Cooling fan control apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide a cooling fan controlling apparatus and a program therefor which, even when a cooling fan is changed, can control an operation of the cooling fan without changing an application program.SOLUTION: A cooling fan control apparatus communicates with a control microcomputer to control an operation of a cooling fan connected to the control microcomputer. The cooling fan control apparatus has a control table reading unit (reading unit) for reading a control table describing control characteristics of a cooling fan, a control table storing unit for storing contents of the control table read by the control table reading unit, a control parameter acquiring unit (acquiring unit) for acquiring an atmosphere temperature and a fan velocity of the cooling fan in association with each other from the control microcomputer, and a control instruction unit (operation control unit) for, based on the atmosphere temperature and the fan velocity acquired by the control parameter acquiring unit and the control table, outputting a control command for use in controlling the cooling fan to the control microcomputer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a cooling fan control device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been proposed in which a function for controlling a cooling fan is provided in hardware, and the hardware is controlled by firmware implemented in a controller module (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such conventional systems, the cooling fan is controlled by firmware, i.e., a type of application program, installed in a controller module. Therefore, for example, when changing to a different model of cooling fan, the contents of the application program must be rewritten, which is time-consuming. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a cooling fan control device and program that can control the operation of a cooling fan without changing the application program, even if the cooling fan is changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A cooling fan control device according to an embodiment controls the operation of a cooling fan connected to a control microcomputer by communicating with the control microcomputer, and includes a reading unit, a storage unit, an acquisition unit, and an operation control unit. The reading unit reads out a cooling fan control table stored in the control microcomputer. The storage unit stores the contents of the control table read out by the reading unit. The acquisition unit acquires the current ambient temperature and the current fan speed of the cooling fan from the control microcomputer. The operation control unit outputs a control command to the control microcomputer to control the cooling fan based on the ambient temperature, fan speed, and control table acquired by the acquisition unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of information between the cooling fan control device and the control microcomputer included in the electronic device of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of control characteristics registered in the control table of the cooling fan. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a cooling fan setting process performed by the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a cooling fan control process performed by the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Outline of cooling fan control system configuration) A schematic configuration of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0010] The electronic device 1 performs various electronic controls according to the purpose. For example, the electronic device 1 is a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal that performs various processes related to product transactions in a store, or a server device that is connected to multiple POS terminals and manages the multiple POS terminals and sales management in the store. However, the electronic device 1 is not limited to these.

[0011] The electronic device 1 is housed in a housing 2, and includes a control microcomputer 10, a cooling fan control device 30, and cooling fans 3, 4 and 5.

[0012] Since the control microcomputer 10 and the cooling fan control device 30 include heat generating elements such as a CPU and a memory device, they need to be appropriately cooled according to the ambient temperature inside the housing 2 in order to operate stably.

[0013] Cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 are used for such cooling. Cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 each include a fan that is rotated by a motor, and cool the inside of housing 2 by discharging air inside housing 2 to the outside of housing 2. Note that the number of cooling fans provided in electronic device 1 is not important.

[0014] The cooling fan control device 30 acquires from the control microcomputer 10 a control table 121 (see FIG. 2) in which control characteristics of a plurality of cooling fans including the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 are described. The cooling fan control device 30 also repeatedly acquires from the control microcomputer 10 an ambient temperature T inside the housing 2 measured by a temperature sensor 6, which will be described later, and fan speeds, which are the rotation speeds of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5. Furthermore, the cooling fan control device 30 issues a control command to the control microcomputer 10 to control the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5, based on the control table 121 of the currently connected cooling fans 3, 4, and 5, the ambient temperature inside the housing 2 acquired from the control microcomputer 10, and the fan speeds of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5.

[0015] The control microcomputer 10 outputs a cooling fan control table 121 stored therein to the cooling fan control device 30. The control microcomputer 10 also repeatedly outputs to the cooling fan control device 30 the ambient temperature inside the housing 2 measured by a temperature sensor and the fan speeds of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5. Furthermore, the control microcomputer 10 receives a control command from the cooling fan control device 30 and controls the operation of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5. This causes the control microcomputer 10, the cooling fan control device 30, etc. to be cooled.

[0016] The side of the housing 2 is provided with an air vent 8 which is an outlet for the air sucked in by the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 to be discharged to the outside of the housing 2, and a connector 9 which connects the electronic device 1 to a display device such as a monitor and an operating device such as a keyboard (not shown).

[0017] (Hardware configuration of electronic devices) The hardware configuration of the electronic device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device of the embodiment.

[0018] The electronic device 1 includes a cooling fan control device 30, a control microcomputer 10, a cooling fan 3, a cooling fan 4, and a cooling fan 5 connected to the control microcomputer 10, a temperature sensor 6, and a power switch .

[0019] The control microcomputer 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a cooling fan driver 14, a sensor interface 15, and a communication controller 16. The control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the cooling fan driver 14, and the sensor interface 15 are connected via an internal bus 13. The control microcomputer 10 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) board.

[0020] The control unit 11 controls the overall operation of the control microcomputer 10, and includes a CPU 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113. The CPU 111 is connected to the ROM 112 and the RAM 113 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 111 loads a control program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113. The CPU 111 controls the operation of the control microcomputer 10 by operating according to the control program loaded into the RAM 113. In other words, the control unit 11 has the configuration of a general computer.

[0021] The storage unit 12 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that is connected to the control unit 11 via an internal bus 13. The storage unit 12 may also be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 12 stores a control table 121. The storage unit 12 may further store a control program that operates the control unit 11.

[0022] The control table 121 is a table that describes the control characteristics of all cooling fans that may be connected to the control microcomputer 10. The control table 121 stores, for example, identification information that uniquely identifies the type of cooling fan, such as model information of the cooling fan, in association with the relationship between the ambient temperature T and the fan speed of the cooling fan. The fan speed of the cooling fan is represented, for example, by the duty ratio D of a drive pulse applied to a motor that drives the cooling fan. The control characteristics of the cooling fan will be described in detail later (see FIG. 4).

[0023] The cooling fan driver 14 is a drive circuit for the motors that drive the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5. The cooling fan driver 14 may include a different driver for each of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5, or one cooling fan driver 14 may drive multiple cooling fans.

[0024] The sensor interface 15 acquires the output of the temperature sensor 6 installed inside the housing 2 of the electronic device 1, that is, the atmospheric temperature T inside the housing 2, and passes it to the control unit 11.

[0025] The temperature sensor 6 is, for example, a thermistor. A thermistor is an element that changes its own resistance value according to the surrounding atmospheric temperature. There is no limit to the number of temperature sensors 6 that can be installed. That is, the temperature sensor 6 is installed in each area cooled by the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5.

[0026] The communication controller 16 controls communication between the control microcomputer 10 and the cooling fan control device 30 to receive and transmit various types of information between the control microcomputer 10 and the cooling fan control device 30 .

[0027] Moreover, the control unit 11 of the control microcomputer 10 receives a signal indicating that the power switch 7 has been turned on and starts its own operation. Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the control microcomputer 10 receives a signal indicating that the power switch 7 has been turned off and stops its own operation.

[0028] The cooling fan control device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication controller 34. The control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication controller 34 are connected via an internal bus 33.

[0029] The control unit 31 controls the overall operation of the cooling fan control device 30, and includes a CPU 311, a ROM 312, and a RAM 313. The CPU 311 is connected to the ROM 312 and the RAM 313 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 311 loads various programs stored in the ROM 312 and the storage unit 32 into the RAM 313. The CPU 311 operates according to the various programs loaded into the RAM 313 to control the operation of the cooling fan control device 30. That is, the control unit 31 has the configuration of a general computer.

[0030] The storage unit 32 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD that is connected to the control unit 31 via an internal bus 33. The storage unit 32 may also be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 32 stores a control program 321 and a control table 322.

[0031] The control program 321 is a program that controls the overall operation of the cooling fan control device 30. The control program 321 may be provided in a state stored in the storage unit 32, or may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD. The control program 321 may also be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network and downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the control program 321 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0032] The control table 322 is the control table 121 read out from the control microcomputer 10. In other words, the control table 322 is the same as the control table 121. In order to distinguish between the control table stored in the control microcomputer 10 and the control table read out by the cooling fan control device 30, different reference numerals will be used in the following explanation.

[0033] The communication controller 34 controls communication between the cooling fan control device 30 and the control microcomputer 10 to receive and transmit various types of information between the cooling fan control device 30 and the control microcomputer 10 .

[0034] (Information exchange between cooling fan control device and control microcomputer) The reception and transmission of various information between the cooling fan control device 30 and the control microcomputer 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of information between the cooling fan control device and the control microcomputer provided in the electronic device of the embodiment.

[0035] The control unit 31 of the cooling fan control device 30 includes a cooling fan control middleware 51 operated by a CPU 311 , a cooling fan setting tool 52 , and an input / output middleware 53 .

[0036] The cooling fan control middleware 51 acquires the control table 121 from the control microcomputer 10. In addition, the cooling fan control middleware 51 repeatedly acquires control parameters required for controlling the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 from the control microcomputer 10. The control parameters are, for example, the ambient temperature T inside the housing 2 measured by the temperature sensor 6 and the fan speeds of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5. In addition, the cooling fan control middleware 51 acquires the state of the power switch 7 from the control microcomputer 10.

[0037] In addition, the cooling fan control middleware 51 outputs a control command to the control microcomputer 10 to control the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5.

[0038] The cooling fan setting tool 52 is a software tool that sets the types of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 installed in the electronic device 1. The cooling fan setting tool 52 identifies the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 connected to the control microcomputer 10, and sets a control table to be used as a control target from among the control tables 121 stored in the storage unit 12.

[0039] The cooling fan setting tool 52 outputs cooling fan setting information that identifies the cooling fan to be controlled to the control microcomputer 10. In addition, the cooling fan setting tool 52 obtains information indicating that the setting of the cooling fan has been completed (setting completion information) from the control microcomputer 10.

[0040] The input / output middleware 53 controls the input / output of various information between the cooling fan control middleware 51 and the control microcomputer 10, as well as between the cooling fan setting tool 52 and the control microcomputer 10.

[0041] The control microcomputer 10 receives and transmits various types of information to and from the cooling fan control device 30 via the communication controller 16 described above.

[0042] The CPU 111 of the control microcomputer 10 accesses the control table 121 stored in the storage unit 12 and outputs the contents of the control table 121 to the cooling fan control middleware 51 .

[0043] Furthermore, when the CPU 111 of the control microcomputer 10 acquires the setting information of the cooling fan from the cooling fan setting tool 52, it accesses the control table 121 stored in the storage unit 12 and enables the corresponding cooling fan in the control table 121. Then, the CPU 111 returns setting completion information to the cooling fan setting tool 52, indicating that the setting of the cooling fan has been completed.

[0044] The CPU 111 provides the control command acquired from the cooling fan control middleware 51 to the cooling fan driver 14. The control command is, for example, information for identifying the cooling fan and a duty ratio D of a drive pulse applied to the cooling fan.

[0045] The cooling fan driver 14 generates a pulse waveform with the specified duty ratio D based on the control command received from the CPU 111, and drives the cooling fan 3 with the generated pulse waveform. The CPU 111 issues control commands to all the cooling fans connected to the control microcomputer 10 via the cooling fan driver 14. Note that a cooling fan driver 14 may be provided for each cooling fan.

[0046] Furthermore, the CPU 111 repeatedly acquires the fan speed of the cooling fan 3 via the cooling fan driver 14. Specifically, the CPU 111 repeatedly acquires the duty ratio D of the drive pulse output to the cooling fan 3 from the cooling fan driver 14. The duty ratio D of the drive pulse indicates the fan speed of the cooling fan 3 at that time. That is, the larger the duty ratio D of the drive pulse, the higher the fan speed, and the smaller the duty ratio D of the drive pulse, the lower the fan speed. The CPU 111 repeatedly acquires the fan speeds (duty ratios D) from all the cooling fans connected to the control microcomputer 10. The CPU 111 may acquire the fan speed itself.

[0047] Furthermore, the CPU 111 repeatedly acquires the ambient temperature T inside the housing 2 from the temperature sensor 6. Since a plurality of temperature sensors are installed inside the housing 2, the CPU 111 acquires the ambient temperatures T from all of the temperature sensors.

[0048] Furthermore, the CPU 111 acquires the state of the power switch 7 from the power switch 7. The state of the power switch 7 is information indicating whether the power switch 7 is on or off. The CPU 111 may acquire information indicating that the power switch 7 has switched from off to on and information indicating that the power switch 7 has switched from on to off, i.e., information indicating that the switch state has changed.

[0049] The CPU 111 associates all of the ambient temperature T inside the housing 2 acquired from the temperature sensor and all of the fan speeds (duty ratio D) of the cooling fans with the time when each is acquired, and repeatedly outputs them to the cooling fan control middleware 51. Note that the ambient temperature T is output in association with which temperature sensor measured the value. Also, the fan speed is output in association with which cooling fan's fan speed it is. Note that the repetition time for outputting the ambient temperature T and the fan speed is set according to the processing capacity of the control microcomputer 10.

[0050] Also, the CPU 111 outputs the state of the power switch 7 to the cooling fan control middleware 51.

[0051] (Control Characteristics of Cooling Fans) Using FIG. 4, the control characteristics registered in the control table 121 of the cooling fans will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the control characteristics registered in the control table of the cooling fans.

[0052] The cooling fans 3, 4, 5,... rotate at a fan speed corresponding to the ambient temperature T in the vicinity of the cooling fans 3, 4, 5,... to cool the heat-generating bodies in the vicinity of the cooling fans 3, 4, 5,.... The fan speed is determined by the duty ratio D of the drive pulse applied to the motor that rotationally drives the cooling fans 3, 4, 5,....

[0053] The duty ratio D is, for example, the ratio of the on-time p to the time t of one cycle of the drive pulse. That is, D = p / t. The larger the duty ratio D, that is, the larger the ratio of the on-time p to the time t of one cycle of the drive pulse, the higher the fan speed.

[0054] According to the control characteristics shown in Fig. 4, when the ambient temperature T is below 25°C, the cooling fan is driven by a drive pulse with a duty ratio D = 30%. When the ambient temperature T is 55°C or higher, the cooling fan is driven by a drive pulse with a duty ratio D = 70%. Since the fan speed of the cooling fan is approximately proportional to the duty ratio D, in the example of Fig. 4, when the ambient temperature T is 55°C or higher, the cooling fan rotates at approximately twice the speed when the ambient temperature T is below 25°C.

[0055] When the ambient temperature T is equal to or higher than 25°C and lower than 55°C, the cooling fan is driven by a drive pulse having a duty ratio D that is linearly interpolated between 30% and 70% within the range of the ambient temperature T. That is, the duty ratio D is expressed by the formula (1).

[0056] D = (4T-10) / 3…(1)

[0057] The control characteristics of the cooling fans are not limited to the example in FIG. 4, and different control characteristics are set for each cooling fan and stored in the control table 121.

[0058] (Functional configuration of cooling fan control device) The functional configuration of the cooling fan control device 30 included in the electronic device 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment.

[0059] The control unit 31 of the cooling fan control device 30 reads out the control program 321, deploys it in the RAM 313, and executes it to realize, as functional parts, a control table reading unit 41, a cooling fan setting unit 42, a control table storage unit 43, a control parameter acquisition unit 44, a control command unit 45, a control microcomputer state acquisition unit 46, and a communication control unit 47, all of which are shown in Fig. 5. Note that all or part of these functional parts may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0060] The control table reading unit 41 reads out the control table 121 in which the control characteristics of the cooling fans 3, 4, 5, ... are described, which is stored in the control microcomputer 10. The control table reading unit 41 is an example of a reading unit in the present disclosure.

[0061] The cooling fan setting unit 42 sets the control table 121 to be used as a control target by the control command unit 45 from among the control tables 121 stored in the control table storage unit 43. Note that the cooling fan setting unit 42 is an example of a setting unit in the present disclosure.

[0062] The control table storage unit 43 stores the contents of the control table 121 read by the control table reading unit 41. The control table storage unit 43 is an example of a storage unit in the present disclosure.

[0063] The control parameter acquisition unit 44 acquires the ambient temperature T and the duty ratio D (fan speed) of the cooling fans 3, 4, 5, ... in association with each other from the control microcomputer 10. The control parameter acquisition unit 44 is an example of an acquisition unit in the present disclosure.

[0064] The control command unit 45 outputs a control command to the control microcomputer 10 to control the cooling fans 3, 4, 5, ... based on the ambient temperature T and the duty ratio D (fan speed) acquired by the control parameter acquisition unit 44, and the control table 121. The control command unit 45 is an example of an operation control unit in the present disclosure.

[0065] The control microcomputer state acquisition unit 46 acquires the power supply state of the control microcomputer 10 .

[0066] The communication control unit 47 controls the communication between the control microcomputer 10 and the cooling fan control device 30 .

[0067] (Flow of cooling fan setting process performed by the cooling fan control device) The flow of the cooling fan setting process performed by the cooling fan control device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the cooling fan setting process performed by the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment.

[0068] The operator starts up the cooling fan setting tool 52 that runs on the cooling fan control device 30, and causes it to carry out the following processes.

[0069] The control table reading unit 41 reads the control table 121 stored in the storage unit 12 of the control microcomputer 10 (step S11).

[0070] The cooling fan setting unit 42 acquires identification information of the cooling fan to be set as the control target (step S12). Specifically, the cooling fan setting unit 42 prompts the operator to input information for identifying the cooling fan to be the control target (for example, the model of the cooling fan, etc.).

[0071] The cooling fan setting unit 42 judges whether or not the control table for the corresponding cooling fan is included in the control table 121 read by the control table reading unit 41 (step S13). If it is judged that the control table for the corresponding cooling fan is included (step S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if it is not judged that the control table for the corresponding cooling fan is included (step S13: No), the process proceeds to step S15.

[0072] If it is determined in step S13 that there is a corresponding control table for the cooling fan, the cooling fan setting unit 42 sets the corresponding control table as the control table for the cooling fan to be controlled (step S14). After that, the cooling fan control device 30 ends the process of FIG. 6.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that there is no corresponding cooling fan control table, the cooling fan setting unit 42 outputs an alert to indicate that there is no corresponding control table (step S15). After this, the cooling fan control device 30 may end the process of Fig. 6, or may return to step S12 to prompt the operator to re-input.

[0074] When the cooling fan control device 30 controls a plurality of cooling fans, the cooling fan setting tool 52 sets the plurality of cooling fans to be controlled in step S14.

[0075] (Flow of cooling fan control process performed by the cooling fan control device) The flow of the cooling fan control process performed by the cooling fan control device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a cooling fan control process performed by the cooling fan control device included in the electronic device of the embodiment.

[0076] The operator starts up the cooling fan control middleware 51 that runs on the cooling fan control device 30, and causes it to carry out the following processes.

[0077] The cooling fan setting unit 42 determines whether the cooling fan to be controlled has been set (step S21). If it is determined that the cooling fan to be controlled has been set (step S21: Yes), the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the cooling fan to be controlled has been set (step S21: No), the process proceeds to step S27.

[0078] When it is determined in step S21 that the cooling fan to be controlled has been set, the control microcomputer state acquisition unit 46 determines whether the control microcomputer 10 is powered on (step S22). If it is determined that the control microcomputer 10 is powered on (step S22: Yes), the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the control microcomputer 10 is powered on (step S22: No), the cooling fan control device 30 ends the process of FIG.

[0079] If it is determined in step S22 that the control microcomputer 10 is powered on, the control parameter acquisition unit 44 acquires the control parameters (ambient temperature T and fan speed (duty ratio D)) from the control microcomputer 10 (step S23).

[0080] The control command unit 45 determines whether the fan speed (duty ratio D) acquired in step S23 matches the ambient temperature T acquired in association with the fan speed (step S24). If it is determined that the fan speed matches the ambient temperature T acquired in association with the fan speed (step S24: Yes), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the fan speed matches the ambient temperature T acquired in association with the fan speed (step S24: No), the process proceeds to step S26. Note that when the cooling fan control device 30 controls multiple cooling fans, the control command unit 45 performs the determination in step S24 for each cooling fan.

[0081] If it is not determined in step S24 that the fan speed matches the ambient temperature T acquired in association with the fan speed, the control command unit 45 instructs the control microcomputer 10 to change the fan speed (step S26). Specifically, the control command unit 45 instructs the control microcomputer 10 to execute a fan speed (duty ratio D) that matches the ambient temperature T. Then, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0082] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the fan speed matches the ambient temperature T acquired in association with the fan speed, the control microcomputer state acquisition unit 46 determines whether the power supply to the control microcomputer 10 has been cut off (step S25). If it is determined that the power supply to the control microcomputer 10 has been cut off (step S25: Yes), the cooling fan control device 30 ends the process in Fig. 7. On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S25 that the power supply to the control microcomputer 10 has been cut off (step S25: No), the process returns to step S23.

[0083] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the cooling fan control device 30 of the embodiment communicates with the control microcomputer 10 to control the operation of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 connected to the control microcomputer 10, and includes a control table reading unit 41 (reading unit) that reads out a control table 121 in which control characteristics of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 are described and stored in the control microcomputer 10, a control table storage unit 43 (storage unit) that stores the contents of the control table 121 read out by the control table reading unit 41, a control parameter acquisition unit 44 (acquisition unit) that acquires from the control microcomputer 10 the ambient temperature T and the fan speeds of the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 in association with each other, and a control command unit 45 (operation control unit) that outputs a control command to the control microcomputer 10 to control the cooling fans 3, 4, and 5 based on the ambient temperature T and the fan speed acquired by the control parameter acquisition unit 44 and the control table 121. Therefore, even if the cooling fan is changed, the operation of the cooling fan can be controlled without changing the application program.

[0084] In the cooling fan control device 30 of the embodiment, the control table 121 describes the control characteristics of a plurality of cooling fans that may be connected to the control microcomputer 10 in association with the identification information of the cooling fans. Therefore, in addition to the cooling fans that are actually connected, the control characteristics of cooling fans that may be connected can be stored in advance. This makes it possible to quickly change the control characteristics when the cooling fan is changed.

[0085] The cooling fan control device 30 of the embodiment further includes a cooling fan setting unit 42 (setting unit) that sets a control table 121 to be used as a control target by a control command unit 45 (operation control unit) from among the control tables 121 stored in a control table storage unit 43 (storage unit) by identifying a cooling fan connected to the control microcomputer 10. Therefore, it is possible to easily set the cooling fan to be controlled.

[0086] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the cooling fan is controlled by the cooling fan control device 30, but if the control characteristics of the cooling fan are simple, the control microcomputer 10 may directly control the cooling fan. However, even in such a case, if more complex control is set using the cooling fan setting tool 52, the cooling fan control device 30 is made to control the cooling fan. In that case, the control by the control microcomputer 10 is disabled.

[0087] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Electronic equipment 2. Chassis 3,4,5 Cooling Fan 6 Temperature Sensor 7 Power Switch 8 Ventilation holes 9 Connectors 10 Control microcomputer 11 Control section 12 Storage section 121 Control Table 13 Internal Bus 14 Cooling Fan Driver 15 Sensor Interface 16 Communication Controller 30 Cooling fan control device 31 Control Unit 311 CPU 312 ROM 313 RAM 32 Storage section 321 Control Program 322 Control Table 33 Internal Bus 34 Communication Controller 41 Control table reading unit (reading unit) 42 Cooling fan setting section (setting section) 43 Control table memory unit (memory unit) 44 Control parameter acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 45 Control command section (operation control section) 46 Control microcomputer status acquisition section 47 Communication control section 51 Cooling fan control middleware 52 Cooling fan setting tool 53 Input / Output Middleware D Duty ratio T Ambient temperature [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0089] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-157784 A

Claims

1. A cooling fan control device that controls the operation of a cooling fan connected to a control microcomputer by communicating with the control microcomputer, comprising: a reading unit that reads a control table stored in the control microcomputer and describing the control characteristics of the cooling fan; a storage unit that stores the content of the control table read by the reading unit; an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control microcomputer, the ambient temperature and the fan speed of the cooling fan in association with each other; and an operation control unit that outputs a control command for controlling the cooling fan to the control microcomputer based on the ambient temperature and the fan speed acquired by the acquisition unit and the control table. Cooling fan control device.

2. In the control table, the control characteristics of a plurality of cooling fans that may be connected to the control microcomputer and the identification information of the cooling fans are described in association with each other. The cooling fan control device according to Claim 1.

3. The cooling fan control device according to Claim 2, further comprising a setting unit that sets a control table to be used by the operation control unit as a control target from among the control tables stored in the storage unit by identifying the cooling fan connected to the control microcomputer. The cooling fan control device according to Claim 2.

4. A program that causes a computer that controls the operation of a cooling fan connected to a control microcomputer by communicating with the control microcomputer to function as: a reading unit that reads a control table stored in the control microcomputer and describing the control characteristics of the cooling fan; a storage unit that stores the content of the control table read by the reading unit; an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control microcomputer, the ambient temperature and the fan speed of the cooling fan in association with each other; and an operation control unit that outputs a control command for controlling the cooling fan to the control microcomputer based on the ambient temperature and the fan speed acquired by the acquisition unit and the control table. ​

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