The present invention relates to a system and a method for moderating a computer fan speed, and more particularly to a system and a method for moderating a computer fan speed by extending the response time of a temperature signal.
As the operation clock of electronic components becomes increasingly faster, tremendous heat energies are produced during the operation of the electronic components, particularly microprocessors (CPU) which is usually operated with the highest clock in an electronic apparatus. To timely dissipate the heat and lower the temperature of the microprocessor, a computer device usually installs a fan to enhance the air flow, and the fan speed can be adjusted dynamically in response to the temperature of the microprocessor to achieve a better heat dissipating effect and a better power saving. If the temperature of a microprocessor changes suddenly, when the microprocessor in an idle status receives a large quantity of high-priority operating instructions and has to raise the operation clock for the immediate processing, then the fan speed will be adjusted to its highest speed instantly such as an increase up to 5000 revolutions per minute (rpm) in 0.5 second. After the instructions are processed, the operation clock of the microprocessor will drop, and the temperature of the microprocessor will also drop, and thus the fan speed will be adjusted to a lower speed accordingly, such as a decrease to 2000 rpm within 0.5 second. Although the fan can provide a better heat dissipating effect when the fan is adjusted to a high speed, a spike noise causing a nuisance to users is produced.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention, based on years of experience in the related industry in conducting extensive research and experiments, finally developed a system and a method for moderating computer fan speed in accordance with the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a system and a method for moderating computer fan speed to reduce spike noises.
To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides a system for moderating fan speed, and the system applicable for a computer device comprises a temperature sensor, a fan and an adjustment circuit. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of a heat source and generates a temperature signal based on the temperature. The adjustment circuit is installed between the temperature sensor and the fan for receiving the temperature signal, extending the response time of the temperature signal, and outputting an adjusted temperature signal to the fan, such that the fan can adjust its speed based on the adjusted temperature signal.
The present invention also provides a method for moderating computer fan speed, and the method is applicable for a computer device, which comprises a fan and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of a heat source to generate a temperature signal. The method is characterized in that the response time of the temperature signal is extended to generate an adjusted temperature signal to the fan, and the fan adjusts its speed based on the adjusted temperature signal.
In summation of the description above, the system and method for moderating fan speed in accordance with the present invention have the following advantages:
(1) The system and method can lower the extent of changes of a fan speed to reduce nuisance caused by spike noises.
(2) The system and method does not affect the heat dissipating effect of a fan.
To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objective of the invention, its structure, innovative features, and performance, we use a preferred embodiment together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the invention.
A system and a method for moderating computer fan speed in accordance with the present invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts.
Referring to
The aforementioned temperature signal 111 is preferably a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and the adjustment circuit 13 further includes an integration circuit (or a low-pass circuit) and a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit. The integration circuit comprises at least one resistor and at least one capacitor, so the extent of response time of the temperature signal 111 can be adjusted by changing the value of the resistor and the capacitor.
The adjustment circuit 13 extends the response time of the temperature signal 111 to avoid nuisance produced by the fast speed of the fan when the temperature of the computer device 10 is changed suddenly. For instance, a large quantity of high-priority operating instructions is received when the microprocessor is in an idle status, the operation clock will be raised to complete the operation within a second, such that the temperature of the microprocessor may increase from 30 degrees to 50 degrees within 0.5 second. In the prior art, the speed of the fan 12 is increased from 2000 rpm to 5000 rpm within 0.5 second, and the sudden change of the speed results in the appearance of noise. With the system for moderating fan speed of the present invention, the adjustment circuit 13 adjusts the response time of the temperature signal 111 to four times as long. In other words, the adjusted temperature signal 131 received by the fan 12 represents that the temperature is increased from 30 degrees to 50 degrees within 2 seconds. Therefore, the speed of the fan 12 can be increased from 2000 rpm to 5000 rpm within 2 seconds, and the change of speed becomes moderate, and the noise can be reduced.
Referring to
In
It is noteworthy to point out that the adjustment circuit 23 of this embodiment is used as an example for the illustration, but the present invention is not limited to such arrangement only, but any equivalent circuit also falls within the scope of the present invention.
Referring to
Step 50: using a temperature sensor 21 to detect a temperature of a heat source and generate a temperature PWM signal 211 based on the temperature, and the heat source may come from a microprocessor, a hard disk or a chipset;
Step 51: using the integration circuit 232 to generate the integration voltage value corresponding to the temperature PWM signal 211, wherein the integration cycle of the integration circuit 232 is designed to be four times of the cycle of the temperature PWM signal;
Step 52: using the PWM circuit 233 to generate an adjusted temperature PWM signal 231 based on the integration voltage value and output the adjusted temperature PWM signal 231 to the fan 22; and
Step 53: adjusting the speed of the fan 22 based on the temperature PWM signal 231.
By means of the integration circuit 232 and the PWM circuit 233, the response time of the temperature PWM signal 211 can be extended, and designers can change the integration cycle of the integration circuit 232 for adjusting the response time. For example, the resistance or the capacitance in the integration circuit 232 can be changed to achieve the desired extent of extending the response time.
While the invention has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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096117404 | May 2007 | TW | national |