System and method for estimating ambient temperature of a portable computing device using a voice coil

US9341520B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• QUALCOMM Incorporated · US

Inventors

• Unnikrishnan Vadakkanmaruveedu · Chandler, US
• Zenghui Zhao · San Diego, US
• Vinay Mitter · San Diego, US
• Roy Benjamin Silverstein · San Diego, US
• Ankur Jain · Bengaluru, IN
• Jon James Anderson · Boulder, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 16, 2013
• Grant date: May 17, 2016
• Expiry date: Aug 8, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F1/206
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and systems for estimating environmental ambient temperature of a portable computing device (“PCD”) from electrical resistance measurements taken voice coils in a speaker or microphone component are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, it may be recognized that the PCD is in an idle state, thus producing little or no thermal energy. Electrical resistance measurements are taken from a voice coil and used to estimate the environmental ambient temperature to which the PCD is exposed. Certain embodiments may simply render the estimated ambient temperature for the benefit of the user or use the estimated ambient temperature as an input to a program or application running on the PCD. It is envisioned that certain embodiments of the systems and methods may use the estimated ambient temperature to adjust temperature thresholds in the PCD against which thermal management policies govern thermally aggressive processing components.