Headset Jack Heat Pipe Interface for Mobile Device Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-performance electronic devices face overheating issues due to increased heat generation from powerful processors, leading to performance limitations, charging problems, and safety concerns, especially when used in environments like car docks where heat dissipation is inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A mobile computing device dock station with a headset jack-heat pipe interface that uses the headset jack as a thermal conduit to transfer heat from the device to an external heat exchanger, effectively dissipating heat without requiring new holes in the device's housing, utilizing a heat pipe to connect the processor directly to an external heat sink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-performance processors are installed in mobile devices, then processing power and application performance are improved, but heat generation increases causing overheating and performance throttling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the mobile device itself by using the headset jack as a thermal conduit to transfer heat to an external heat sink. This separates the heat generation (inside the device) from heat dissipation (external to the device), allowing high-performance processors to operate without being constrained by internal thermal management limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary thermal management system consisting of the headset jack-modified with a heat pipe, external housing, and heat sink. This intermediary system acts as a bridge between the processor and the external environment, efficiently transferring heat away from the device without requiring modifications to the processor or internal device structure.
2Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used within the device, then some heat is dissipated, but the device structure is compromised and additional cooling components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the headset jack multi-functional by giving it both its original audio transmission function and a new thermal conduction function. The heat pipe integrated into the headset jack serves dual purposes: maintaining structural integrity of the jack while acting as an efficient thermal conduit. This eliminates the need for dedicated cooling components inside the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the device to utilize external accessories (headset jack and external housing) for heat dissipation instead of requiring self-contained cooling systems. The external housing with heat sink provides passive cooling without requiring power consumption or active components within the mobile device itself.
3Ease of operation
If the device is placed in a car dock environment, then convenience is improved, but heat dissipation becomes inadequate due to enclosed space and thermal radiation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the heat dissipation function from the internal three-dimensional space of the device to an external dimension by using the headset jack as a thermal pathway. The external housing with heat sink provides a new thermal management dimension outside the car dock enclosure, bypassing the thermal constraints of the enclosed dock environment.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If surface temperature limits are enforced to protect user safety, then user safety is improved, but processor performance must be throttled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the device interior to the exterior environment through the headset jack interface. By routing heat away from internal components and dissipating it externally, the system maintains safe surface temperatures while allowing the processor to operate at full performance levels without thermal throttling.
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
This solution significantly reduces the die temperature of the processor from 113°C to 70°C, enhancing device performance, improving battery charging, and ensuring safe operation by effective heat management.
Implementation Method 1
A mobile computing device dock station with a headset jack-heat pipe interface for help cooling an electronic communications device
Implementation Method 2
Heat can be transferred in three different ways: convection, radiation, and conduction. Conduction of heat is transferred in a solid, such as in a heat sink.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved electronic communications system 100 features a holder assembly 104 such as a mobile computing device dock station 106 and dock heat exchanger providing an external heat sink 162 which when coupled with a user-friendly heat transfer device 164 such as a heat pipe can transfer heat from internal electronic components 146, 148 and 154 and an internal heat sink 157 of an electronic communications device 102, such as a cellular phone or mobile computing device, via a special headset jack-heat pipe interface 167 to help cool the electronic communications device 102. The electronic communications device 102 can also include one or more thermal couplings 158-160 for coupling and providing a thermal pathway(s) from at least one of the internal electronic components 146, 148 and 154 to the internal heat sink 157.