Method and system for integrating electronic sensor with heat dissipation system

Abstract

A system includes a computing device operably coupled to one or more user interface components; and a heat dissipation system for cooling the computing device. The system further includes a proximity sensor positioned adjacent to the heat dissipation hole and configured to set a proximity marker in response to detecting an object proximate to the heat dissipation hole. The system further includes an orientation sensor coupled to the computing device and configured to set an orientation mark in response to detecting an orientation of the computing device such that the heat dissipation hole faces downward. The system further includes a processor communicatively coupled to the proximity sensor, the orientation sensor, and the one or more user interface components. The processor is configured to provide an alert output through the one or more user interface components in response to the proximity marker or the orientation marker being set.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with international application number PCT / US2018 / 041289, international application date July 9, 2018, Chinese national application number 201880046198.3, and title “Method and system for integrating electronic sensors with heat dissipation systems”.

[0002] Cross-reference to related applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 530,591, filed on July 10, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] In electronic systems, heat may be generated because the circuits in the electronic system have finite resistance. In computing devices, their central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) generate a lot of heat. The heat generated may be related to the amount of processing power used. As the temperature of the computing device rises above a certain threshold, it may be necessary to reduce the operating frequency of the computing device (called "throttling") to reduce power consumption, which can make the user experience worse. In extreme cases, if the temperature rises above a safe threshold temperature, it may be necessary to shut down the computing device.

[0005] For portable computing devices that can come into contact with the human body (e.g., when the device is handheld, worn on the body, or placed on the lap), the heat generated by the computing device may also cause the surface temperature of the computing device to rise above the comfort threshold temperature, or in worse cases, to rise above the safety threshold temperature. For example, UL / IEC / EN-60950 thermal safety requirements specify that the surface temperature of user equipment shall not exceed 55°C-75°C, depending on the material type when used continuously for 8 hours or more. For user equipment with a metal casing, the comfort threshold temperature may range from 40°C-50°C.

[0006] For these reasons, it is generally desirable for computing devices to have effective heat dissipation systems. Summary of the invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention relate to electronic systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for improving the efficiency of a heat dissipation system of an electronic device including one or more electronic sensors. In the embodiments described herein, the one or more electronic sensors may work alone or in combination with each other.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a system includes a computing device that is operably coupled to one or more user interface components; and a heat dissipation system for cooling the computing device. The heat dissipation system includes at least one thermal vent. The system further includes a proximity sensor that is positioned adjacent to the at least one thermal vent and is configured to set a proximity flag in response to detecting an object approaching the at least one thermal vent. The system may further include an orientation sensor that is coupled to the computing device and is configured to set an orientation flag in response to detecting that the orientation of the computing device is such that the at least one thermal vent faces downward. The system further includes a processor that is communicatively coupled to the proximity sensor, the orientation sensor, and the one or more user interface components. The processor may be configured to provide an alert output by the one or more user interface components in response to setting the proximity flag or the orientation flag.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the invention, a method may include detecting a condition indicating at least one of: (i) using a proximity sensor positioned adjacent to a heat dissipation vent of a computing device, an object is located near the heat dissipation vent of a cooling system, or (ii) using an orientation sensor coupled to the computing device, the computing device is oriented such that the heat dissipation vent faces downward. The method further includes outputting an alert through one or more user interface components in response to detecting the condition.

[0010] According to some further embodiments of the present invention, a method includes detecting a condition indicating at least one of: (i) using a proximity sensor positioned adjacent to a heat dissipation vent of a heat dissipation system of a computing device, an object is located near the heat dissipation vent, or (ii) using an orientation sensor coupled to the computing device, the computing device is oriented such that the heat dissipation vent faces downward. The method further includes: in response to detecting the condition, acquiring an image of the computing device using an image sensor; and processing the image to confirm that the heat dissipation vent is blocked or facing downward. The method further includes outputting an alert through a user interface, the alert indicating that the heat dissipation vent is identified as being blocked or facing downward.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method includes: obtaining output from one or more data sources, the output indicating one or more conditions of an electronic device or an environment in which the electronic device is located; and based on the output data obtained from the one or more sources, identifying the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is prone to overheating. The method further includes: in response to identifying the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is prone to overheating, controlling one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation. In some cases, the electronic device is a computing device including one or more processors. In some cases, obtaining output from one or more sources may include obtaining output from one or more data sources by the computing device, the output indicating one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located. Based on the output data obtained from the one or more sources, identifying the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is prone to overheating may include: identifying the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is prone to overheating by the computing device at least in part based on the output obtained from the one or more sources. Controlling one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation may include: controlling the one or more user interface components, by the computing device, to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation. In some cases, controlling the one or more user interface components, by the computing device, to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation may include: sending, by the computing device, an instruction to a user device including one or more user interface components and located outside the computing device, so that the user device outputs an alert through the one or more user interface components of the user device. In some cases, the computing device may include one or more user interface components, and controlling the one or more user interface components, by the computing device, to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation may include: controlling the one or more user interface components, by the computing device, to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation. In some cases, the computing device may include one or more sensors, each of which is configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located; and obtaining output from one or more sources may include: obtaining data indicating output from one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located.In some cases, the computing device may include two or more vents and a thermal management system configured to move air into and out of the computing device through the two or more vents. In some cases, the one or more sensors of the computing device may include a proximity sensor configured to monitor the proximity of the computing device to a physical object located within an environment of the computing device; and obtaining data indicating outputs from one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located may include obtaining data indicating one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor. In some cases, the method may further include determining that the obtained data indicating one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor indicates that the outside of the computing device that exposes at least one of the two or more vents is closer to one or more physical objects located within the environment of the computing device than a threshold distance. According to various embodiments, the threshold distance may be approximately 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 10 mm. Identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the computing device is susceptible to overheating may include: in response to determining that the acquired data indicates that the exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is closer than a threshold distance to one or more physical objects located within the environment of the computing device, identifying the position of the computing device within the environment as one in which airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device is obstructed. In some cases, the one or more sensors of the computing device may include an orientation sensor configured to monitor an angular orientation of the computing device relative to the environment in which the computing device is located; and acquiring data indicating outputs from one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located may include: acquiring data representing one or more measurements that the orientation sensor has made. In some cases, the method may further include: determining that the acquired data representing one or more measurements that the orientation sensor has made indicates that the exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward. Identifying a position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the computing device is susceptible to overheating may include: in response to determining that the acquired data indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward, identifying the orientation of the computing device within the environment as an orientation in which airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device is obstructed.In some cases, the one or more sensors of the computing device may include one or more temperature sensors, each of which is configured to monitor one or more thermal conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located; and obtaining data indicating output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located may include: obtaining data representing one or more measurements that have been made by the one or more temperature sensors. In some cases, the method may further include: in response to identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the computing device is susceptible to overheating, obtaining data indicating output from another sensor different from the one or more sensors of the computing device. In some cases, the method may further include: using the obtained data indicating output from the another sensor to verify that the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is to be identified as a position or orientation in which the computing device is susceptible to overheating. Controlling one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation may include: in response to verifying that the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is identified as a position or orientation in which the computing device is susceptible to overheating, controlling one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation. In some cases, obtaining data indicating output from the other sensor may include obtaining imaging data representing one or more images that have been captured by an imaging sensor located within the environment of the computing device. In some cases, obtaining output from the one or more sources may include receiving data from one or more services related to current or predicted weather conditions for the associated geographic area of ​​the electronic device over a network. In some cases, obtaining output data from the one or more sources may include obtaining output indicating one or more conditions of the computing device or the environment in which the computing device is located from one or more data sources, by a computing device different from the electronic device; based on the output data obtained from the one or more sources, identifying the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is susceptible to overheating includes: based at least in part on the output obtained from the one or more sources, identifying, by the computing device, the position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as a position or orientation in which the electronic device is susceptible to overheating; and controlling one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation includes: controlling, by the computing device, one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation.

[0012] According to some other embodiments of the present invention, a computing system includes: a physical housing structure; a heat dissipation system including at least one heat dissipation hole for dissipating heat from the physical housing structure; at least one sensor configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of the heat dissipation system; and a plurality of electronic hardware components, at least a portion of which is housed in the physical housing structure or attached to the physical housing structure. The plurality of electronic hardware components may include: at least one user interface component; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one user interface component. The at least one processor may be configured to obtain output data from the at least one sensor; determine whether the output data obtained from the at least one sensor indicates that the heat dissipation system is in one or more operating conditions that hinder heat from being dissipated from the physical housing structure; and in response to determining that the output data obtained from the at least one sensor indicates that the heat dissipation system is in one or more operating conditions that hinder heat from being dissipated from the physical housing structure, provide one or more alarms output through the at least one user interface component. In some cases, the at least one sensor configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of the heat dissipation system may include a proximity sensor configured to monitor the proximity of the at least one heat dissipation hole to a physical object located outside the physical housing structure. In some cases, the at least one processor is configured to: obtain data representing one or more measurements made by the proximity sensor; determine whether the data representing one or more measurements made by the proximity sensor indicates that the at least one vent is closer to one or more physical objects than a threshold distance; and in response to determining that the data representing one or more measurements made by the proximity sensor indicates that the at least one vent is closer to one or more physical objects than a threshold distance, provide one or more alerts output through the at least one user interface component. In some cases, the at least one sensor configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of the cooling system may include an orientation sensor configured to monitor the orientation of the at least one vent relative to the environment in which the cooling system is located. In some cases, the at least one processor is configured to obtain data representing one or more measurements made by the orientation sensor; determine whether the data representing one or more measurements made by the orientation sensor indicates that the at least one vent is facing downward; and in response to determining that the data representing one or more measurements made by the orientation sensor indicates that the at least one vent is facing downward, provide one or more alerts output through the at least one user interface component. In some cases, the at least one processor is not part of the plurality of electronic hardware components that are housed within or attached to the physical housing structure.In some cases, the plurality of electronic hardware components may further include another processor different from the at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one user interface component. In some cases, the another different processor belongs to the portion of the plurality of electronic hardware components that is housed in the physical housing structure or attached to the physical housing structure. In some cases, the at least one user interface component does not belong to the portion of the plurality of electronic hardware components that is housed in the physical housing structure or attached to the physical housing structure. In some cases, the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor via a channel of a wireless communication network. In some cases, the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to the at least one user interface component via a channel of the wireless communication network. In some cases, the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to the at least one user interface component via another different channel of the wireless communication network. In some cases, the at least one processor belongs to the portion of the plurality of electronic hardware components that is housed in the physical housing structure or attached to the physical housing structure. In some cases, the at least one user interface component does not belong to the portion of the plurality of electronic hardware components that is housed in the physical housing structure or attached to the physical housing structure. In some cases, the at least one user interface component belongs to the portion of the multiple electronic hardware components that is housed in or attached to the physical housing structure. In some cases, the physical housing structure and the portion of the multiple electronic hardware components that is housed in or attached to the physical housing structure are used together as an electronic device. In some cases, at least one of the multiple electronic hardware components that does not belong to the portion of the multiple electronic hardware components that is housed in or attached to the physical housing structure is used as a part of another different electronic device. In some cases, the electronic device is a computing device, and the at least one processor is a part of the computing device.

[0013] The present invention achieves many advantages over conventional technologies. For example, embodiments of the present invention can provide an efficient cooling mechanism for optimizing device performance using sensor devices through intelligent algorithms. Embodiments of the present invention can also provide a seamless user experience by minimizing and reducing operating frequency to achieve efficient cooling.

[0014] These and other embodiments of the present invention, along with numerous advantages and features thereof, are described in more detail in conjunction with the following text and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of a computing system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Figures 2A to 2D Exemplary situations in which computing devices for augmented reality systems may be placed are shown.

[0017] Figures 3A to 3B Schematic diagrams and block diagrams of exemplary computing systems according to some embodiments of the invention are shown.

[0018] Figure 4 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using proximity sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using temperature sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using orientation sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using image sensing and image recognition according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 An exemplary use case of a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using a combination of proximity sensing and image sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] Fig.10 An exemplary use case of a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0025] Fig.11 Another exemplary use case of a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0026] Fig.12 Yet another exemplary use case of a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0027] Fig.13 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using a combination of orientation sensing and image sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] To prevent overheating, the device may include heat dissipation measures. Cold air may flow toward the heat generating components, and hot air may be directed away from the heat generating components and exhausted from the device. In order for the heat dissipation system to work efficiently, it may be necessary to keep the device well ventilated and ensure that the heat dissipation holes (i.e., inlets and outlets) are not blocked. The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for providing heat dissipation measures to such devices and their accompanying components, and more specifically, to techniques for optimizing one or more inlets and outlets for the flow of cold air and hot air, respectively. Although described with respect to computing devices (particularly portable devices), other applicable systems, devices, and settings suitable for the teachings of the present disclosure will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0029] Additionally, the efficiency of the heat dissipation system may depend on the orientation of a particular device. If the heat dissipation vents are facing downward, convection of hot air may impair the heat dissipation system because hot air tends to naturally rise. For example, hot air flowing outward through the heat dissipation vents and hot air flowing upward due to natural convection may oppose each other and reduce the efficiency of the heat dissipation system and measures. Therefore, it may be necessary to keep the device that uses the thermal management system in an orientation that does not hinder air flow.

[0030] Figure 1 1 is a simplified block diagram of a computing system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The computing system 100 may include a heat dissipation system 102, one or more sensors 104, and a plurality of electronic hardware components including at least one processor 106 and one or more user interface components 108. The heat dissipation system 102 may be, for example, part of or associated with an electronic device and configured to dissipate heat generated by the electronic device or otherwise physically present in the electronic device. The one or more sensors 104 may be configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of the heat dissipation system 102 and may be communicatively and / or operably coupled to the at least one processor 106, which in turn may be communicatively and / or operably coupled to the one or more user interface components 108. In short, as described in further detail below, the at least one processor 106 may be configured to continuously or periodically monitor data output from the one or more sensors 104 to find out whether there are one or more operating conditions that hinder the operation of the heat dissipation system 104, and provide one or more alarms through the one or more user interface components 108 when one or more such operating conditions are detected.

[0031] More specifically, the heat dissipation system 102 may include at least one heat dissipation hole for dissipating heat from the physical housing structure of such an electronic device. The electronic device that the heat dissipation system 102 is configured to cool may be, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart watch, a game or other entertainment console, a dongle, a set-top box, a power supply, or a smart home appliance. Figure 1 100, but such an electronic device may be included as part of the computing system 100. In some examples, at least a portion of the multiple electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 may be those that are part of the electronic device. That is, at least one of the multiple electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 may be housed in or attached to a housing or other physical housing structure of the electronic device. In this way, the heat dissipation system 102 may be configured to dissipate heat generated by one or more electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 that belong to the electronic device of the computing system 100. For example, the heat dissipation system 102 may be configured to dissipate heat away from the electronic device to which at least one processor 106, one or more user interface components 108, and / or one or more other electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 belong.

[0032] In some embodiments, the computing system 100 may include one or more electronic devices in addition to the electronic devices associated with the heat dissipation system 102 described above. In such embodiments, some electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 may be part of one electronic device, while other electronic hardware components of the computing system 100 may be part of another electronic device. For example, at least one processor 106 of the computing system 100 may be part of an electronic device (e.g., a computing device) associated with the heat dissipation system 102, while one or more user interface components 108 may be part of a user device (e.g., a display device or other electronic device surrounding the computing device).

[0033] The one or more sensors 104 configured to monitor one or more operating conditions of the heat dissipation system 102 may include, for example, image sensors, temperature sensors, proximity sensors, orientation sensors, and the like. Such image sensors may be used to capture images of the electronic device and / or the environment in which the electronic device is located from an internal and / or external perspective, and the at least one processor 106 may analyze these images to identify images or regions thereof showing at least one heat dissipation hole of the heat dissipation system 102 that is in a blocked state or a state that is not conducive to heat dissipation. The temperature sensor may be configured to measure the temperature at one or more locations within, on, or around the electronic device, and thus provide output data that may enable the at least one processor 106 to determine whether the electronic device is hot or is getting hot. The proximity sensor may be configured to monitor the proximity of at least one heat dissipation hole to an external object, and thus provide output data that may enable the at least one processor 106 to determine whether any external object is close enough to block or otherwise hinder airflow through at least one heat dissipation hole of the heat dissipation system 102. The orientation sensor may be configured to monitor the relative orientation of the heat dissipation system 102 and / or the electronic device, thereby providing output data that may enable the at least one processor 106 to determine whether at least one heat dissipation hole is facing downward.

[0034] For example, when an electronic device such as a computing device has relatively powerful processing capabilities and has a relatively small portable form factor, the need to provide an efficient heat dissipation system becomes more important. For example, when such a computing device is running one or more processing-intensive applications (e.g., gaming, watching high-definition video, augmented / mixed reality applications, etc.), having an efficient heat dissipation system may be more important because in these cases, a reduction in processing power may mean a reduction in user experience.

[0035] In some embodiments, a computing device may be used as at least part of an augmented reality system. Figure 2A An augmented reality system 200 is shown that is operable to render virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, and other virtual constructs, such as applications, features, characters, text, numbers, and other symbols) within a field of view of a user 201, and includes both a user device 210 and a computing device 220. More specifically, the user device 210 of the augmented reality system 200 may include optical components (e.g., a frame structure coupled to a display system located in front of the eyes of the user 201) that deliver the virtual content to the eyes of the user 201, and the computing device 220 of the augmented reality system 200 may include other basic components (e.g., processing components, power components, memory, etc.) that perform a large amount of processing tasks to present relevant virtual content to the user 201.

[0036] Computing device 220 may be operatively and / or communicatively coupled to user device 210 via connection 215 (e.g., a wired connection, a wireless connection, etc.). In addition to being operatively and / or communicatively coupled in this manner, user device 210 and computing device 220 may be viewed as physically separate and / or displaced components of augmented reality system 200. Thus, user device 210 and computing device 220 may be located in different locations. For example, Figure 2A As shown, user device 210 may be worn on the head of user 201, while computing device 220 may be removably attached to hip 203 of user 201 in a belt-coupled configuration. In other examples, computing device 220 may be removably attached to another part of the body of user 201, attached to or located within clothing or other accessories worn by user 201 (e.g., a frame, hat or helmet, etc.), or located in another location within the environment of user 201.

[0037] Although the relatively high degree of independence between the user device 210 and the computing device 220 can provide a highly flexible user experience, it can also lead to additional thermal challenges in the augmented reality system 200. Compared to other types of computing devices, such as Figure 2A A user of an augmented reality system such as augmented reality system 200 is more likely to position the computing device of the augmented reality system in a position that is not conducive to heat dissipation while using it. For example, a user of an augmented reality system such as augmented reality system 200 is also likely to place the computing device of the augmented reality system in his or her pocket (e.g., Figure 2B ), or in a purse or backpack, which may inadvertently block the heat dissipation vents of the heat dissipation system of the computing device. A piece of clothing (e.g., a longer shirt or jacket) worn by a user of an augmented reality system such as augmented reality system 200 may also block the heat dissipation vents of the computing device of the augmented reality system (e.g., Figure 2C When a user of an augmented reality system, such as augmented reality system 200, sits in a chair, the computing device of the augmented reality system may be wedged between his or her body and the chair (e.g., Figure 2D A user may also place a computing device under a blanket or pillow while lying on a couch or bed, or place the computing device under a pile of papers, books, or other items on a table. In these cases, the cooling vents may also be unintentionally blocked.

[0038] Such unintentional blocking of the heat dissipation holes of the heat dissipation system may occur more often in augmented reality systems such as augmented reality system 200 than in other portable computing devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, smart watches, etc., because the user interfaces of such other computing devices are often disposed in the same housing as the processing components. Moreover, these computing devices often perform their most computationally intensive processing when the user is viewing the screen or interacting with the user interface. Therefore, users of these computing devices are more likely to place them in relatively well-ventilated locations when in use (e.g., on a table surface, in the palm of a user's hand, in a stand or base, or attached to a stand or base, on a table, etc.).

[0039] In addition, the augmented reality system 200, as well as other augmented reality systems described herein, may regularly operate at higher power than other mobile devices because such augmented reality systems may each include multiple displays and multiple cameras. For example, the power density of an augmented reality system may be more than twice that of a laptop or tablet computer. Therefore, in some embodiments, the augmented reality system may include an active cooling system, such as a blower-based cooling system that includes a fan and has an inlet and an outlet. In this way, peak performance can be achieved in the augmented reality system at least in part through the effective operation of such an active cooling system.

[0040] In various other situations, the techniques described herein can be used to manage thermal conditions that may arise in a computing device. For example, a computing device may be tightly grasped or held in a user's hand for an extended period of time, or may be placed on or near a relatively hot surface or object (e.g., another computing device, a desk area in direct sunlight, an oven and / or stove top, an HVAC unit or heating vent, a fireplace, etc.). In such situations, the computing device may also reach temperatures that may affect its performance or even cause it to become unsafe.

[0041] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device by employing one or more electronic sensors, such as proximity sensors (e.g., capacitive touch sensors), orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers and gyroscopes), temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors, thermocouples, thermometers, resistance temperature detectors ("RTD"), semiconductor sensors, infrared sensors, etc.), and image sensors. When the system detects that (i) the cooling vents are blocked and / or (ii) the cooling vents are facing downward, the system can provide an indication to the user on a user interface (UI) to warn the user to adjust the position and / or orientation of the computing device. The method can be applied to augmented reality (AR) systems and virtual reality (VR) systems, as well as other types of computing devices that may require cooling.

[0042] Figure 3A A computing system 300 having two or more electronic devices is schematically shown, including a first electronic device 310 and a second electronic device 320, which may represent a user device and a computing device, respectively. Figure 3B 3 is a simplified block diagram of a computing system 300 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The computing system 300 may represent an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) system that is similar in architecture and functionality to the computing system 300 described above with reference to FIG. Figure 1 Thus, the first electronic device 310 and the second electronic device 320 may be similar to or at least similar to the computing system 100 described in more detail above. Figure 2A The user device 210 (e.g., head mounted device) and computing device 220 are described in more detail below. In brief, as described in further detail below, Figure 1 Computing system 300 , which is very similar to computing system 100 , may include cooling system 322 , one or more sensors 314 , 324 , 326 , and 332 , at least one processor 340 , and one or more user interface components 312 .

[0043] More specifically, the computing system 300 may include a heat dissipation system 322 having at least one heat dissipation hole 323 for dissipating heat from the second electronic device 320. In this example, a portion of the heat dissipation system 322 is housed within the physical housing structure 302 of the second electronic device 320, wherein the at least one heat dissipation hole 323 serves as an interface between the interior and exterior areas of the second electronic device 320. Figure 3A As shown, the proximity sensor 324 is positioned at the surface of the physical housing structure 302, adjacent to at least one heat dissipation hole 323 of the heat dissipation system 322. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor 324 can also be configured to determine the approximate distance from the proximity sensor 324 to the external object. The second electronic device 320 can also include an orientation sensor 326, such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope, for sensing the orientation of the second electronic device 320.

[0044] The first electronic device 310 may include a user interface component 312, such as a display for displaying virtual reality content to a user. The user interface component 312 may also include an LED indicator, audio, a tactile feedback device such as a vibration device, etc. The first electronic device 310 may also include one or more image sensors 314. The image sensor 314 may include a conventional camera and an infrared camera, such as a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera. In some embodiments, the first electronic device 310 may further include one or more microphones, an inertial measurement unit, an accelerometer, a compass, a GPS unit, a radio device, and / or a gyroscope.

[0045] The second electronic device 320 of the computing system 300 can be coupled to the computing device 220 described above. Figure 2A The second electronic device 320 and the first electronic device 310 may be operably coupled to the first electronic device 310 in much the same manner as the user device 210 of the present invention. Therefore, in addition to being coupled in this manner, the second electronic device 320 and the first electronic device 310 may be viewed as physically separate and / or displaced components of the computing system 300. For example, the second electronic device 320 may be operably or at least communicatively bound to the first electronic device 310 via one or more wires or optical fibers, via a cable with appropriate connectors, and may be connected according to a variety of binding protocols (e.g., and Alternatively or additionally, the second electronic device 320 may be wirelessly coupled to the first electronic device 310. For example, the second electronic device 320 and the first electronic device 310 may each include a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver (collectively referred to as a radio) and associated antennas to communicate according to a variety of wireless communication protocols (e.g., Or any of certain IEEE 802.11 compliant protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11a / c, WiGig IEEE 802.11ad, High Efficiency Wireless (HEW) 802.11ax, etc.), Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Advanced LTE, etc.) to establish wireless communication therebetween.

[0046] The second electronic device 320 may include one or more processors or controllers 340, and digital memory (e.g., flash memory), both of which may be used to assist in processing, caching, and storing data generated by at least some components and subcomponents of the computing system 300 (such as Figure 3B The first electronic device 310 and the second electronic device 320 may be provided with a plurality of processors 340, 342, or a plurality of processors 340. ...0, 342, or a plurality of processors 340. The first electronic device 310 and the second electronic device 320 may be provided with a plurality of processors 340, 340, 342, or a plurality of processors 340. The first electronic device 310 and the second electronic device 320 may be provided with a plurality of processors 340, 340, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 342, 34

[0047] The one or more processors 340 of the second electronic device 320 may, for example, take the form of one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), microcontrollers, microprocessors, digital signal processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable gate arrays, programmable logic circuits, or other circuits that embody logic or are capable of executing logic contained in instructions encoded in software or firmware. The second electronic device 320 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media or processor-readable media, such as volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), static RAM, dynamic RAM, flash memory, EEPROM, etc. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing and memory components may be further utilized to assist in processing, caching, and storing data acquired and / or processed using a remote processing module and / or a remote data repository, which may be transmitted to a display of the first electronic device 310 after such processing or retrieval.

[0048] Since most of the computer processing can be performed by the processor 340 in the second electronic device 320, the second electronic device 320 may become hot, which may affect device performance and the comfort and safety of the user. In addition, since the second electronic device 320 and the first electronic device 310 can be physically displaced from each other and manipulated independently (as described above with reference to Figure 2A The second electronic device 320 is very similar to the computing device 220 described above, and therefore, when the computing system 300 is in use, the second electronic device 320 may end up in a position that is not conducive to heat dissipation. Therefore, the heat dissipation system 322 can be an active or passive heat dissipation system that uses heat dissipation holes (i.e., inlet 321 and outlet 323) to pass cool air into the second electronic device 320 and pass hot air out of the second electronic device 320. Hereinafter, the second electronic device 320 may also be referred to as "computing device 320".

[0049] As described above, the computing system 300 may further include one or more proximity sensors 324, which are positioned adjacent to the heat dissipation holes 323 of the second electronic device 320 to detect the presence of nearby objects. The proximity sensor 324 may include a capacitive touch sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an inductive sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, etc.

[0050] The processor of computing system 300 may include a sensor processing unit 344 coupled to proximity sensor 324 and orientation sensor 326. Sensor processing unit 344 may monitor the reading of proximity sensor 324 to determine whether an object has been detected near proximity sensor 324, and generate an interrupt when it is determined that an object has been detected. Similarly, sensor processing unit 344 may monitor the reading of orientation sensor 326 to determine whether computing device 320 is oriented such that vents 323 are facing downward, and generate an interrupt if so.

[0051] The processor 340 may also include an image processing unit 346 (e.g., a CPU and a GPU) for processing images acquired by the image sensor 314 in real time. Image processing may include image detection, pattern recognition, and the like. For example, when the computing device 320 is within the field of view of the image sensor 314, the image sensor 314 may capture one or more images of the computing device 320. The image processing unit 346 may analyze one or more captured images to determine whether the heat dissipation holes 323 of the heat dissipation system 322 are blocked by an object or facing downward. In an embodiment where the computing system 300 includes a proximity sensor 324 and an orientation sensor 326 in addition to the image sensor 314, image sensing and image processing may be used to confirm the condition that the heat dissipation holes 323 are blocked or facing downward, which is determined by the readings of the proximity sensor 324 and the orientation sensor 326. According to some other embodiments, image sensing and image processing may be used as a substitute for the proximity sensor 324 or the orientation sensor 326.

[0052] According to some embodiments, one or more machine learning techniques may be utilized to enable the image processing unit 346 to identify image patterns associated with thermal management issues with improved accuracy. In some examples, the image processing unit 346 may perform such operations in real time. For example, the image processing unit 346 may maintain or otherwise access one or more probabilistic statistical models (e.g., logistic regression models, hidden Markov models, decision trees, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, combinations thereof, etc.) that have been pre-trained using some previous images (these previous images show that the computing device 320 is placed in a pocket, covered by some clothes, furniture, etc.). Once pre-trained, the one or more probabilistic statistical models may be further updated based on data obtained during runtime to enable the image processing unit 346 to "slightly adjust" or otherwise fine-tune its image recognition capabilities applied to the user based on the habits of a specific user. In some embodiments, the image processing unit 346 may analyze one or more images captured by one or more image sensors 314 to identify or otherwise recognize one or more objects that are positioned less than a threshold distance from the second electronic device 320 in one or more images. In these embodiments, the image processing unit 346 may utilize programmed and / or trained image recognition software to identify or otherwise recognize objects similar to the physical housing structure of the second electronic device 320 or a portion thereof, one or more components of the second electronic device 320 (e.g., the heat dissipation system 322, the heat dissipation holes 323, etc.), etc. For embodiments in which one or more infrared cameras (e.g., forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras) or other thermal imaging sensors are employed, the image processing unit 346 may utilize one or more image processing techniques to identify the heat signature of the physical housing structure of the second electronic device 320 (when in operation), one or more components of the second electronic device 320 (e.g., the heat dissipation system 322, the heat dissipation holes 323, etc.), or a combination thereof. By locating the second electronic device 320 in the one or more images, the image processing unit 346 may analyze other portions of the one or more images of one or more objects adjacent to the proximity sensor 324 and / or in close proximity to the proximity sensor 324. In some embodiments, the image processing unit 346 may utilize one or more of the above-described image processing techniques to identify such one or more nearby objects. Thus, in one or more such embodiments, the image processing unit 346 may utilize programmed and / or trained image recognition software to recognize or otherwise identify various everyday objects (e.g., architectural features of real estate, household items, furniture, electronic devices, plants, organisms, vehicles, landmarks, etc.) as well as objects resembling the human body or anatomical parts thereof.Similarly, for embodiments in which one or more infrared cameras are employed, the image processing unit 346 may utilize one or more image processing techniques to identify the thermal signature of a human body as well as the thermal signature of biological and inanimate objects. In some embodiments, the image processing unit 346 and / or the thermal management processing unit 348 may utilize thermal image processing techniques and non-thermal image processing techniques in conjunction to develop, store, and maintain one or more grid maps of the surrounding area that are rich in thermal data.

[0053] The computing system 300 may also include one or more temperature sensors 332 (e.g., thermistors, thermocouples, thermometers, resistance temperature detectors (“RTDs”), semiconductor sensors, infrared sensors, etc.). For example, the one or more temperature sensors 332 may include a thermistor located near a processor 340 (e.g., a CPU and a GPU) to sense the temperature of the processor 340 (referred to herein as the internal temperature of the computing device 320). If the internal temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, the computing device 320 may reduce its operating frequency (i.e., throttle its computing power). In some examples, as described in further detail below, the computing system 300 may provide one or more alarms or other feedback signals to a user through one or more of various user interface components and electronic devices in response to determining that the internal temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature. The temperature sensor 332 may also be positioned adjacent to one or more surfaces of the computing device 320 to sense the surface temperature of the computing device 320. It may be important to ensure that the surface temperature of the computing device 320 is below a comfort threshold temperature or a safety threshold temperature of a portable computing device that may come into contact with a human body. Typically, the throttling threshold temperature is below the comfort threshold temperature, and the comfort threshold temperature is below the safety threshold temperature. However, in other embodiments, the threshold temperatures may be related to each other in different ways. For example, the throttling threshold temperature may range from about 50°C to about 100°C (e.g., 85°C), the comfort threshold temperature may range from about 30°C to about 50°C (e.g., 43°C), and the safety threshold temperature may range from about 45°C to about 75°C (e.g., 50°C). In some embodiments, one or more of such threshold temperatures may be set to a temperature value that complies with one or more thermal safety requirements, such as those temperature safety requirements specified in association with one or more thermal safety standards (e.g., UL / IEC / EN-60950, ANSI / UL-61010, ISO 13732-1, NASA20100020960, NASA-STD-3001, IEC / EN 60335-1, UL 62368-1, etc.). In some embodiments, temperature sensing may be used as an additional check when the proximity sensor 324, orientation sensor 326, and / or image processing 346 have detected a thermal management problem. In some embodiments, the comfort threshold temperature and / or the safety threshold temperature can be selectively enforced based on determining whether the computing device 230 is in relatively close proximity to the human body or an anatomical part thereof. For example, in such embodiments, if it can be confirmed based on sensor data (e.g., output from one or more sensors 314, 324, 326, and / or 332) that the computing device 320 is not within a threshold distance relative to the human body or an anatomical part thereof, the computing system 300 can choose not to enforce the comfort threshold temperature and / or the safety threshold temperature.Examples of systems and techniques that can be used to detect, assess, and respond to proximity of a computing device to a human body in such embodiments are further described in detail in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018 / 0175944, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0054] The processor 340 may also include a thermal management processing unit 348 coupled to the sensor processing unit 344, the image processing unit 346, the temperature sensor 332, and the UI controller 342. The thermal management processing unit 348 may be configured to analyze the information provided by the sensor processing unit 344, the image processing unit 346, and the temperature sensor 332 to determine and / or confirm thermal management issues and take appropriate actions. For example, in response to determining that the heat dissipation holes 321 or 323 are blocked or facing downward, the thermal management processing unit 348 may generate certain feedback signals (e.g., visual displays, audio signals, tactile signals, etc.) to send to the user through the user interface 312 to warn the user to change the position or orientation of the computing device 320 to correct the problem. In some embodiments, the thermal management processing unit 348 may provide input to the UI controller 342 indicating that it has been determined that the heat dissipation holes 321 or 323 are blocked or facing downward, and the UI controller 342 may operate in conjunction with one or more user interface components 312 to generate appropriate feedback signals in response to the input received from the thermal management processing unit 348. The thermal management processing unit 348 may also determine the priority, frequency and / or type of messages to be sent to the user based on the temperature information (e.g., whether the throttling threshold temperature, the comfort threshold temperature or the safety threshold temperature has been exceeded). When the throttling threshold temperature has been exceeded, the thermal management processing unit 348 may also cause the CPU and / or GPU of the second electronic device 320 to reduce its operating frequency, or even shut down these CPUs and / or GPUs when the safety threshold temperature has been exceeded.

[0055] The thermal management processing unit 348 may be configured to monitor for thermal management issues while not increasing excessive power consumption of the computing device 320. For example, in embodiments where the computing device 320 includes a proximity sensor 324 and an orientation sensor 326, these sensors 324 and 326 may be used as a "first line of defense" because these sensors 324 and 326 consume relatively little computing power. Only when these sensors 324 and 326 have detected any potential issues, the thermal management processing unit 348 may initiate image processing, which may consume relatively more computing power. Thus, image processing may be used to confirm or verify that a thermal management issue does exist.

[0056] In embodiments where the computing device 320 does not include any proximity sensors 324 and orientation sensors 326, the thermal management processing unit 348 may monitor thermal management issues by periodically polling the image processing unit 346. In some embodiments, the polling frequency may depend on the processor temperature and / or the surface temperature of the computing device 320 measured by the temperature sensor 332. If the temperature is below any predetermined threshold temperature (e.g., a throttling threshold temperature, a comfort threshold temperature, and a safety threshold temperature), the thermal management processing unit 348 may not poll the image processing unit 346 at all. If the temperature is above any predetermined threshold temperature, the thermal management processing unit 348 may start polling the image processing unit 346. In some embodiments, the polling frequency may depend on the severity of the problem. For example, when only the throttling threshold temperature is exceeded, the polling frequency may be lower, while when the comfort threshold temperature or the safety threshold temperature is exceeded, the polling frequency may be higher.

[0057] In some embodiments, one or more machine learning techniques may be utilized to enable the thermal management processing unit 348 to recognize specific patterns presented by the sensor readings with greater accuracy. For example, the thermal management processing unit 348 may maintain or otherwise access one or more probabilistic statistical models that have been trained to identify thermal management issues based on patterns of temperature rise or fall. Examples of probabilistic statistical models that may be utilized include logistic regression models, hidden Markov models, decision trees, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, or combinations thereof. As another example, when a user puts the computing device 320 into a pocket, as the user lets go of the computing device 320, the proximity sensor 324 (e.g., a capacitive touch sensor) may initially sense a low capacitance value, and then sense a higher capacitance value when the computing device 320 falls into the pocket. In addition, one or more probabilistic statistical models may be trained to enable the thermal management processing unit 348 to recognize such a temporal pattern of the sensor signal as an indication that the heat dissipation hole 323 may be blocked. Potential thermal management issues may also be identified from the signal pattern of the accelerometer 326. For example, if the readings of the accelerometer 326 indicate that the computing device 320 is rocking back and forth, it may indicate that the user is walking and has the computing device 320 in a purse or bag. In the case of a photodiode sensor (e.g., the proximity sensor 324), when the photodiode sees low light or no light, it may be inferred that the computing device 320 is in a purse or bag. Thus, one or more probabilistic statistical models maintained by the thermal management processing unit 348 or at least accessible to the thermal management processing unit 348 may be trained to enable the thermal management processing unit 348 to detect the "likelihood" of a thermal management problem using signals from these sensors. In some examples, the thermal management processing unit 348 may utilize such models to determine the likelihood that a thermal management problem has occurred or will occur. In these examples, the thermal management processing unit 348 may generate or otherwise obtain a likelihood value or confidence score for each problem in a predetermined set of one or more thermal management problems, which likelihood values ​​or confidence scores indicate the confidence level that the corresponding thermal management problem has occurred or will occur based on the data generated by the one or more probabilistic statistical models. In addition, the thermal management processing unit 348 can be operated to effectively evaluate such confidence scores relative to one or more thresholds. Therefore, the thermal management processing unit 348 can determine whether one or more thermal management issues have occurred or will occur based on the evaluation results. If the thermal management processing unit 348 determines that a given confidence score meets one or more thresholds, the thermal management processing unit 348 can then continue to poll the image processing unit 346 to confirm or verify that the detected thermal management issue does exist.

[0058] The types of feedback signals that may be output to the user to alert the user to thermal management issues may include visual displays (e.g., images, colors, and text), audio signals, tactile signals such as vibrations, etc. More specifically, the thermal management processing unit 348 may operate in conjunction with the UI controller 342 to provide feedback signals that are output through one or more user interface components 334 of the second electronic device 320 and / or one or more user interface components 312 of the first electronic device 310. For example, the computing device 320 may display text or a graphical image on the user interface 312 or 334 to indicate that the cooling vents of the computing device 320 may be blocked or facing downward.

[0059] In a mixed reality or augmented reality system, text or graphic images may appear on top of or near computing device 320. For example, a display may display an arrow pointing to a user's pocket, indicating that the pocket covers a heat dissipation hole 323 of computing device 320. In some embodiments, thermal areas of computing device 320 may be covered with text or graphics representing thermal imaging data obtained by an infrared sensor. In some embodiments, computing device 320 itself may display or issue notifications in addition to or in lieu of a display on an augmented reality system.

[0060] By similar means, the thermal management processing unit 348 can provide the user with a cooler location within the user's environment, to which the user can move the computing device 320 to resolve the thermal management problem. According to some embodiments, when it is detected that the temperature of the computing device 320 has exceeded the safe threshold temperature, the thermal management processing unit 348 can turn the display red or some other color to warn the user to take immediate action. In these embodiments, for example, such a cooler location can be identified based at least in part on thermal imaging data obtained using one or more thermal imaging sensors 314 (e.g., one or more FLIR cameras). Each of such one or more thermal imaging sensors 314 can be located, for example, within the first electronic device 310, within the second electronic device 320, or elsewhere within the environment of the computing system 300. In some examples, the thermal management processing unit 348 can develop and / or utilize one or more grid maps of the user's environment rich in thermal data to identify such a cooler location. As described above, the computing system 300 can generate one or more grid maps of the surrounding area rich in thermal data at least in part by obtaining and processing both thermal imaging images and non-thermal imaging images.

[0061] In some other embodiments, the thermal management processing unit 348 can provide a tactile and / or audio signal to the user through a peripheral device to alert the user to a thermal management problem. For example, the thermal management processing unit 348 can cause the head mounted device to vibrate. The thermal management processing unit 348 can also turn on an LED indicator on the head mounted device.

[0062] In some embodiments, the heat dissipation system 322 of the computing device 320 can be equipped with a redirectable blower. In this case, the thermal management processing unit 348 can redirect the blower in response to determining that the heat dissipation system 322 is in a position that is not conducive to heat dissipation. In some examples, the heat dissipation system 322 in these embodiments can be further equipped with one or more additional inlets 321 and / or outlets 323. In this way, the blower can be redirected to move air through different ventilation channels. Additionally or alternatively, the heat dissipation system 322 of the computing device 320 can be configured to operate its blower in reverse, and can do so in response to determining that improved air flow can be achieved in the opposite direction.

[0063] In some embodiments, computing device 320 or computing system 300 may additionally include a communication channel 328 configured to receive information from other sources. For example, computing device 320 may receive local weather information from weather service 330 via the Internet. In some examples, computing device 320 may communicate with one or more servers or other cloud computing devices configured to crawl or scrape one or more resources (such as websites or web pages, with information related to current weather conditions and / or predicted weather conditions in various regions) via one or more networks. In response to obtaining data indicating a relatively hot local weather condition forecast, computing device 320 may provide an alert to the user indicating a hot weather forecast and remind the user to keep computing device 320 away from high temperatures and in a position that does not block heat dissipation holes 321 and 323 of heat dissipation system 322. In some examples, computing device 320 may receive information from one or more other sources that represents crowdsourced data or otherwise reflects inferences drawn based on data obtained or generated in other computing systems (e.g., sensor measurements, usage data, etc.).

[0064] Figure 4 4 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using proximity sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method begins at 402. The system can monitor the readings of one or more proximity sensors to determine if there are any indications of objects that may be blocking cooling holes of the cooling system (404).

[0065] If it is determined at 404 that there is an indication that the vents are blocked (e.g., because the computing device is placed in a pocket or purse, placed on furniture or another surface, placed under textiles or other items, etc.), the system can continue to check whether a "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set (406). When the "vent blocked" user indication flag is set, it means that the computing device has sent a feedback signal (e.g., a visual display, an audio signal, or a tactile signal) to the user of the computing device through the user interface to warn the user of the possibility that the vents are blocked as described above, or the computing device has otherwise responded to or initiated a response to the detected "vent blocked" thermal management issue.

[0066] If it is determined at 406 that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has not been set, the system can loop back to 404 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor readings for indications that the vents are blocked. If it is determined at 406 that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set, the system can clear the "vent blocked" user indication flag (408) to stop sending user feedback signals. For example, the progression from 406 to 408 indicates that the detected thermal management issue has been resolved, which in this example means that the vent blocker has been removed. The system can then loop back to 404 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor readings.

[0067] If it is determined at 404 that there is an indication that the vents are blocked, the system can proceed to determine whether a "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set (410). If it is determined that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set, the system can loop back to 404 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor reading without setting the "vent blocked" user indication flag again, because repeatedly sending feedback signals to the user may annoy the user or otherwise affect the user experience. If it is determined at 410 that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has not been set, the system can set the "vent blocked" user indication flag (412) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the condition or to alert the user to take other appropriate measures. The system can also proceed to set a temperature flag (420), as described in more detail below.

[0068] Figure 5is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method of temperature sensing and setting a temperature flag according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method includes monitoring readings of one or more temperature sensors to determine whether the internal temperature of a computing device exceeds a throttling threshold temperature (502). The throttling threshold temperature may be, for example, between about 50°C and 100°C (e.g., 85°C). In some embodiments, the throttling threshold temperature may be between about 60°C and 70°C, and in some such embodiments, below 60°C. If it is determined at 502 that the internal temperature does not exceed the throttling threshold temperature, the system may continue to set the "temperature exceeds throttling limit" flag to "false" (504) so ​​as not to send any feedback signal to the user.

[0069] If it is determined at 502 that the internal temperature exceeds the throttling threshold, the system may set a "temperature exceeds throttling limit" flag to "true" (506) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to warn the user that the internal temperature exceeds the throttling threshold. The system may also send a control signal to the processor to cause the processor to reduce its operating frequency so that the computing device consumes less power. Due to the reduction in operating frequency, the user experience may be reduced. According to some embodiments, throttling may be a linear process such that as the processor temperature increases, the operating frequency gradually decreases. The user feedback signal may prompt the user to take appropriate measures to correct any thermal issues, or at least be aware that the performance of the computing system may be reduced.

[0070] The system can then proceed to determine whether the surface temperature of the computing device has exceeded the comfort threshold temperature (508). Typically, the comfort threshold temperature will be higher than the throttling threshold temperature. The comfort threshold temperature can be, for example, between 30°C and 50°C (e.g., 43°C). In some examples, the comfort threshold temperature can be between about 40°C and 50°C. When the comfort threshold temperature is exceeded, it generally indicates a more serious thermal problem than if the throttling threshold temperature is merely exceeded, because not only the user experience is affected, but also the user comfort. If it is determined at 508 that the surface temperature does not exceed the comfort threshold temperature, the system can set the "temperature exceeds comfort limit" flag to "false" (510) so as not to send any feedback signal to the user about exceeding the comfort temperature. The system can then proceed to determine whether the surface temperature exceeds the safety threshold temperature (514).

[0071] If it is determined at 508 that the surface temperature has exceeded the comfort threshold temperature, the system can set a "Temperature Exceeds Comfort Limit" flag to "true" (512) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user that the surface temperature has exceeded the comfort threshold temperature. Thus, the user can take appropriate action to correct the thermal problem.

[0072] The system can then proceed to determine whether the surface temperature has exceeded a safety threshold temperature (514). Typically, the safety threshold temperature will be higher than the comfort threshold temperature. The safety threshold temperature can be, for example, between 45°C and 75°C (e.g., 50°C). In some examples, the safety threshold temperature can be between about 55°C and 75°C. When the safety threshold temperature has been exceeded, the most serious thermal problem can be indicated because the problem may compromise the computing device and / or user safety. Therefore, when this situation is detected, the system can even shut down the computing device.

[0073] If it is determined at 514 that the surface temperature does not exceed the safety threshold temperature, the system may set a “temperature exceeds safety limit” flag to “false” ( 516 ) so as not to send any feedback signal to the user regarding exceeding the safety threshold temperature.

[0074] If it is determined at 514 that the surface temperature has exceeded the safety threshold temperature, the system can set a "temperature exceeds safety limit" flag to "true" (518) to initiate a feedback signal to the user to warn the user that the surface temperature has exceeded the safety threshold temperature. The system can send an emergency alert to the user, for example, by turning the display red. The system can also shut down the computing system to prevent any further damage to the computing device or any harm to the user.

[0075] In some embodiments, the system may perform temperature sensing and set temperature flags independent of proximity sensing.

[0076] Reference again Figure 4 As described above, after setting the temperature mark at 420, the system can determine an appropriate feedback signal to be sent to the user (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling threshold temperature, a comfort threshold temperature, a safety threshold temperature) (430). The system can then provide a preliminary indication to the user that the heat dissipation vent is blocked through the user interface, and warn the user to change the position of the computing device so that the heat dissipation vent is not blocked (440). For example, the system can display a text message or a graphical image indicating that the heat dissipation vent may be blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the computing device so that the heat dissipation vent is not blocked. If the surface temperature has exceeded the safety threshold temperature, the system can display a serious warning, such as turning the entire display red. The system can then loop back to 404 to continue monitoring the reading of the proximity sensor to obtain an indication that the heat dissipation vent is blocked. In some embodiments, one or more such feedback signals can be provided by another electronic device (e.g., a smart phone or handheld controller that is directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to the system).

[0077] As described above, the proximity sensor can be used as a "first line of defense" to check for indications that the thermal vents may be blocked. The temperature sensor can be used as an additional check to determine whether the possible blocking of the thermal vents has caused the temperature (processor temperature and surface temperature) of the computing device to reach a certain threshold. If so, a feedback signal can be sent to the user to alert the user to take appropriate action to resolve the thermal issue.

[0078] It should be understood that Figure 4 The specific steps shown provide a specific method for using proximity sensing to improve the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of steps may also be performed. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the above steps in a different order. In addition, Figure 4 The various steps shown may include multiple sub-steps, which may be performed in various orders suitable for the various steps. In addition, additional steps may be added or deleted depending on the specific application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0079] Figure 6 6 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using orientation sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method begins at 602. The system can monitor readings of one or more orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers and gyroscopes) to determine if there are any indications (604) that the cooling vents are facing downward (e.g., due to the computing device being placed upside down or on its side).

[0080] If it is determined at 604 that there is an indication that the vent is facing downward, the system can proceed to check whether the "vent is facing downward" user indication flag has been set (606). If it is determined that the "vent is facing downward" user indication flag has not been set, the system can loop back to 604 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings. If it is determined that the "vent is facing downward" user indication flag has been set, the system can clear the "vent is facing downward" user indication flag (608) to stop sending user feedback signals. The system can then loop back to 604 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings.

[0081] If it is determined at 604 that there is an indication that the vents are facing downward, the system can check whether a "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set (610). If it is determined that the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set, the system can loop back to 604 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings without setting the "vents facing downward" user indication flag again to avoid repeatedly sending feedback signals to the user. If it is determined at 610 that the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has not been set, the system can set the "vents facing downward" user indication flag (612) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the condition. The system can also continue to set the temperature flag (620), as described above with respect to Figure 5 as described.

[0082] After setting the temperature flag at 620, the system can determine an appropriate feedback signal to send to the user (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling temperature threshold, a comfort temperature threshold, a safety temperature threshold) (630). The system can then provide a preliminary indication to the user through the user interface that the vent is facing downward, and warn the user to change the orientation of the computing device so that the vent is not facing downward (640). For example, the system can display a text message or a graphical image indicating that the vent may be facing downward, and warn the user to change the orientation of the device so that the vent is not facing downward. The system can then loop back to 604 to continue monitoring the readings of the orientation sensor.

[0083] As described above, the orientation sensor can be used as a "first line of defense" to check for indications that the heat dissipation vents are facing downward. The temperature sensor can be used as an additional check to determine whether a possible thermal issue has caused the temperature (processor temperature and surface temperature) of the computing device to reach a certain threshold. If so, a feedback signal can be sent to the user to alert the user to take appropriate action to resolve the thermal issue.

[0084] It should be understood that Figure 6 The specific steps shown provide a specific method for using orientation sensing to improve the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of steps may also be performed. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the above steps in a different order. In addition, Figure 6 The various steps shown may include multiple sub-steps, which may be performed in various orders suitable for the various steps. In addition, additional steps may be added or deleted depending on the specific application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0085] Figure 7is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using image sensing and image recognition according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method assumes that the computing device does not include any proximity sensors or orientation sensors. The system may periodically poll the image sensing system to detect any thermal management issues, such as heat dissipation holes being blocked or facing downward. The image sensing system may include an image sensor, such as a camera, and an image processor for processing images acquired by the image sensor. The image sensor may be mounted on a user interface such as a head-mounted device of a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) system. The computing device may be a base computing unit of a VR / AR system. The method begins at 702. The system may request the image processor to perform image recognition on the image acquired by the image sensor (704). In some examples, the system may proceed from 702 to 704 in response to having determined that the temperature of the computing device and / or the temperature of the environment of the computing device has risen to meet one or more thresholds. In this way, the implementation of this logic in the system may be used to generate additional power savings.

[0086] The system may determine whether the computing device is within the field of view of the image sensor through image recognition (706). More specifically, in some embodiments, the system may determine at 706 whether a side or portion of the computing device where the heat dissipation vent is arranged is at least partially within the field of view of the image sensor. If it is determined at 706 that the computing device or a relevant portion thereof is not within the field of view of the image sensor (e.g., because the computing device is covered by a blanket or a piece of clothing, or the heat dissipation vent is blocked from the field of view by an object, etc.), the system may loop back to continue polling the image sensing system. If it is determined at 706 that the computing device is within the field of view, the system may continue to determine through image recognition whether the heat dissipation vent is facing downward (708).

[0087] If it is determined at 708 that the vent is not facing downward, the system can clear the "vent facing downward" user indicator (if not already cleared) (710). If it is determined that the vent is facing downward, the system can set the "vent facing downward" user indicator (712) to initiate a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the condition.

[0088] The system may then proceed to determine whether the vent is blocked by any object through image recognition (714). If it is determined that the vent is not blocked, the system may clear the "vent is blocked" user indication flag (if not already cleared) (716). If it is determined at 714 that the vent is blocked, the system may set the "vent is blocked" user indication flag (718) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the situation.

[0089] As mentioned above Figure 5As discussed, the system can then proceed to set the temperature mark (720). After the temperature mark has been set, the system can determine an appropriate feedback signal (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and haptic signals, etc.) to be sent to the user based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling temperature threshold, a comfort temperature threshold, a safety temperature threshold) (730). The system can then proceed to send the feedback signal to the user through the user interface (740).

[0090] The feedback signal may include an indication of the temperature and an indication of what caused the problem. For example, in the event that the heat dissipation vent is determined to be facing downward, the system may display a text message or a graphical image indicating that the heat dissipation vent is facing downward, and warn the user to change the orientation of the computing device so that the heat dissipation vent is not facing downward. In the event that the heat dissipation vent is determined to be blocked, the system may display a text message or a graphical image indicating that the heat dissipation vent is blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the computing device so that the heat dissipation vent is no longer blocked. The system may then loop back to 704 to continue polling the imaging system. Note that image sensing and image recognition may provide a more defined determination as to whether the heat dissipation vent is actually blocked or facing downward. Thus, the feedback message may show that the system has “detected” the condition, rather than showing that the system merely “thinks” that the condition exists.

[0091] In some embodiments, the system may impose a polling delay (750) between successive polling events. The delay period may be configured so that the system does not place an undue burden on the computing system. The delay period may be predetermined or may be adaptively determined in real time based on whether a thermal management issue has been detected and / or the severity of the issue. For example, if the temperature sensor has detected that the temperature of the processor exceeds a throttling threshold temperature, the system may set the polling delay to 5 seconds; on the other hand, if the temperature sensor has detected that the surface temperature of the computing device exceeds a comfort threshold temperature, the system may set the polling delay to 1 second. Other factors may affect the polling delay, such as remaining battery life; those skilled in the art will appreciate the many variations of the listed delays.

[0092] It should be understood that Figure 7 The specific steps shown provide a specific method for using image sensing and image recognition to improve the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of steps may also be performed. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the above steps in a different order. In addition, Figure 7 The various steps shown may include multiple sub-steps, which may be performed in various orders suitable for the various steps. In addition, additional steps may be added or deleted depending on the specific application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0093] In some embodiments, the system can monitor thermal management issues by periodically polling the image processing unit. The polling frequency may depend on the processor temperature and / or the surface temperature of the computing device measured by the temperature sensor. If the temperature is below any predetermined threshold temperature (e.g., a throttling threshold temperature, a comfort threshold temperature, and a safety threshold temperature), the thermal management processing unit may not poll the image processing unit at all. If the temperature is above any predetermined threshold temperature, the thermal management processing unit may start polling the image processing unit. In some embodiments, the polling frequency may depend on the severity of the problem. For example, when only the throttling threshold temperature is exceeded, the polling frequency may be lower, while when the comfort threshold temperature or the safety threshold temperature is exceeded, the polling frequency may be higher.

[0094] Figure 8 An exemplary use case according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, user 301 is using a computing system such as an augmented reality or virtual reality system. Figure 3A A computing system is shown, which includes a first electronic device 310 and a second electronic device 320. The first electronic device 310 is a head-mounted device worn around the eyes of a user. The second electronic device 320 is a computing device, which in this example is placed on a table. As shown, an object 810 blocks a heat dissipation hole 322 of the computing device 320, but the proximity sensor 324 may not detect any objects adjacent to the heat dissipation hole 322. On the other hand, at 830, the reading of the temperature sensor may indicate that the temperature (internal temperature and / or surface temperature) of the computing device 320 is increasing and may have exceeded a threshold temperature. In response to detecting the increased temperature, the system may poll an image sensor mounted on the head-mounted device 310 and an image processing unit of the computing device 320 at 840 and 850 to confirm that the heat dissipation hole 322 is actually blocked by the object 810, provided that the heat dissipation hole is within the field of view (FOV) of the image sensor (for example, as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 7 Then, the system may send a feedback signal to the user 301 at 860 to inform the user that the heat dissipation hole 322 is blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the computing device 320 or move the object 810 away from the heat dissipation hole 322 to obtain better heat dissipation performance. For example, a light representing a virtual alarm may be projected by the head mounted device 310 to the user's eyes, so that the computing device 320, the object 810 blocking the heat dissipation hole 322, and / or the area around the computing device 320 are enhanced with a 3D virtual marker (e.g., an arrow pointing to the obstruction, a text notification, etc.). In another example, the user 301 may be provided with a 3D virtual marker (e.g., an arrow pointing to the obstruction, a text notification, etc.) through a smart phone, a totem 820 (e.g., Figure 8301) or other peripheral devices to provide visual, auditory and / or tactile / tactile feedback. In yet another example, one or more user interface components (e.g., speakers, LEDs, etc.) housed within computing device 320 may be activated.

[0095] Fig. 9 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using a combination of proximity sensing and image sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method begins at 902. The system can monitor the readings of one or more proximity sensors to determine if there is an indication that a cooling hole is blocked by an object (904).

[0096] If it is determined at 904 that there is no indication that the vents are blocked by the object, the system can check whether a "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set (906). If it is determined at 906 that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has not been set, the system can loop back to 904 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor reading. If it is determined at 906 that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set, the system can clear the "vent blocked" user indication flag (908) to stop sending the user feedback signal. The system can then loop back to 904 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor reading.

[0097] If it is determined at 904 that there is an indication that the vents may be blocked by an object (e.g., due to the computing device being placed in a pocket or purse, placed on furniture or another surface, placed under textiles or other items, etc.), the system can check whether a "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set (910). If it is determined that the "vent blocked" user indication flag has been set, the system can loop back to 904 to continue monitoring the proximity sensor readings without setting the "vent blocked" user indication flag again.

[0098] If it is determined at 910 that the "heat dissipation vent is blocked" user indication flag has not been set, the system can continue to request image recognition from the image processing system (912). Therefore, the proximity sensor can be used as a "first line of defense" to detect the possibility that the heat dissipation vent may be blocked, and the image processing system can be used to confirm whether the heat dissipation vent is actually blocked by the object. The image sensing system may include an image sensor, such as a camera, and an image processor for processing images acquired by the image sensor. The image sensor can be mounted on a user interface such as a head-mounted device of a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) system. The computing device can be a basic computing unit of a VR / AR system.

[0099] The system may determine whether the computing device is within the field of view of the image sensor through image recognition (914). If it is determined that the computing device is not within the field of view of the image sensor (e.g., because the computing device is covered by a blanket or a piece of clothing, or the heat dissipation holes are blocked by an object outside the field of view, etc.), the system may continue to set the temperature flag (920), as described above with respect to Figure 5 described. Thus, when the computing device is not within the field of view of the image sensor, temperature sensing can be used as a backup check for the presence and / or severity of any thermal management issues. As described above, after the temperature mark is set at 930, the system can determine an appropriate feedback signal to be sent to the user (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) (930) based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., throttling temperature threshold, comfort temperature threshold, safety temperature threshold). The system can then send a feedback signal to the user through the user interface (940). For example, the system can display a text message or a graphical image indicating that there is a "possibility" that the heat dissipation holes are blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the device so that the heat dissipation holes are not blocked. If the surface temperature has exceeded the safety threshold temperature, the system can display a serious warning, such as turning the entire display red. The system can then loop back to 904 to continue monitoring the readings of the proximity sensor.

[0100] If the system determines at 914 that the computing device is within the field of view of the image sensor, the system may determine through image recognition whether the thermal vent is actually blocked (916). If it is determined at 916 that the thermal vent is not actually blocked, the system may proceed to clear the “thermal vent is blocked” user indication flag (917). If it is determined at 916 that the thermal vent is actually blocked, the system may set the “thermal vent is blocked” user indication flag (918) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the situation.

[0101] As mentioned above Figure 5As described, the system may also continue to set the temperature mark (950). As described above, after the temperature mark has been set, the system may determine an appropriate feedback signal to be sent to the user (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) (960) based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling temperature threshold, a comfort temperature threshold, a safety temperature threshold). The system may then send a feedback signal to the user through a user interface (970). For example, the system may display a text message or a graphic image indicating that the system "has detected" that the heat dissipation vent is blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the device so that the heat dissipation vent is not blocked. In this case, the system has confirmed through image recognition that the heat dissipation vent is actually blocked. Therefore, the message may show that the system "has detected" that the heat dissipation vent is blocked, rather than just detecting the "possibility" that the heat dissipation vent is blocked. If the surface temperature has exceeded the safety threshold temperature, the system may display a serious warning, such as turning the entire display red. The system may then loop back to 904 to continue monitoring the reading of the proximity sensor.

[0102] It should be understood that Fig. 9 The specific steps shown provide a specific method for combining proximity sensing and image sensing to improve the efficiency of a cooling system for a computing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of steps may also be performed. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the above steps in a different order. In addition, Fig. 9 The various steps shown may include multiple sub-steps, which may be performed in various orders suitable for the various steps. In addition, additional steps may be added or deleted depending on the specific application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0103] Fig.10 An exemplary use case according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 8 , user 301 is using a computing system such as an augmented reality or virtual reality system, which includes a head mounted device 310 worn around the user's eyes and a computing device 320 placed on a table. As shown in the figure, at 1030, the proximity sensor 324 can detect an object 810 (such as an object 810) adjacent to the heat dissipation hole 322. Fig. 9 In response to the proximity sensor 324 detecting the object 810, the system may request image acquisition from an image sensor mounted on the head mounted device 310 at 1040, and request image recognition from an image processing system at 1050 to confirm whether the heat dissipation hole 322 is blocked by the object 810 (e.g., Fig. 9810 ). When it is confirmed based on the image sensor data that the heat dissipation hole 322 is actually blocked by the object 810, the system can send a feedback signal to the user 301 at 1060 to inform the user that the heat dissipation hole 322 is blocked, and warn the user to change the position of the computing device 320 or move the object 810 away from the heat dissipation hole 322 to obtain better heat dissipation performance. For example, a light representing a virtual alarm can be projected by the head-mounted device 310 to the user's eyes, so that the computing device 320, the object 810 blocking the heat dissipation hole 322 of the computing device 320, and / or the area around the computing device 320 are enhanced with a 3D virtual marker (e.g., an arrow pointing to the obstruction, a text notification, etc.). In another example, the user 301 can be provided with a 3D virtual marker (e.g., an arrow pointing to the obstruction, a text notification, etc.) through a smart phone, a totem 820 (e.g., Figure 8 301) or other peripheral devices to provide visual, auditory and / or tactile / tactile feedback. In yet another example, one or more user interface components (e.g., speakers, LEDs, etc.) housed within computing device 320 may be activated.

[0104] Fig.11 Another exemplary use case according to some embodiments is shown. Fig.10 , user 301 is using a computing system such as an augmented reality or virtual reality system, which includes a head mounted device 310 worn around the user's eyes and a computing device 320 placed on a table. As shown, at 1130, proximity sensor 324 can detect an object 810 (e.g., a mobile phone) adjacent to heat dissipation hole 322. Fig. 9 In response to detecting the object 810, the system may request image acquisition from an image sensor mounted on the head mounted device 310 at 1140, and request image recognition from an image processing system at 1150 to confirm whether the heat dissipation hole 322 is blocked by the object 810 (e.g., Fig. 9 In this case, the image sensor data indicates that the heat dissipation hole is not actually blocked. Therefore, the system can clear the "heat dissipation hole is blocked" user indication flag at 1160 so as not to send any feedback signal to the user (e.g., such as Fig. 9 917 in step 917).

[0105] Fig.12 Another exemplary use case according to some embodiments is shown. Fig.10 , user 301 is using a computing system such as an augmented reality or virtual reality system, which includes a head mounted device 310 worn around the user's eyes and a computing device 320 placed on a table. As shown, at 1230, proximity sensor 324 can detect an object 810 (e.g., a mobile phone) adjacent to heat dissipation hole 322. Fig. 9In response to detecting the object 810, the system may request image acquisition from an image sensor mounted on the head mounted device 310 at 1240, and request image recognition from an image processing system at 1250 to confirm whether the heat dissipation hole 322 is blocked by the object 810 (e.g., Fig. 9 830). However, in this case, the cooling hole 322 is blocked from the field of view of the image sensor by the book 830. Therefore, the imaging system cannot confirm whether the cooling hole 322 is actually blocked. This situation can also occur when the computing device is covered or partially covered by a blanket or a piece of clothing. In such a case, the system can still send a feedback signal to the user to warn the user of the possibility that the cooling hole may be blocked, as described above with respect to Figure 4 as described (eg, as step 440).

[0106] Fig.13 1 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device using a combination of orientation sensing and image sensing according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method begins at 1302. The system can monitor readings of one or more orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers and gyroscopes) to determine if there are any indications that the cooling vents are facing downward (1304).

[0107] If it is determined at 1304 that there is no indication that the vents are facing downward, the system can check whether a "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set (1306). If it is determined at 1306 that the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has not been set, the system can loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings. If it is determined at 1306 that the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set, the system can clear the "vents facing downward" user indication flag (1308) to stop sending user feedback signals. The system can then loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings.

[0108] If it is determined at 1304 that there is an indication that the vents may be facing downward, the system determines whether the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set (1310). If it is determined that the "vents facing downward" user indication flag has been set, the system can loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings without setting the "vents facing downward" user indication flag again.

[0109] If it is determined at 1310 that the "vent facing down" user indication flag has not been set, the system can proceed to request image recognition from the image processing system (1312). Thus, the orientation sensor can be used as a "first line of defense" to detect the possibility that the vent may be facing down, and the image processing system can be used to confirm that the vent is actually facing down. The image sensing system may include an image sensor, such as a camera, and an image processor for processing images acquired by the image sensor. The image sensor may be mounted on a user interface such as a head-mounted device of a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) system. The computing device may be a base computing unit of a VR / AR system.

[0110] The system can determine whether the computing device is within the field of view of the image sensor through image recognition (1314). If it is determined that the computing device is not within the field of view of the image sensor, the system can continue to set the temperature mark (1320), as described above with respect to Figure 5 as described. Thus, when the computing device is not within the field of view of the image sensor, temperature sensing can be used as a backup check for the presence and / or severity of any thermal management issues. As described above, after the temperature mark is set at 1330, the system can determine an appropriate feedback signal (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) to be sent to the user based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling temperature threshold, a comfort temperature threshold, a safety temperature threshold) (1330). The system can then send a feedback signal to the user through the user interface (1340). For example, the system can display a text message or a graphical image indicating that there is a "possibility" that the heat dissipation vents are facing downward, and warn the user to change the orientation of the device so that the heat dissipation vents are not facing downward. The system can then loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the readings of the orientation sensor.

[0111] If the system determines at 1314 that the computing device is within the field of view of the image sensor, the system can determine through image recognition whether the vent is facing downward (1316). If it is determined at 1316 that the vent is not actually facing downward, the system can loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the orientation sensor readings. If it is determined at 1316 that the vent is indeed facing downward, the system can set a "vent facing downward" user indicator (1318) to initiate sending a feedback signal to the user to alert the user of the situation.

[0112] As mentioned above Figure 5As described, the system may also continue to set the temperature mark (1350). As described above, after the temperature mark has been set, the system may determine an appropriate feedback signal to be sent to the user (e.g., displaying text and / or images, audio and tactile signals, etc.) (1360) based on the threshold temperature that has been exceeded (e.g., a throttling temperature threshold, a comfort temperature threshold, a safety temperature threshold). The system may then send a feedback signal to the user through the user interface (1370). For example, the system may display a text message or a graphical image indicating that the system "has detected" that the heat dissipation vent is facing downward, and warn the user to change the orientation of the device so that the heat dissipation vent is not blocked. In this case, the system has confirmed through image recognition that the heat dissipation vent is indeed facing downward, not just a "possibility." The system may then loop back to 1304 to continue monitoring the readings of the proximity sensor.

[0113] It should be understood that Fig.13 The specific steps shown provide a specific method for combining orientation sensing and image sensing to improve the efficiency of a cooling system for a computing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. According to alternative embodiments, other sequences of steps may also be performed. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the above steps in a different order. In addition, Fig.13 The various steps shown may include multiple sub-steps, which may be performed in various orders suitable for the various steps. In addition, additional steps may be added or deleted depending on the specific application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and substitutions.

[0114] According to some embodiments, a method for improving the efficiency of a cooling system of a computing device may combine proximity sensing, orientation sensing, and image sensing, in fact combining the above with respect to Fig. 9 and Fig.13 If the proximity sensor reading indicates that the vent is blocked and the orientation sensor reading indicates that the vent is facing downward, the system may send a combined feedback signal alerting the reader to simultaneously change the position and orientation of the computing device so that the vent is not blocked and is not facing downward.

[0115] Although primarily described in the context of augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality systems, it should be understood that the systems and techniques described herein can be applied to systems utilized in other settings, involving other types of devices, performing other types of operations, or combinations thereof. For example, the techniques described herein can be applied to systems and scenarios involving smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, smart watches, smart clothing / textiles and other wearable devices, dongles, desktop computers, appliances, and the like. In some embodiments, one or more of the systems and techniques described herein can be applied in a particular computing system to detect, identify, and / or resolve thermal management issues that arise in one or more devices external to the particular computing system. For example, one or more of the systems and techniques described herein can be applied to a mobile computing device to enable the mobile computing device to facilitate detection, identification, and / or remedy of thermal management issues that may arise in nearby smart devices.

[0116] It should also be understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light of them will be suggested to those skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of the present application and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Providing an electronic device, the electronic device comprising one or more processors, one or more data sources, and one or more user interface components; acquiring output data indicative of one or more conditions of the electronic device from the one or more data sources; identifying, based on the output data obtained from the one or more sources, a position or orientation of the electronic device within an environment in which the electronic device is located as being in a position or orientation in which the electronic device is susceptible to overheating; as well as In response to identifying a position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the electronic device is susceptible to overheating, controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a computing device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more data sources include one or more sensors, each of the sensors being configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device; as well as Retrieving output data from the one or more sources includes retrieving data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the computing device comprises two or more vents and a thermal management system configured to move air into and out of the computing device through the two or more vents.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include a proximity sensor configured to monitor proximity of the computing device to a physical object located within an environment in which the electronic device is located; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining that the acquired data representing one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is closer than a threshold distance to one or more physical objects located within an environment in which the electronic device is located; Wherein identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating comprises: In response to determining that the acquired data indicates that the exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is closer than a threshold distance to one or more physical objects located within an environment in which the electronic device is located, identifying a position of the computing device within the environment as being in a position that obstructs airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include an orientation sensor configured to monitor an angular orientation of the computing device relative to an environment in which the computing device is located; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the orientation sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: determining that the acquired data representing one or more measurements that have been made by the orientation sensor indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward; Wherein identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating comprises: In response to determining that the acquired data indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward, identifying an orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in an orientation that obstructs airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include one or more temperature sensors, each of the temperature sensors configured to monitor one or more thermal conditions of the computing device; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor one or more conditions of the computing device includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the one or more temperature sensors.

10. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: In response to identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating, data indicative of an output from another sensor other than the one or more sensors of the computing device is acquired.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: using the acquired data indicative of output from the other sensor to verify that a position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is to be identified as being in a position or orientation susceptible to overheating of the computing device; Wherein controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alarm corresponding to the identified position or orientation includes: in response to verifying that the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is identified as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating, controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alarm corresponding to the identified position or orientation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring data indicative of an output from the another sensor comprises: Imaging data is acquired that represents one or more images that have been captured by an imaging sensor of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the output data from the one or more sources comprises: Data regarding current or predicted weather conditions for a geographic area associated with the electronic device is received from one or more services over a network.

14. A method comprising: Providing an electronic device, the electronic device comprising one or more processors, one or more data sources, and one or more user interface components; Obtaining output data indicating an environment in which the electronic device is located from the one or more data sources; identifying, based on the output data obtained from the one or more sources, a position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the electronic device is susceptible to overheating; as well as In response to identifying a position or orientation of the electronic device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the electronic device is susceptible to overheating, controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alert corresponding to the identified position or orientation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The one or more data sources include one or more sensors, each of the sensors being configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located; as well as Retrieving output data from the one or more sources includes retrieving data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located. 16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the computing device comprises two or more vents and a thermal management system configured to move air into and out of the computing device through the two or more vents.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include a proximity sensor configured to monitor proximity of the computing device to a physical object located within an environment of the computing device; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: determining that the acquired data representing one or more measurements that have been made by the proximity sensor indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is closer than a threshold distance to one or more physical objects located within an environment in which the computing device is located; Wherein identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating comprises: In response to determining that the acquired data indicates that the exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is closer than a threshold distance to one or more physical objects located within an environment in which the computing device is located, identifying a position of the computing device within the environment as being in a position that obstructs airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include an orientation sensor configured to monitor an angular orientation of the computing device relative to an environment in which the computing device is located; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the orientation sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: determining that the acquired data representing one or more measurements that have been made by the orientation sensor indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward; Wherein identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating comprises: In response to determining that the acquired data indicates that an exterior of the computing device in which at least one of the two or more vents is exposed is facing downward, identifying an orientation of the computing device within an environment in which the computing device is located as being in an orientation that obstructs airflow through at least one of the two or more vents of the computing device.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein: The one or more sensors of the computing device include one or more temperature sensors, each of the temperature sensors being configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located; as well as Acquiring data indicative of output from the one or more sensors of the computing device configured to monitor an environment in which the computing device is located includes acquiring data representative of one or more measurements that have been made by the one or more temperature sensors.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising: In response to identifying the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating, data indicative of an output from another sensor other than the one or more sensors of the computing device is acquired.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: using the acquired data indicative of output from the other sensor to verify that a position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is to be identified as being in a position or orientation susceptible to overheating of the computing device; Wherein controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alarm corresponding to the identified position or orientation includes: in response to verifying that the position or orientation of the computing device within the environment is identified as being in a position or orientation where the computing device is susceptible to overheating, controlling the one or more user interface components to output an alarm corresponding to the identified position or orientation.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein acquiring data indicative of an output from the another sensor comprises: Imaging data is acquired that represents one or more images that have been captured by an imaging sensor of the computing device.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining the output data from the one or more sources comprises: Data regarding current or predicted weather conditions for a geographic area associated with the electronic device is received from one or more services over a network.

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