Thermal Module Interface for Adaptive Computing Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices face challenges in managing thermal energy generated by high-performance electronic components, which can lead to component damage due to elevated temperatures, and existing solutions are often manufacturer-specific and costly to program.
Innovation Solution
A thermal module that communicates with various electronic components to assess their capabilities, dynamically creates a registry of components, and adjusts power and thermal settings through a unified interface, allowing for two-way communication and adaptive control, independent of component provenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If increasing the performance of electronic components (CPU, GPU, system memory, power supply, displays, communication devices), then the computing power and functionality are improved, but the amount of thermal energy generated increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a thermal management system that continuously monitors thermal energy generation from electronic components and dynamically adjusts their operation. Sensors detect temperature levels and feed this information back to a control mechanism that modulates component performance, creating a closed-loop system that balances computing demands with thermal constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of electronic components based on thermal conditions. When thermal energy exceeds thresholds, the system adjusts voltage, clock speed, or power delivery parameters to reduce heat generation while maintaining acceptable performance levels.
2Reliability
If using manufacturer-specific thermal management solutions, then thermal control for specific components can be optimized, but the programming cost and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal thermal management interface that can control multiple types of electronic components from different manufacturers through a single standardized system. The interface abstracts component-specific details, allowing one thermal management module to handle CPUs, GPUs, memory, displays, and communication devices regardless of their original manufacturers, thereby reducing programming complexity while maintaining effective thermal control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of thermal and power control in a computing device includes, at the computing device, initializing a thermal module of the computing device, receiving data at the thermal module from a first component assigned to an interface of the thermal module, and sending an output to a second component from the thermal module based on the data. Initializing the thermal module includes detecting a presence of a plurality of potential components of the computing device; querying each of the plurality of potential components to determine capabilities of each component; in response to the querying, for each of at least a subset of the plurality of potential components receiving identification information for the component and, based on the received identification information, configuring one or more interfaces of the plurality of predefined interfaces of the thermal module to establish communication with the subset of components.