by one or more decoders 930. Decoders 930 may generate micro-operations such as fixed-width micro-operations of a predetermined format as their output, or generate other instructions, micro-instructions, or control signals that reflect the original code instructions. Front-end logic 920 further includes register renaming logic 935 and scheduling logic 940, which generally allocate resources and queue operations corresponding to converting instructions for execution.

[0085] The processor unit 900 also includes execution logic 950, which includes one or more execution units (EU) 965-1 to 965-N. Some processor unit embodiments may include several execution units dedicated to specific functions or function sets. Other embodiments may include only one execution unit or an execution unit that can perform specific functions. The execution logic 950 performs the operations specified by the code instructions. After completing the execution of the operations specified by the code instructions, the back-end logic 970 uses the retirement logic 975 to retire the instructions. In some embodiments, the processor unit 900 allows out-of-order execution of instructions, but requires orderly retirement of instructions. The retirement logic 975 can take various forms known to those skilled in the art (e.g., a reorder buffer, etc.).

[0086] Processor unit 900 is transformed during instruction execution, at least with respect to the output generated by decoder 930 , the hardware registers and tables used by register renaming logic 935 , and any registers (not shown) modified by execution logic 950 .

[0087] Although at least one embodiment has been introduced in the above detailed description, it should be understood that there are a large number of variations. It should also be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Instead, the above detailed description will provide a convenient roadmap for those skilled in the art to implement the disclosed aspects of the present disclosure. Various changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the attached claims and their equivalents.

[0088] Any disclosed method (or a portion thereof) may be implemented as computer-executable instructions or a computer program product. These instructions may enable a computing system or one or more processor units capable of executing computer-executable instructions to perform any disclosed method. As used herein, the term "computer" refers to any computing system, device, or machine described or mentioned herein, and any other computing system, device, or machine capable of executing instructions. Therefore, the term "computer-executable instructions" refers to instructions that can be executed by any computing system, device, or machine described or mentioned herein, and any other computing system, device, or machine capable of executing instructions.

[0089] Computer executable instructions or computer program products and any data created and / or used in the process of implementing the disclosed technology can be stored on one or more tangible or non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory (e.g., DRAM, SRAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, chalcogenide-based phase change non-volatile memory), optical media discs (e.g., DVD, CD), and magnetic storage devices (e.g., tape storage devices, hard drives). Computer-readable storage media may be included in computer-readable storage devices, such as solid-state drives, USB flash drives, and memory modules. Alternatively, any method disclosed herein (or a portion thereof) may be performed by a hardware component including a non-programmable circuit. In some embodiments, any method herein may be performed by a combination of a non-programmable hardware component and one or more processing units that execute computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0090] Computer executable instructions can be, for example, part of an operating system of a computing system, an application stored locally on the computing system, or a remote application accessible to the computing system (e.g., via a web browser). Any of the methods described herein can be performed by computer executable instructions executed by a single computing system or by one or more networked computing systems running in a network environment. Computer executable instructions and updates to computer executable instructions can be downloaded from a remote server to a computing system.

[0091] Furthermore, it will be appreciated that implementations of the disclosed techniques are not limited to any particular computer language or program. For example, the disclosed techniques may be implemented by software written in C++, C#, Java, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Adobe Flash, assembly language, or any other programming language. Likewise, the disclosed techniques are not limited to any computer system or hardware type.

[0092] In addition, any software-based embodiment (including, for example, computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any disclosed method) can be uploaded, downloaded, or remotely accessed via appropriate communication means. Such appropriate communication means include, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web, an intranet, cables (including fiber optic cables), magnetic communications, electromagnetic communications (including RF, microwave, ultrasonic, and infrared communications), electronic communications, or other such communication means.

[0093] In addition, the operating theories, scientific principles or other theoretical descriptions proposed herein for the devices or methods of the present disclosure are provided for better understanding and are not intended to limit the scope. The devices and methods in the appended claims are not limited to those devices and methods that function in the manner described by these operating theories.

[0094] As used herein, phrases such as "an embodiment", "one aspect of the present disclosure", "various aspects of the present disclosure", "some aspects of the present disclosure", etc. indicate that some aspects of the present disclosure may have some, all, or none of the features described for other aspects of the present disclosure. "First", "second", "third", etc. describe a common object and represent different instances of similar objects referred to; unless otherwise specified, they are not meant to be in a given order in time or space, in ranking or in any other manner. According to patent application terminology, "connected" means elements that are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, and "coupled" means elements that cooperate or interact with each other, and the coupled elements may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact. In addition, the terms "including", "comprising", "having", etc. are used synonymously to indicate non-exclusive inclusion.

[0095] As used in the application and claims, a list of items connected by the term “at least one of” may refer to any combination of the listed terms. For example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, or C” may refer to A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C. Similarly, as used in the application and claims, a list of items connected by the term “one or more of” may refer to any combination of the listed terms. For example, the phrase “one or more of A, B, and C” may refer to A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C.

[0096] The following examples relate to other aspects of the present disclosure of the technology disclosed herein.

[0097] Example 1 is a device comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard located within the housing and positioned above a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second subset of the plurality of through holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the mainboard; and a heat exchange assembly located on the lower cover in the housing, the heat exchange assembly being configured to occlude the first subset of the plurality of through holes.

[0098] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, wherein the fan assembly is further configured to pressurize the air prior to pushing the air through the motherboard.

[0099] Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the heat exchange assembly includes a heat exchange portion configured to partially fill the corresponding through hole.

[0100] Example 4 includes the subject matter of Example 3, wherein the heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins positioned around a perimeter of the through-hole.

[0101] Example 5 includes the subject matter of Example 3, wherein the heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins spanning a width of the through-hole.

[0102] Example 6 includes the subject matter of Example 3, wherein the heat exchange component comprises a sloped shape defined by a substantially flat peak followed by a substantially flat valley.

[0103] Example 7 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-6, wherein the fan assembly is located in a pressurized compartment in the housing.

[0104] Example 8 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-7, wherein the heat exchange assembly comprises a thermally conductive material.

[0105] Example 9 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-8, wherein the heat exchange component comprises copper having a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm.

[0106] Example 10 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-8, wherein the mainboard includes at least one heat generating component.

[0107] Example 11 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-10, wherein the upper cover comprises a C cover and the lower cover comprises a D cover.

[0108] Example 12 is a device comprising: a housing comprising a C cover attached to a D cover, wherein the C cover comprises a keyboard and the D cover comprises an arrangement of multiple through holes; a motherboard located within the housing and positioned above a first portion of the arrangement, wherein the motherboard has a central processing unit (CPU) attached thereto; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second portion of the arrangement, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the motherboard; and a heat exchange assembly covering the D cover within the housing, the heat exchange assembly being configured to occlude the first portion of the arrangement.

[0109] Example 13-1 includes the subject matter of Example 12, further comprising a display operatively attached to the housing.

[0110] Example 13-2 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the fan assembly is further configured to pressurize the air before pushing the air through the motherboard.

[0111] Example 14 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the heat exchange assembly includes a heat exchange portion configured to partially fill the corresponding through hole.

[0112] Example 15 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins positioned around a perimeter of the through-hole.

[0113] Example 16 includes the subject matter of Example 15, wherein the heat exchange assembly comprises a plurality of fins spanning a width of the through-hole.

[0114] Example 17 includes the subject matter of Example 15, wherein the heat exchange assembly comprises a ramped shape defined by a substantially flat peak followed by a substantially flat valley.

[0115] Example 18 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the fan assembly is located in a pressurized compartment in the housing.

[0116] Example 19 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the heat exchange component comprises copper having a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm.

[0117] Example 20 is a device comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard located within the housing and positioned above a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly located within the housing and positioned above a second subset of the plurality of through holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the mainboard; and a component for heat exchange located on the lower cover in the housing, the component for heat exchange being configured to occlude the first subset of the plurality of through holes.

[0118] Example 21 includes the subject matter of Example 20, wherein the member for heat exchange includes a textured region for a through hole.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard disposed within the housing and positioned over a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly within the housing and positioned over a second subset of the plurality of through-holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the motherboard; as well as A heat exchange component is located on the lower cover in the housing, and the heat exchange component is configured to block the first subset of the plurality of through holes.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The fan assembly is also configured to pressurize the air before pushing the air through the motherboard.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a heat exchange portion configured to partially fill a corresponding through hole.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins positioned around a periphery of the through hole.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins spanning the width of the through hole.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a sloped shape defined by a substantially flat peak followed by a substantially flat valley.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The fan assembly is located in a pressurized compartment in the housing.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a thermally conductive material.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The heat exchange component comprises copper having a thickness of about 0.1 mm.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The mainboard includes at least one heat generating component.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The upper cover includes a C cover, and the lower cover includes a D cover.

12. A device comprising: a housing comprising a C cover attached to a D cover, wherein the C cover comprises a keyboard, and the D cover comprises an arrangement of a plurality of through holes; a motherboard located within the housing and positioned above the first portion of the array, wherein the motherboard has a central processing unit (CPU) attached thereto; a fan assembly within the housing and positioned above the second portion of the array, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the motherboard; as well as A heat exchange component is covered on the D cover inside the housing, and the heat exchange component is configured to block the first portion of the arrangement.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein: The fan assembly is also configured to pressurize the air before pushing the air through the motherboard.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a heat exchange portion configured to partially fill a corresponding through hole.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins positioned around a periphery of the through hole.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a plurality of fins spanning the width of the through hole.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The heat exchange assembly includes a textured region for a through hole.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The fan assembly is located in a pressurized compartment in the housing.

19. An apparatus comprising: a housing comprising an upper cover attached to a lower cover, wherein the lower cover comprises a plurality of through holes; a mainboard disposed within the housing and positioned over a first subset of the plurality of through holes; a fan assembly within the housing and positioned over a second subset of the plurality of through-holes, wherein the fan assembly is configured to draw ambient air into the housing and push the air through the motherboard; as well as A member for heat exchange is located on the lower cover in the housing, and the member for heat exchange is configured to block the first subset of the plurality of through holes.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein The means for exchanging heat includes a textured region for through holes.

21. The device according to claim 19, wherein The fan assembly is also configured to pressurize the air before pushing the air through the motherboard.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein The member for heat exchange includes a heat exchange portion configured to partially fill the corresponding through hole.

23. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein: The means for exchanging heat includes a plurality of fins located around the periphery of the through hole.

24. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein: The means for exchanging heat includes a plurality of fins spanning the width of the through hole.

25. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein: The means for exchanging heat includes a sloped shape defined by a substantially flat peak followed by a substantially flat valley.

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