Computer equipment with power adjusting function and mainboard

Abstract

A computer device and a mainboard having a power adjustment function, the computer device comprising a power supply module for generating a total working current, and a mainboard comprising a processing unit and a current measurement module, the current measurement module being electrically connected to the power supply module for detecting the total working current, and generating detection current data related to the total working current. The processing unit generates power estimation data according to the detection current data, generates a power comparison result according to the power estimation data and a power threshold, and generates a control signal for adjusting the power consumption of the mainboard according to the power comparison result. Therefore, the processing unit judges whether the control signal is generated or not according to the power estimation data, overload of the power supply module is avoided, the operation time of the processing unit in high power consumption is reduced, and the service life of the processing unit is further prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a computer device, and more particularly to a computer device and motherboard with power adjustment function. Background Technology

[0002] See Figure 1 In a typical computer system, a power supply 9 supplies power to a motherboard 8, which houses a central processing unit (CPU) 81 and multiple peripheral components 82 (such as memory, hard disk, and display adapter). The CPU 81 typically serves as the core of operation, performing calculations and processing on various data before providing power to the peripheral components 82. However, modern computer systems connect to a considerable number of peripheral components 82 to meet consumer demands, placing a significant burden on the power supply 9. Furthermore, the computer system generates substantial amounts of waste heat during operation, leading to a significant increase in temperature. Additionally, the CPU 81 may experience increased computational demands due to the increased number of peripheral components 82, requiring the power supply 9 to output more power to meet these demands, potentially causing overheating and overload of the power supply 9. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a computer device with power adjustment function, which monitors the overall power consumption and temperature of the computer system and adjusts the power of the CPU to protect the power supply and reduce the operating time of the CPU at high temperature and high power consumption, thereby extending the life of the CPU.

[0004] The present invention relates to a computer device with power adjustment function, comprising a power module and a motherboard.

[0005] The power module is used to generate a total operating current.

[0006] The motherboard includes a peripheral component, a processing unit, and a current measurement module. The peripheral component is used to receive a portion of the total operating current. The current measurement module is electrically connected to the power module to detect the total operating current and generate a detected current data related to the total operating current.

[0007] The processing unit is electrically connected to the current measurement module to receive the detected current data and is used to receive the remaining part of the total operating current. It also generates a power prediction data based on the detected current data. The processing unit generates a power comparison result based on the power prediction data and a power threshold, and generates a control signal based on the power comparison result. The control signal is used to adjust the power consumption of the motherboard.

[0008] Preferably, the computer device further includes an output interface module disposed on the motherboard, a display device electrically connected to the output interface module, and a fan device electrically connected to the output interface module. The output interface module is used to receive a speed signal and a display signal sent from the processing unit, and to send the speed signal to the fan device and the display signal to the display device. The speed signal is related to the operation of the fan device, and the display signal is displayed by the display device to show the power consumption and temperature status of the motherboard.

[0009] Preferably, the motherboard further includes a temperature monitoring module, which is electrically connected to the processing unit and is used to generate and send temperature data related to the ambient temperature of the motherboard to the processing unit. The processing unit generates a temperature comparison result related to the temperature data and the temperature threshold, and a rotation speed signal positively correlated with the temperature data, based on the temperature data and a temperature threshold.

[0010] Preferably, when the temperature comparison result indicates that the temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold, that is, the ambient temperature of the motherboard is higher than the ambient temperature corresponding to the temperature threshold, the processing unit generates the control signal to prevent the temperature from continuing to rise.

[0011] Preferably, the control signal further includes a frequency reduction instruction, which instructs the processing unit to reduce its operating frequency.

[0012] Preferably, the control signal further includes a shutdown command, which instructs the power module to stop generating the total operating current.

[0013] Preferably, the current measurement module includes a first resistor, a second resistor, an input resistor, and a current measurement unit. The first resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to the power supply module and a second terminal electrically connected to the processing unit. The second resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the first resistor and a second terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the first resistor. The input resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the second resistor and a second terminal. The current measurement unit has an inverting input terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the input resistor, a non-inverting input terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the second resistor, and an output terminal.

[0014] Preferably, the current measurement module further includes an output resistor, an output capacitor, and an analog-to-digital converter. The output resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the current measurement unit and a second terminal grounded. The output capacitor has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the output resistor and a second terminal grounded. The analog-to-digital converter has an input terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the current measurement unit and an output terminal electrically connected to the processing unit.

[0015] Preferably, the current measurement unit outputs an output voltage at its output terminal, and the voltage is converted into the detected current data by the analog-to-digital converter. The output voltage is generated as follows:

[0016] V OUT =(R OUT / R IN )×V sense

[0017] Wherein, parameter V OUT The output voltage, parameter R OUT The resistance value of the output resistor, parameter R IN It is the resistance value of the input resistor, parameter V sense It is the voltage change value generated by the total operating current output by the power module passing through the first resistor and the second resistor.

[0018] Preferably, the processing unit generates and obtains a temperature power consumption table by recording multiple different detected current data and multiple power estimation data corresponding to one of the detected current data, and recording multiple temperature data corresponding to one of the detected current data. Based on the temperature power consumption table, the processing unit obtains a target power data related to one of the power estimation data and a target temperature data corresponding to the target power data, and uses the target power data as the power threshold and the target temperature data as the temperature threshold.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a motherboard with power adjustment function. The motherboard is suitable for generating a total operating current and includes peripheral components, a current measurement module and a processing module.

[0020] The power module is used to receive a portion of the total operating current.

[0021] The current measurement module is electrically connected to the power supply module to detect the total operating current and generate a detection current data related to the total operating current.

[0022] The processing unit is electrically connected to the current measurement module to receive the detected current data and is used to receive the remaining part of the total operating current. It also generates a power prediction data based on the detected current data. The processing unit generates a power comparison result based on the power prediction data and a power threshold, and generates a control signal based on the power comparison result. The control signal is used to adjust the power consumption of the motherboard.

[0023] The technical effect of the present invention is that: the current measurement module generates the detected current data, and the processing unit determines whether to generate the control signal based on the detected current data to reduce the power consumption of the motherboard, thereby avoiding overload of the power module and reducing the operating time of the processing unit in high power consumption, and thus extending the service life of the processing unit. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented with reference to the embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 It is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of an existing computer system;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of an embodiment of the computer device with power adjustment function according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of a current measurement module in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same numbers in the following description.

[0029] See Figure 2 An embodiment of the computer device with power adjustment function of the present invention includes a power module 1, a motherboard 2, a fan device 3, and a display device 4.

[0030] The power module 1 is used to generate a total operating current and output the total operating current to the motherboard 2.

[0031] The motherboard 2 includes a peripheral component 21, a processing unit 22, a current measurement module 23 electrically connected to the peripheral component 21 and the processing unit 22, a temperature monitoring module 24 electrically connected to the processing unit 22, and an output interface module 25 electrically connected to the processing unit 22.

[0032] The peripheral component 21 receives a portion of the total operating current from the power module 1. It should be noted that the total operating current output by the power module 1 is then distributed to the peripheral component 21 and the processing unit 22 via the current measurement module 23.

[0033] The peripheral component 21 may be one of the following: memory, display card, hard disk, solid-state drive, or network interface controller (NIC), or a combination of the above components, but is not limited thereto.

[0034] The current measurement module 23 is electrically connected to the power supply module 1 to detect the total operating current and generate detection current data related to the total operating current. It includes a first resistor 231, a second resistor 232, an input resistor 233, a current measurement unit 234, an output resistor 235, an output capacitor 236, and an analog-to-digital converter 237. Figure 3 As shown.

[0035] The first resistor 231 has a first terminal electrically connected to the power module 1 and a second terminal electrically connected to the processing unit 22. The second resistor 232 has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the first resistor 231 and a second terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the first resistor 231. The input resistor 233 has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the second resistor 232 and a second terminal. The current measurement unit 234 has an inverting input terminal (IN-) electrically connected to the second terminal of the input resistor 233, a non-inverting input terminal (IN+) electrically connected to the second terminal of the second resistor 232, and an output terminal (OUT) for outputting an output voltage related to the total operating current. The output resistor 235 has a first terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the current measurement unit 234 and a second terminal grounded. The output capacitor 236 has a first terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the output resistor 235 and a second terminal grounded. The analog-to-digital converter 237 has an input terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the current measurement unit 234 and an output terminal electrically connected to the processing unit 22.

[0036] It should be noted that the current measurement unit 234 can be implemented by an integrated circuit related to current sensing, such as INA138 or LT6107, but is not limited thereto.

[0037] It is also worth mentioning that the output voltage is related to the voltage changes of the input resistor 233, the output resistor 235, the first resistor 231, and the second resistor 232, and is converted into the detected current data by the analog-to-digital converter 237. The output voltage is generated as shown in Equation 1:

[0038] V OUT =(R OUT / R IN )×V sense ...Formula 1

[0039] Wherein, parameter V OUT This is the output voltage, parameter R. OUT This is the resistance value of the output resistor 235, parameter R. IN This is the resistance value of the input resistor 233, parameter V. sense It is the voltage change value generated by the total operating current output by the power module 1 passing through the first resistor 231 and the second resistor 232.

[0040] The processing unit 22 is electrically connected to the current measurement module 23 to receive the detected current data and to receive the remaining portion of the total operating current. The processing unit 22 can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), which may include, but is not limited to, single-core processors, multi-core processors, dual-core mobile processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), etc.

[0041] The temperature monitoring module 24 is used to monitor the ambient temperature of the motherboard 2, generate temperature data related to the ambient temperature of the motherboard 2, and send the temperature data to the processing unit 22.

[0042] The output interface module 25 is electrically connected to the fan device 3 and the display device 4. The fan device 3 is used to assist the motherboard 2 in cooling down, and the display device 4 is used to display the current operating status of the motherboard 2, such as the current temperature and power consumption of the motherboard 2.

[0043] When the processing unit 22 receives the detected current data from the current measurement module 23 and the temperature monitoring module 24 respectively, it estimates the total power consumption of the motherboard 2 based on the detected current data, generates a power estimation data, and sends a speed signal and a display signal to the output interface module 25. The output interface module 25 sends the speed signal to the fan device 3 and the display signal to the display device 4. The speed signal is related to the fan rotation rate of the fan device 3 and is positively correlated with the magnitude of the temperature data. The display signal is used to prompt the display device 4 to display the current power consumption and temperature of the motherboard 2.

[0044] The processing unit 22 generates a power comparison result based on the power prediction data and a power threshold, and generates a temperature comparison result based on the temperature data and a temperature threshold.

[0045] When the power comparison result indicates that the estimated power data is higher than the power threshold, or the temperature comparison result indicates that the temperature data is higher than the temperature threshold, the processing unit 22 generates a control signal including a frequency reduction command and a power-off command. The frequency reduction command instructs the processing unit 22 to reduce the operating frequency to reduce the overall power consumption of the motherboard 2 and prevent the temperature of the motherboard 2 from rising further, that is, to reduce the remaining portion of the total operating current. The power-off command instructs the power module 1 to stop generating the total operating current and stop the operation of the motherboard 2.

[0046] It should be noted that the processing unit 22 may generate the frequency reduction command or the power-off command of the control signal under the condition that both the power prediction data is higher than the power threshold and the temperature data is higher than the temperature threshold at the same time. Alternatively, it may generate the frequency reduction command or the power-off command as long as one of the above conditions is met.

[0047] It is also worth mentioning that the power threshold and the temperature threshold can be designed through testing by the processing unit 22. The processing unit 22 generates and obtains a temperature power consumption table by recording multiple detection current data corresponding to different output voltages and their corresponding power estimation data, and recording multiple temperature data corresponding to one of the detection current data, as shown in Table 1.

[0048] Table 1

[0049]

[0050] Wherein, parameter I sense It is the current value flowing through the first resistor 231 and the second resistor 232, parameter P. O This is the estimated power data.

[0051] The processing unit 22 obtains a target power data related to one of the power estimation data and a target temperature data corresponding to the target power data from the temperature power consumption table, and uses the target power data as the power threshold and the target temperature data as the temperature threshold. That is, it defines the power threshold and the temperature threshold with reference to the temperature power consumption table. For example, a power estimation data of 91W and a corresponding operating temperature of 85°C can be used as the power threshold and the temperature threshold, respectively, but this is not a limitation.

[0052] In summary, the above embodiments generate the detected current data and temperature data through the current measurement module 23 and the temperature monitoring module 24 respectively, and the processing unit 22 determines whether to generate the control signal based on the detected current data and the temperature data to reduce the power consumption of the motherboard 2 and prevent the temperature of the motherboard 2 from rising further, thereby avoiding overload of the power module 1 and reducing the operating time of the processing unit 22 at high temperature and high power consumption, thereby extending the service life of the processing unit 22.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A computer device having a power adjustment function, characterized by comprising: The computer device comprises: a power module for generating a total working current; a mainboard comprising a peripheral component for receiving a part of the total working current, a processing unit and a current measurement module electrically connected to the power module for detecting the total working current and generating a detected current data related to the total working current, the processing unit is electrically connected to the current measurement module for receiving the detected current data and for receiving a remaining part of the total working current, and generates a power estimation data according to the detected current data, generates a power comparison result according to the power estimation data and a power threshold value, and generates a control signal according to the power comparison result, the control signal being used for adjusting the power consumption of the mainboard.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein, The computer device further comprises an output interface module arranged on the mainboard, a display device electrically connected to the output interface module, and a fan device electrically connected to the output interface module, the output interface module being used for receiving a rotation speed signal and a display signal sent from the processing unit, and sending the rotation speed signal to the fan device and sending the display signal to the display device, the rotation speed signal being related to the operation of the fan device, and the display signal being displayed by the display device to show the power consumption and temperature condition of the mainboard.

3. The computer device of claim 2, wherein, The mainboard further comprises a temperature monitoring module electrically connected to the processing unit, and used for generating and sending a temperature data related to the ambient temperature of the mainboard to the processing unit, the processing unit generating a temperature comparison result related to the temperature data and a temperature threshold value according to the temperature data and the temperature threshold value, and the rotation speed signal being positively related to the temperature data.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein, When the temperature comparison result indicates that the temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold value, i.e. the ambient temperature of the mainboard is higher than the ambient temperature corresponding to the temperature threshold value, the processing unit generates the control signal to prevent the temperature from continuously rising.

5. The computer device of claim 4, wherein, The processing unit generates and obtains a temperature-power consumption table by recording a plurality of different detected current data, a plurality of power estimation data respectively corresponding to one of the detected current data, and a plurality of temperature data respectively corresponding to one of the detected current data, obtains a target power data related to one of the power estimation data and a target temperature data corresponding to the target power data from the temperature-power consumption table according to the temperature-power consumption table, and takes the target power data as the power threshold value and takes the target temperature data as the temperature threshold value.

6. The computer device of claim 1, wherein, The control signal further comprises a frequency reduction instruction for instructing the processing unit to reduce the operation frequency.

7. The computer device of claim 1, wherein, The control signal further comprises a shutdown instruction for instructing the power module to stop generating the total working current.

8. The computer device of claim 1, wherein, The current measurement module comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, an input resistor, a current measurement unit, The first resistor has a first end electrically connected to the power module and a second end electrically connected to the processing unit, the second resistor has a first end electrically connected to the first end of the first resistor and a second end electrically connected to the second end of the first resistor, the input resistor has a first end electrically connected to the first end of the second resistor and a second end, the current measuring unit has an inverting input electrically connected to the second end of the input resistor, a non-inverting input electrically connected to the second end of the second resistor, and an output.

9. The computer device of claim 8, wherein, The current measuring module further comprises an output resistor, an output capacitor, and an analog-to-digital converter, The output resistor has a first end electrically connected to the output of the current measuring unit and a second end connected to ground, the output capacitor has a first end electrically connected to the first end of the output resistor and a second end connected to ground, and the analog-to-digital converter has an input electrically connected to the output of the current measuring unit and an output electrically connected to the processing unit.

10. The computer device of claim 9, wherein, The current measuring unit outputs an output voltage at the output of the current measuring unit, which is converted into the detected current data by the analog-to-digital converter, and the output voltage is generated in the following manner: V OUT = (R OUT / R IN ) x V sense wherein parameter V OUT is the output voltage, parameter R OUT is the resistance value of the output resistance, parameter R IN is the resistance value of the input resistance, parameter V sense is the voltage variation value generated by the total working current outputted by the power module passing through the first resistance and the second resistance.

11. A main board having a power adjustment function, adapted to a power module, the power module being used to generate a total working current, characterized in that, Comprising: a peripheral component for receiving a portion of the total working current; a current measuring module electrically connected to the power module for detecting the total working current and generating a detected current data related to the total working current; a processing unit electrically connected to the current measuring module to receive the detected current data, and for receiving the remaining portion of the total working current, and generating a power estimation data according to the detected current data, the processing unit generating a power comparison result according to the power estimation data and a power threshold value, and generating a control signal according to the power comparison result, the control signal being used to adjust the power consumption of the mainboard.

Images