Computer system having thermal sensing with dual voltage sources for sensor stabilization
US6101610A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 8, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/206
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer system employs a thermal sensor in the main CPU housing to detect operating temperature. If a preselected trip point is reached indicating that overheating may be about to occur, the system goes into an orderly shutdown mode. A standby mode uses a low-power service processor which continues to operate even when the main unit is shut down. The service processor has limited functions, including detecting temperature within the main housing, and communicating by a network with a system administrator unit and reporting on the temperature in the main housing, and on the operating status of the main unit. A mechanism is provided to prevent the main processor unit from being unnecessarily shut down when the operating temperature is near but not beyond the trip point, as may occur due to variations in the power supply voltage and the voltage-dependence of the thermal sensor. This mechanism employs voltage stabilization of the supply for the thermal sensor when the computer is in its standard operating mode and the power supply for the main processor unit is running. Here the sensor is supplied from a precision voltage reference of a high degree of accuracy. However, when enterin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.