Device for detecting a cooling fan of an electronic product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device for detecting a cooling fan of an electronic product. The device comprises: a sampling resistor, electrically connected with the cooling fan, configured to generate a sampling voltage according to a driving current of the cooling fan; a storage unit, an input end of the storage unit being electrically connected with an output end of the sampling resistor, the storage unit being configured to store the sampling voltage of a current sampling moment and output the sampling voltage of a previous sampling moment via a control of a detection unit; and the detection unit, electrically connected with the output end of the sampling resistor and the output end of the storage unit, for receiving the sampling voltage of the previous sampling moment and the sampling voltage of the current sampling moment from the output end of the sampling resistor, and outputting a control signal for controlling the storage unit and a state signal characterizing whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal. The technical solution of the present disclosure can effectively detect whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of heat dissipation technology for electronic products, and more specifically to an apparatus for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the explosive growth of artificial intelligence has directly driven the rapid evolution of large-scale GPU training clusters. Simultaneously, the power density of key components within these hardware systems, such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), CPUs (Central Processing Units), power supplies, and memory, has gradually increased, leading to a greater demand for heat dissipation within high-performance hardware systems. To ensure stable and reliable operation of the hardware system at safe temperatures, multiple cooling fans are required for heat dissipation. However, cooling fans may become stuck due to external factors (such as obstacles), or malfunction (such as failing to rotate properly), resulting in cooling failure.

[0003] Currently, there is a lack of effective detection technology for blocked cooling fans. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a device for testing the cooling fan of electronic products, which can effectively detect whether the cooling fan is operating normally.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for detecting a cooling fan in an electronic product is provided. The apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a sampled voltage at a current sampling time and output a sampled voltage at a previous sampling time, the sampled voltage being a sampled voltage relating to the drive current of the cooling fan; and a detection unit configured to determine a trend in the change of the drive current of the cooling fan based on the sampled voltage at the current sampling time and the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time, and to control the storage unit based on the trend, and to determine whether the cooling fan is operating normally based on the trend.

[0006] In some embodiments, the detection unit is further configured to: in response to determining that the cooling fan is operating normally, the detection unit controls the storage unit to receive the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time according to a predetermined sampling period for storage and output the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time.

[0007] In some embodiments, the storage unit includes a first storage sub-unit and a second storage sub-unit connected in parallel, and the detection unit is further configured to: in response to determining that the cooling fan is operating normally, the detection unit switches the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit according to a predetermined sampling period, such that one of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in a state of receiving a sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time, and such that the other of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in a state of outputting a sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first storage sub-unit includes: a first switch, one end of which is configured as an input terminal of the storage unit, and the other end of which is electrically connected to one end of a first capacitor; a first capacitor, the other end of which is grounded; a second switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the first capacitor, and the other end of which is configured as an output terminal of the storage unit; the second storage sub-unit includes: a third switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the first switch, and the other end of which is electrically connected to one end of a second capacitor; a second capacitor, the other end of which is grounded; and a fourth switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor, and the other end of which is electrically connected to the other end of the second capacitor; wherein, the detection unit is further configured to control the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit.

[0009] In some embodiments, the detection unit includes: a first comparison unit, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the storage unit, the inverting input terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the storage unit, and the output terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to output a first comparison result; a second comparison unit, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the storage unit, the inverting input terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the storage unit, and the output terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to output a second comparison result; a switching unit configured to control the storage unit according to the first comparison result and the second comparison result; and a judgment unit configured to determine that the cooling fan is operating normally in response to determining that the trend of the change of the drive current of the cooling fan, as represented by the first comparison result and the second comparison result, meets predetermined conditions.

[0010] In some embodiments, the switching unit is further configured to switch the operating state of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit in response to determining that either the first comparison result or the second comparison result has a target transition edge.

[0011] In some embodiments, the determining unit is further configured to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is an upward trend in response to determining that the first comparison result is a positive pulse signal, and to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is a downward trend in response to determining that the second comparison result is a positive pulse signal.

[0012] In some embodiments, the determining unit is further configured to determine that the trend of change meets predetermined conditions in response to determining that the first comparison result is a first positive pulse signal sequence and the second comparison result is a second positive pulse signal sequence, and that the first positive pulse signal sequence and the second positive pulse signal sequence occur alternately.

[0013] In some embodiments, the switching unit is further configured to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit after a predetermined time period in response to determining that either the first comparison result or the second comparison result has a target transition edge.

[0014] In some embodiments, the device further includes a sampling resistor configured to generate a sampling voltage based on the drive current of the cooling fan.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for detecting a cooling fan in an electronic product is provided. The apparatus includes: a sampling resistor electrically connected to the cooling fan and configured to generate a sampling voltage based on a drive current of the cooling fan; a storage unit, the input of which is electrically connected to the output of the sampling resistor, the storage unit being configured to store the sampling voltage at the current sampling moment and output the sampling voltage at the previous sampling moment via control of a detection unit; and a detection unit electrically connected to the output of the sampling resistor and the output of the storage unit, for receiving the sampling voltage at the previous sampling moment and the sampling voltage at the current sampling moment from the output of the sampling resistor, and for outputting a control signal for controlling the storage unit and a status signal characterizing whether the cooling fan is operating normally.

[0016] In some embodiments, the storage unit includes a first storage sub-unit and a second storage sub-unit connected in parallel. The detection unit is configured to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit according to a predetermined sampling period, such that one of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in a state of receiving a sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time, and the other of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in a state of outputting a sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first storage sub-unit includes: a first switch, one end of which is configured as an input terminal of the storage unit, and the other end of which is electrically connected to one end of a first capacitor; a first capacitor, the other end of which is grounded; a second switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the first capacitor, and the other end of which is configured as an output terminal of the storage unit; the second storage sub-unit includes: a third switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the first switch, and the other end of which is electrically connected to one end of a second capacitor; a second capacitor, the other end of which is grounded; and a fourth switch, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor, and the other end of which is electrically connected to the other end of the second capacitor; wherein, the detection unit is further configured to control the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the detection unit includes: a first comparison unit, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the storage unit, the inverting input terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the storage unit, and the output terminal of the first comparison unit is configured to output a first comparison result; a second comparison unit, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the storage unit, the inverting input terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the storage unit, and the output terminal of the second comparison unit is configured to output a second comparison result; a switching unit configured to control the storage unit according to the first comparison result and the second comparison result; and a judgment unit configured to generate a signal indicating that the operating state of the cooling fan is normal in response to determining that the first comparison result and the second comparison result represent that the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan meets predetermined conditions.

[0019] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a timing unit configured to time a signal indicating that the cooling fan is operating normally based on a predetermined clock, and to generate a corresponding timing signal when the timing reaches a predetermined timing period; the detection unit is further configured to generate a control signal for controlling the storage unit and a status signal indicating whether the cooling fan is operating normally based on the sampling voltage at the previous sampling time, the sampling voltage at the current sampling time, and the timing signal.

[0020] In some embodiments, the switching unit is further configured to switch the operating state of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit in response to determining that either the first comparison result or the second comparison result has a target transition edge.

[0021] In some embodiments, the determining unit is further configured to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is an upward trend in response to determining that the first comparison result is a positive pulse signal, and to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is a downward trend in response to determining that the second comparison result is a positive pulse signal.

[0022] In some embodiments, the determining unit is further configured to determine that the trend of change meets predetermined conditions in response to determining that the first comparison result is a first positive pulse signal sequence and the second comparison result is a second positive pulse signal sequence, and that the first positive pulse signal sequence and the second positive pulse signal sequence occur alternately.

[0023] In some embodiments, the switching unit is further configured to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit after a predetermined time period in response to determining that either the first comparison result or the second comparison result has a target transition edge.

[0024] In some embodiments, the detection unit is further configured to control the storage unit to receive the sampled voltage from the sampling resistor according to a predetermined sampling period, so as to store it as the sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time, and to control the storage unit to output the sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time; the detection unit is further configured to determine the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan according to the sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time and the sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time, and to control the storage unit according to the changing trend, and to determine whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal according to the changing trend.

[0025] According to the technical solution of this disclosure, the storage unit, controlled by the detection unit, can store the sampled voltage at the current sampling moment and output the sampled voltage at the previous sampling moment. The detection unit can determine the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan based on the sampled voltage at the current sampling moment and the sampled voltage at the previous sampling moment, control the storage unit based on the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan, and determine whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal based on the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan. Therefore, this technical solution can effectively detect whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal.

[0026] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an apparatus for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0030] Figure 3 A waveform diagram of the drive current for a cooling fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 4 A waveform diagram showing the comparison result of the detection unit of an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0032] Figure 5 A waveform diagram of another comparison result of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 6 The diagram shows waveforms of the first comparison result and the second comparison result of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding, and should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0035] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0036] As described above, cooling fans may become stuck due to external factors (such as obstacles) (e.g., "stalled"), or malfunction (e.g., unable to rotate normally), resulting in cooling failure.

[0037] To at least partially address one or more of the aforementioned problems and other potential issues, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides an apparatus for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product. The apparatus includes a storage unit and a detection unit. The storage unit, controlled by the detection unit, can store a sampled voltage at the current sampling moment and output a sampled voltage at the previous sampling moment, wherein the sampled voltage is a sampled voltage relating to the drive current of the cooling fan. The detection unit can determine the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan based on the sampled voltage at the current sampling moment and the sampled voltage at the previous sampling moment, control the storage unit based on the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan, and determine whether the cooling fan is operating normally based on the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan. Therefore, this technical solution can effectively detect whether the cooling fan is operating normally.

[0038] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a device 100 for detecting the cooling fan 201 of an electronic product, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus 100 for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. Figure 3 A waveform diagram of the drive current for the cooling fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The horizontal axis represents, for example, time t, in milliseconds (ms), and the vertical axis represents, for example, the drive current I0 for the cooling fan, in mA (milliamperes).

[0040] Reference Figure 1 The cooling fan 201 of the electronic device is driven, for example, by a fan drive module 200, which provides a voltage VIN to the cooling fan 201. In some embodiments, the voltage VIN provided by the fan drive module 200 to the cooling fan 201 is, for example, a constant voltage. The voltage VIN provided by the fan drive module 200 is applied to the cooling fan 201, forming a drive current for driving the cooling fan 201. It should be understood that during normal operation, the cooling fan 201 continuously commutates (e.g., periodically), causing the equivalent resistance of the cooling fan 201 to change periodically with the periodic commutation operation. Accordingly, when the voltage VIN provided by the fan drive module 200 is constant, the resulting drive current (e.g., I0) for the cooling fan 201 changes periodically. For example, due to the induced electromotive force of the internal coil of the cooling fan 201, the internal coil will impede the continuous increase of the drive current of the cooling fan 201 during commutation. Figure 3The waveform W1 in the figure represents, for example, the normal drive current I0, which changes periodically as the internal rotation of the cooling fan 201 changes periodically.

[0041] When the cooling fan 201 is jammed due to external force (e.g., stalled) and cannot rotate normally, preventing internal commutation, the coil of the cooling fan 201 is equivalent to a DC resistor with a certain impedance. At this time, the voltage VIN provided by the fan drive module 200 is applied to the cooling fan 201, generating a constant current, such as... Figure 3 The waveform W2 is shown in the middle.

[0042] Therefore, by detecting the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201, and based on the detected trend of the change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201, it can be determined whether the trend of the change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 meets the predetermined conditions, thereby determining whether the cooling fan 201 is working properly (e.g., whether a stall situation has occurred).

[0043] The device 100 includes, for example, a storage unit 102 and a detection unit 104. The storage unit 102 is configured, for example, to store a sampled voltage at the current sampling time and output a sampled voltage at the previous sampling time, controlled by the detection unit 104, wherein the sampled voltage is a sampled voltage of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. The detection unit 104 is configured, for example, to determine the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 based on the sampled voltage at the current sampling time and the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time, and to control the storage unit 104 based on the trend of change, and to determine whether the cooling fan is operating normally based on the trend of change. In some embodiments, the detection unit 104 controls the storage unit based, for example, the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 and a timing signal, wherein the timing signal is generated based on a predetermined clock timing (or "counting"). The trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is characterized, for example, by a signal generated by the detection unit 104 characterizing the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. For example, the device 100 also includes a timing unit that starts timing when the signal characterizing the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is in a target state. When the timing reaches a predetermined timing period, the timing unit generates a corresponding timing signal. The detection unit 104 responds to the fact that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 meets a predetermined condition (e.g., the signal characterizing the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is in a target state) and receives the timing signal (i.e., the signal characterizing the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is in a target state, and the timing reaches a predetermined timing period), and controls the storage unit 104 to perform corresponding storage and output (e.g., storing the sampled voltage at the current sampling time and outputting the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time). The predetermined timing period can be set reasonably as needed. The predetermined timing period can be 1. The clock frequency of the predetermined clock can be set reasonably as needed. It should be understood that the timing unit is implemented based on hardware circuitry (e.g., combinational logic circuitry and sequential logic circuitry).

[0044] In some embodiments, the detection unit 104 is further configured to: in response to determining that the cooling fan 201 is operating normally, the detection unit 104 controls the storage unit 102 to receive the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time according to a predetermined sampling period for storage and output the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time.

[0045] In some embodiments, the storage unit 102 includes a first storage sub-unit 121 and a second storage sub-unit 122 connected in parallel. The detection unit 104 is further configured to: in response to determining that the cooling fan 201 is operating normally, the detection unit 104 switches the operating states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122 according to a predetermined sampling period, such that one of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122 operates in a state of receiving the sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time, and the other of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122 operates in a state of outputting the sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time.

[0046] For example, the device 100 also includes a sampling resistor R0, which is electrically connected to the cooling fan 201, and is configured to generate a sampling voltage VS0 based on the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first storage sub-unit 121 includes a first switch S1, a first capacitor C1, and a second switch S2. One end of the first switch S1 is configured as the input terminal of the storage unit 102, and the other end of the first switch S1 is electrically connected to one end of the first capacitor C1, with the other end of the first capacitor C1 grounded (GND). One end of the second switch S2 is electrically connected to one end of the first capacitor C1, and the other end of the second switch S2 is configured as the output terminal of the storage unit 102. The second storage sub-unit 122 includes a third switch S3, a second capacitor C2, and a fourth switch S4. One end of the third switch S3 is electrically connected to one end of the first switch S1, and the other end of the third switch S3 is electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor C2, with the other end of the second capacitor C2 grounded (GND). One end of the fourth switch S4 is electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor C2, and the other end of the fourth switch S4 is electrically connected to the other end of the second capacitor C2. The detection unit 104 is further configured to control the first switch S1, the second switch S2, the third switch S3, and the fourth switch S4 to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122. For example, when the detection unit 104 controls the first switch S1 and the fourth switch S4 to close, and the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 to open, the first capacitor C1 of the first storage sub-unit 121 is charged, and the first storage sub-unit 121 operates in a state of receiving the sampling voltage with respect to the current sampling time. Furthermore, the signal stored in the second capacitor C2 of the second storage sub-unit 122 (corresponding to the sampling voltage VS1 with respect to the previous sampling time) is provided to the detection unit 104, and the second storage sub-unit 122 operates in a state of outputting the sampling voltage with respect to the previous sampling time. Accordingly, when the detection unit 104 controls the first switch S1 and the fourth switch S4 to open, and the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 to close, the second capacitor C2 of the second storage sub-unit 122 is charged, and the second storage sub-unit 122 operates in the state of receiving the sampling voltage VS with respect to the current sampling time. In addition, the signal stored in the first capacitor C1 of the first storage sub-unit 121 (corresponding to the sampling voltage VS1 with respect to the previous sampling time) is provided to the detection unit 104, and the first storage sub-unit 121 operates in the state of outputting the sampling voltage with respect to the previous sampling time.

[0048] In some embodiments, the detection unit 104 includes a first comparison unit 141, a second comparison unit 142, a switching unit 142, and a judgment unit 144. The non-inverting input of the first comparison unit 141 is configured to be electrically connected to the output of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time. The inverting input of the first comparison unit 141 is configured to be electrically connected to the input of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling time. The output of the first comparison unit 141 is configured to output a first comparison result RS1. The non-inverting input of the second comparison unit 142 is configured to be electrically connected to the input of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling time. The inverting input of the second comparison unit 142 is configured to be electrically connected to the output of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time. The output of the second comparison unit 142 is configured to output a second comparison result RS2. The switching unit 142 is configured to control the storage unit 102 based on the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2. The judgment unit 144 is configured to determine that the cooling fan 201 is operating normally in response to determining that the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2, which represent the changing trend of the drive current of the cooling fan, meet predetermined conditions. It should be understood that the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2 reflect the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201.

[0049] In some embodiments, the switching unit 142 is further configured to switch the operating state of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122 in response to determining that either the first comparison result RS1 or the second comparison result RS2 has a target transition edge. The target transition edge is, for example, a rising edge.

[0050] Figure 4 A waveform diagram of the comparison result of the detection unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, corresponding to period T1, the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is in a decreasing trend. For example, corresponding to period T1, the switching unit 142 of the detection unit 104 controls the first switch S1, the second switch S2, the third switch S3, and the fourth switch S4 respectively through the output control signals S1_H, S2_H, S3_H, and S4_H, so as to periodically switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122. The switching period can be controlled by using the corresponding clock signal and timer (counter) in combination with the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2.

[0051] The first comparison unit 141 includes, for example, a first comparator Comp1 and a first pulse generation unit 145. The non-inverting input of the first comparator Comp1 is configured to be electrically connected to the output of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampled voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time. The inverting input of the first comparator Comp1 is configured to be electrically connected to the input of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling time. The output of the first comparator Comp1 is configured to output a first result CM1. For example, when the voltage corresponding to the signal at the non-inverting input is higher than the voltage corresponding to the signal at the inverting input, the output of the first comparator Comp1 outputs a high-level first result CM1; otherwise, the output of the first comparator Comp1 outputs a low-level first result CM1.

[0052] The first pulse generation unit 145 generates a first comparison result RS1 based on the first result CM1 output by the first comparator Comp1. The first comparison result RS1 is presented as a pulse signal corresponding to the first result CM1 when the first result CM1 meets a predetermined state. Figure 4 A waveform diagram illustrating a comparison result of an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. For example, refer to... Figure 4 The first pulse generation unit 145 is used, for example, to generate a corresponding pulse signal (e.g., a positive pulse signal) based on each target transition edge (e.g., a rising edge) of the first result CM1. In this case, for example, the first result CM1 output by the first comparator Comp1 can be reset according to a predetermined sampling period so that a rising edge appears again on the first result CM1 when the comparison is performed at the next sampling time. Figure 5 A waveform diagram illustrating another comparison result of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, refer to... Figure 5 The first pulse generation unit 145 is used, for example, to generate a corresponding pulse signal (e.g., a positive pulse signal) for each sampling period (i.e., for each sampling moment) during the period when the first result CM1 is in a high-level state. The correlation between the magnitude of the first result CM1 output by the first comparator Comp1 and the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling moment and the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling moment can also be characterized by other waveform forms. Correspondingly, the correlation (or correspondence) between the first result CM1 output by the first comparator Comp1 and the first comparison result RS1 can also be characterized by other waveform forms. It should be understood that, regardless of... Figure 4 , Figure 5 Whether the waveform correspondence shown is represented by other forms, once the waveform correspondence is determined, it is something that can be implemented by those skilled in the art. The specific implementation methods will not be elaborated here.

[0053] Similarly, the second comparison unit 143 includes, for example, a second comparator Comp2 and a second pulse generation unit 147. The non-inverting input of the second comparator Comp2 is configured to be electrically connected to the input of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling time. The inverting input of the second comparator Comp2 is configured to be electrically connected to the output of the storage unit 102 to receive the sampled voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time. The output of the second comparator Comp2 is configured to output a second result CM2. For example, when the voltage corresponding to the signal at the non-inverting input is higher than the voltage corresponding to the signal at the inverting input, the output of the second comparator Comp2 outputs a high-level second result CM2; otherwise, the output of the second comparator Comp2 outputs a low-level second result CM2.

[0054] The second pulse generation unit 147 generates a second comparison result RS2 based on the second result CM2 output by the second comparator Comp2. The second comparison result RS2 is presented as a pulse signal corresponding to the second result CM2 when the second result CM2 meets a predetermined state. As for the correlation between the second result CM2 output by the first comparator Comp1 and the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling time and the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time, and the correlation (or correspondence) between the second result CM2 output by the second comparator Comp2 and the second comparison result RS2, please refer to the above description of the first comparison unit 141, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] For example, the switching unit 142 is further configured to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122 after a predetermined duration in response to determining that either the first comparison result RS1 or the second comparison result RS2 has a target transition edge. This target transition edge is, for example, a rising edge. The timing signal is, for example, related to the predetermined duration. For example, after either the first comparison result RS1 or the second comparison result RS2 has a target transition edge, i.e., when either the first comparison result RS1 or the second comparison result RS2 is in the target state, the timing unit starts timing based on a predetermined clock. When the timing reaches a predetermined timing period, meaning the predetermined duration has been reached, the switching unit 142 generates a corresponding control signal to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122. Therefore, the predetermined timing period is related to the predetermined duration.

[0056] For example, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5After each rising edge of the first comparison result RS1, the switching unit 142 updates the control signals S1_H, S2_H, S3_H, and S4_H to switch the working states of the first storage sub-unit 121 and the second storage sub-unit 122.

[0057] It should be understood that the judgment unit 144 is also configured to determine that the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is an upward trend in response to determining that the first comparison result RS1 is a positive pulse signal, and to determine that the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is a downward trend in response to determining that the second comparison result RS2 is a positive pulse signal. In conjunction with the above description of the first comparison unit 141 and the second comparison unit 143, it can be understood that the positive pulse signal generated by the first comparison result RS1 can characterize the relationship between the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling time and the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time, indicating that the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is an upward trend. Similarly, the positive pulse signal generated by the second comparison result RS2 can characterize the relationship between the sampling voltage VS at the current sampling time and the sampling voltage VS1 at the previous sampling time, indicating that the trend of change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is a downward trend.

[0058] The judgment unit 144 is also configured, for example, to determine that the trend of the change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 meets a predetermined condition in response to determining that the first comparison result RS1 is a first positive pulse signal sequence and the second comparison result RS2 is a second positive pulse signal sequence, and that the first positive pulse signal sequence and the second positive pulse signal sequence occur alternately.

[0059] Figure 6 The diagram shows waveforms illustrating the first comparison result and the second comparison result of this disclosure. (Refer to...) Figure 6Waveform W1, for example, represents the normal drive current I0, which changes periodically with the periodic rotation of the cooling fan 201. During time period T1, the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 generally shows a gradually decreasing trend; therefore, the signal output by the second comparison result RS2 presents, for example, a sequence of positive pulse signals (the second positive pulse signal sequence). It should be understood that each pulse signal in the second positive pulse signal sequence output by the second comparison result RS2 corresponds to a sampling time. Accordingly, the judgment unit 144 can determine, based on the second positive pulse signal sequence output by the second comparison result RS2, that the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 shows a gradually decreasing trend during the corresponding time period. Similarly, during time period T2, the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 generally shows a gradually increasing trend; therefore, the signal output by the first comparison result RS1 presents, for example, a sequence of positive pulse signals (the first positive pulse signal sequence). It should be understood that each pulse signal in the first positive pulse signal sequence output by the first comparison result RS1 corresponds to a sampling time. Accordingly, the judgment unit 144 can determine that the driving current I0 of the cooling fan 201 shows a gradually increasing trend during the corresponding time period based on the first positive pulse signal sequence output by the first comparison result RS1.

[0060] Therefore, if the first comparison result RS1 is a first positive pulse signal sequence and the second comparison result RS2 is a second positive pulse signal sequence, and the first positive pulse signal sequence and the second positive pulse signal sequence occur alternately, the determination unit 144 can determine that the changing trend of the driving current I0 of the cooling fan 201 meets the predetermined conditions. Otherwise, the determination unit 144 can determine that the changing trend of the driving current I0 of the cooling fan 201 does not meet the predetermined conditions.

[0061] For example, waveform W2 represents a constant current value. When the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201, for example, exhibits the state shown in waveform W2, the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2 will not output pulse signals, or in other words, the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2 will output signals that remain at a low level. Accordingly, the determination unit 144 can determine that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 indicates that the cooling fan 201 is stalled. That is, the determination unit 144 is also configured to determine that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 indicates that the cooling fan 201 is stalled in response to determining that the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2 do not meet a predetermined determination condition. For example, the determination unit 144 is also configured to determine that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 indicates that the cooling fan 201 is stalled in response to determining that the first comparison result RS1 and the second comparison result RS2 maintain their states without flipping (naturally, no pulse signal will be generated).

[0062] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 does not meet a predetermined condition, the determination unit 144 outputs an alarm signal, for example, via its output terminal OUT1. Alternatively, when it is determined that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 does not meet a predetermined condition, the determination unit 144 outputs a signal to the cooling fan 201 via its output terminal OUT1 to control the cooling fan 201 to stop. Alternatively, when it is determined that the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 does not meet a predetermined condition, the determination unit 144 outputs a signal to the fan drive module 200 via its output terminal OUT1 to control the fan drive module 200 to stop driving the cooling fan 201.

[0063] It is worth noting that the rotational speed of the cooling fan 201 is related to, for example, the magnitude of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. For example, the rotational speed of the cooling fan 201 is positively correlated with, the magnitude of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201.

[0064] In some embodiments, the fan drive module 200 and the device 100 are integrated into the same chip, eliminating the need for complex peripheral components.

[0065] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the sampling voltage for the drive current of the cooling fan is, for example, a sampling voltage formed by converting the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. For example, the device 100 may further include an adaptive current sampling module for sampling the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 and reducing the current by a certain ratio to obtain a reduced current, thereby enabling adaptive sampling of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 under different output voltages.

[0066] When the cooling fan 201 is rotating normally, it continuously reverses direction, causing the current direction to change. Due to the induced electromotive force in the coil inside the cooling fan 201, the coil opposes the continuous increase of the fan current during the commutation process. Therefore, the sampled normal operating current waveform is as follows: Figure 3 The waveform W1 is shown in the figure.

[0067] When the cooling fan 201 stalls, due to external interference, the internal rotation of the cooling fan 201 is forced to stop. The coil of the cooling fan 201 is then equivalent to a DC resistor with a certain impedance. The driving voltage will directly generate a constant current, and the stall current waveform is as follows: Figure 3 As shown in waveform W2, this current varies with the driving voltage (e.g., VIN).

[0068] The device 100 detects whether the cooling fan 201 is stalled by detecting the change in the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201; The device 100 uses the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 through the storage unit 102 (the storage unit 102 is, for example, a sample-and-hold circuit) and the detection unit 104 to determine whether the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is commutating. For example, when the first switch S1 and the fourth switch S4 are closed (conducting) and the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 are open, the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling moment is stored on the first capacitor C1. At this time, the voltage on the second capacitor C2 (i.e., the sampled voltage VS1 stored in the second capacitor C2 at the previous sampling moment) is compared with the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling moment through the second comparison unit 142, and the determination unit 144 determines whether the sampled voltage is in a decreasing state. The changing trend of the sampled voltage reflects the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. After the comparison is completed, the switching unit 142 generates a control signal according to the second comparison result RS2 output by the second comparison unit 142 to switch the working state of the first storage subunit 121 and the second storage subunit 122. For example, when the first switch S1 and the fourth switch S4 are opened and the second switch S2 and the third switch S3 are closed, the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling moment is stored in the second capacitor C2, and the first capacitor C1 still stores the sampled voltage stored in the previous switching cycle (i.e., the sampled voltage VS1 at the previous sampling moment). At this time, the voltage on the first capacitor C1 (i.e., the sampled voltage VS1 at the previous sampling moment) is compared with the sampled voltage VS at the current sampling moment by the first comparison unit 141, and the judgment unit 144 determines whether the sampled voltage is in an upward state (i.e., whether the trend of the change of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is an upward trend).

[0069] When there is both rising and falling processes within one commutation cycle corresponding to the cooling fan 201, that is, when the first comparison unit 141 and the second comparison unit 142 successively output square wave signals (e.g., pulse signals), it is considered that the cooling fan 201 is in normal working condition and no stall has occurred; if the first comparison unit 141 and the second comparison unit 142 cannot output square wave signals, that is, the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is at a constant value, it is considered that the cooling fan 201 is stalled.

[0070] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the presence or absence of a stall in the cooling fan 201 is detected by judging the changing trend of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201. When the cooling fan 201 stalls, the waveform of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 will not fluctuate and will be at a constant voltage value. When the cooling fan 201 is commutating normally, the waveform of the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 will have a certain periodic fluctuation.

[0071] The specific method for determining whether the cooling fan 201 is stalled by identifying whether the drive current I0 of the cooling fan 201 is reversed is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0072] When device 100 detects that cooling fan 201 is stalled, that is, when the drive current I0 of cooling fan 201 remains constant, for example, the judgment unit 144 will start timing. If the drive current I0 of cooling fan 201 remains constant for a certain period of time, device 100 will determine that cooling fan 201 has completely stalled. At this time, device 100 will output a logic signal Fan_Block_H (for example, this signal can be output through output terminal OUT1) to notify the system to shut down the power supply to avoid overheating of the system and thus causing irreversible damage to the system.

[0073] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0074] The above are merely optional embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the cooling fan of an electronic product, characterized in that, The device includes: The sampling resistor, electrically connected to the cooling fan, is configured to generate a sampling voltage based on the drive current of the cooling fan; A storage unit, the input of which is electrically connected to the output of a sampling resistor, is configured to store the sampled voltage at the current sampling time and output the sampled voltage at the previous sampling time, controlled by a detection unit; and The detection unit is electrically connected to the output terminal of the sampling resistor and the output terminal of the storage unit. It is used to receive the sampling voltage at the previous sampling time and the sampling voltage at the current sampling time from the output terminal of the sampling resistor, and to output control signals for controlling the storage unit and status signals characterizing whether the working status of the cooling fan is normal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage unit includes a first storage sub-unit and a second storage sub-unit connected in parallel. The detection unit is used to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit according to a predetermined sampling period, so that one of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in the state of receiving the sampled voltage with respect to the current sampling time, and the other of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit operates in the state of outputting the sampled voltage with respect to the previous sampling time.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first storage sub-unit includes: A first switch, one end of which is configured as the input terminal of the storage unit, and the other end of which is electrically connected to one end of a first capacitor; The first capacitor has its other end grounded. The second switch has one end electrically connected to one end of the first capacitor, and the other end of the second switch is configured as the output terminal of the storage unit. The second storage sub-unit includes: The third switch has one end electrically connected to one end of the first switch and the other end electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor. The second capacitor, with its other end grounded; and The fourth switch has one end electrically connected to one end of the second capacitor, and the other end of the fourth switch is electrically connected to the other end of the second capacitor. The detection unit is also configured to control the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the fourth switch to switch the working state of the first storage subunit and the second storage subunit.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The detection unit includes: The first comparison unit has its non-inverting input terminal configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the memory unit, its inverting input terminal configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the memory unit, and its output terminal configured to output the first comparison result. The second comparison unit has its non-inverting input terminal configured to be electrically connected to the input terminal of the memory unit, its inverting input terminal configured to be electrically connected to the output terminal of the memory unit, and its output terminal configured to output the second comparison result. The switching unit is configured to control the storage unit based on the first comparison result and the second comparison result; and The judgment unit is configured to generate a signal indicating that the cooling fan is operating normally in response to determining that the first comparison result and the second comparison result indicate that the trend of the change of the drive current of the cooling fan meets predetermined conditions.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The timing unit is configured to time signals representing the normal working status of the cooling fan based on a predetermined clock, and to generate a corresponding timing signal when the timing reaches a predetermined timing period. The detection unit is also used to generate control signals for controlling the storage unit and status signals characterizing whether the cooling fan is working properly, based on the sampling voltage at the previous sampling time, the sampling voltage at the current sampling time, and the timing signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The switching unit is also configured to switch the operating states of the first storage sub-unit and the second storage sub-unit in response to the occurrence of a target transition edge, which is determined to be either the first comparison result or the second comparison result.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The determination unit is also configured to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is an upward trend in response to determining that the first comparison result is a positive pulse signal, and to determine that the current change trend of the cooling fan is a downward trend in response to determining that the second comparison result is a positive pulse signal.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The judgment unit is further configured to determine that the trend of change meets a predetermined condition in response to determining that the first comparison result is a first positive pulse signal sequence and the second comparison result is a second positive pulse signal sequence, and that the first positive pulse signal sequence and the second positive pulse signal sequence occur alternately.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The switching unit is also configured to switch the operating states of the first storage subunit and the second storage subunit after a predetermined time period in response to the occurrence of a target transition edge, either the first comparison result or the second comparison result.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection unit is also used to control the storage unit to receive the sampled voltage from the sampling resistor according to a predetermined sampling period, so as to store it as the sampled voltage about the current sampling time, and to control the storage unit to output the sampled voltage about the previous sampling time; The detection unit is also used to determine the trend of change of the drive current of the cooling fan based on the sampling voltage at the current sampling time and the sampling voltage at the previous sampling time, and to control the storage unit based on the trend of change, and to determine whether the working state of the cooling fan is normal based on the trend of change.

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