Peripheral Cooling Subsystem for External Device Heat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for computing devices are inadequate in managing waste heat generated by peripheral devices external to the device's housing, as they are primarily designed to cool internal components and do not effectively extend their cooling capabilities to external peripherals.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a cooling subsystem and controller that uses a communication interface to generate and distribute airflow or liquid flow to cool peripheral devices, allowing for flexible cooling of external peripherals through a communication interface, such as HDMI, and incorporating sensors to adjust cooling based on temperature readings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling system is designed to cool internal components only, then the internal components are kept within temperature limits, but peripheral devices externally coupled cannot be cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to serve multiple functions: it cools both internal computing device components and externally coupled peripheral devices through the same airflow generation and distribution infrastructure. The housing acts as both a structural enclosure and a cooling distribution network, with openings positioned to direct cooled air to both internal and external devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing and its openings serve as an intermediary medium that transfers cooled air from the internal cooling system to external peripheral devices. The airflow distribution system uses the housing structure itself as a conduit to deliver cooling effect to devices that are externally coupled but thermally connected through the communication interface.
2Device complexity
If the cooling subsystem components are placed inside the housing, then thermal management is integrated, but access and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling subsystem is segmented into distinct functional modules: airflow generation devices (fans), airflow distribution structures (openings in housing), and temperature sensing elements. This segmentation allows individual components to be accessed, replaced, or maintained independently while preserving the integrated cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
Key cooling components such as fans and airflow distribution elements are positioned or designed to be extractable from the housing. The housing openings and component mounting structures enable removal of cooling subsystem elements for maintenance or replacement without disassembling the entire device.
3Temperature
If airflow is distributed to cool peripheral devices, then peripheral devices are cooled, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system merges the cooling of internal components and external peripheral devices into a single unified airflow system. The same airflow generation devices and housing structure serve both cooling purposes simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and reducing total energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure itself serves dual purposes: as the structural enclosure and as the airflow distribution network. The openings in the housing automatically direct airflow to peripheral devices based on their position, eliminating the need for additional active control mechanisms or energy-consuming components.
4Productivity
If temperature sensing and control are implemented, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensing elements are positioned within the housing to detect thermal conditions of both internal components and externally coupled peripheral devices. The sensed temperature information feeds back to control the airflow generation devices, creating a closed-loop system that automatically adjusts cooling output based on actual thermal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensing and control system serves multiple monitoring functions simultaneously: it tracks temperatures of internal computing components and external peripheral devices through the same sensor network and control logic, improving overall system cooling efficiency without requiring separate control systems.
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
Effectively cools peripheral devices by generating controlled airflow or liquid flow, ensuring they operate within permissible temperature limits, even when external to the device's housing, enhancing the overall thermal management of computing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a fan configured to generate the air flow, and an air flow distribution device to distribute the air flow towards the cooling space
Implementation Method 2
A cooling system is required to remove the waste heat produced by the components, to keep components within permissible operating temperature limits
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for reducing the temperature of a peripheral device to a computing device. A controller can generate a control signal to operate a cooling subsystem to generate an air flow and distribute the air flow over the peripheral device. The controller can receive an indication signal from the peripheral device, generate the control signal based on the received indication signal, and control the cooling subsystem by the control signal to distribute the air flow to a cooling space including the peripheral device and a portion of the computing device including the communication interface. The computing device can further include a sensor configured to sense a temperature within the cooling space, where the controller can be configured to generate the control signal based on the temperature sensed by the sensor.