External Cooling Dock for Mobile Device Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile computing devices have limited internal space for cooling elements, restricting their cooling capabilities and performance enhancements, such as overclocking, due to restricted cooling capacity.
Innovation Solution
A docking station with external cooling elements, including thermoelectric cold plates and liquid-cooled systems, thermally couples with the mobile device to enhance cooling through a thermal interface, allowing for increased heat dissipation and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If internal cooling elements are added to mobile computing devices to improve cooling capacity, then cooling performance is improved, but device volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the cooling capacity from the internal dimension of the mobile device to an external dimension by docking with a docking station. The mobile device maintains its compact form factor while gaining access to the docking station's larger cooling elements (heat sinks, fans, liquid cooling systems) when docked, effectively adding cooling capacity without increasing the mobile device's volume.
2Speed
If overclocking is implemented to improve performance, then processing speed is improved, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station acts as an intermediary that absorbs the harmful thermal byproduct of overclocking. When the mobile device is docked and overclocked, the docking station's cooling systems (heat sinks, fans, liquid cooling) serve as an external thermal management intermediary that dissipates the excess heat generated by high-speed processing, enabling sustained overclocking without thermal damage.
3Temperature
If internal cooling elements are added to improve cooling capacity, then heat dissipation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex cooling subsystem (heat sinks, fans, liquid cooling systems, thermal management controls) from the mobile device and relocates it to the docking station. The mobile device retains only essential components, while the docking station houses the elaborate cooling infrastructure, thereby reducing mobile device complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The external cooling solution increases the mobile device's cooling capacity, enabling higher overclocking and performance capabilities while reducing the risk of heat-induced damage, thereby enhancing reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal interface housed in the docking platform for transferring heat between the mobile computing device and the cooling element
Implementation Method 2
In some implementations, the cooling element includes a thermoelectric cold plate
Implementation Method 3
In some implementations, the liquid-cooled cooling element forms a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger with the docked mobile computing device
Data Source
AI summary
A docking station for secondary external cooling for mobile computing devices, including: one or more ports for docking a mobile computing device; a docking platform for supporting the mobile computing device; a cooling element; and a thermal interface housed in the docking platform for transferring heat between the mobile computing device and the cooling element.