For Heating Or Cooling Patents (Class 700/300)
  • Publication number: 20140222242
    Abstract: An apparatus for adaptive thermal management of a device with user configuration capability, including a secure memory configured to store a thermal management policy; thermal monitoring circuitry configured to monitor thermal states associated with one or more sensor sub-systems of the device; and policy enforcement circuitry configured to implement the stored thermal management policy in response to the monitored thermal state violating a thermal threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventors: Rajesh Poornachandran, Selim Aissi
  • Patent number: 8798774
    Abstract: Each of the water heaters 1 performs a master and slave setting process that transmits prescribed response data to the other water heaters 1 via a communication line 8 at a timing according to its own identification number and different from those of the other water heaters in a prescribed master and slave setting time period, that sets the water heater itself to slave in a case of receiving the response data from another water heater 1 assigned with an identification number having a priority higher than its own identification number in the master and slave setting time period, and that sets the water heater itself to master in a case of not receiving the response data from another water heater assigned with an identification number having a priority higher than its own identification number in the master and slave setting time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Mori, Yukihiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8793003
    Abstract: A method and a system control an operation of a vapor compression system using a set of control inputs. A control value is determined based on an output of the operation of the vapor compression system and a setpoint for the operation of the vapor compression system. The control value is used to select at least a subset of the set of control inputs from a computer-readable medium, wherein the subset of control inputs, along or in combination with a function of the control value, forms the set of control inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Laughman, Daniel Nikolaev Nikovski
  • Patent number: 8791595
    Abstract: In a server management method, a blade server system including a plurality of blade servers is connected to a monitor device in series. The monitor device sends a command to the server system to control the plurality of blade servers. The plurality of blade servers responds to the command. The monitor device receives information from the server system to monitor and control the plurality of blade servers. A server monitor system associated with the server monitor method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu-Hsien Chou, Kang-Bin Wang, Li-Wen Guo, Bi-Hui Tan
  • Patent number: 8793030
    Abstract: The present invention provides with a power saving method for the electrical heating food processing device of temperature-controlled, which applied the thermal sensor dynamic senses the temperature of the heater; and the microprocessor judges that whether the real-time sensed temperature signal is within the corresponding temperature interval, then deals with the data. The microprocessor judges that whether the continuous-time length of the corresponding temperature interval exceeds the preset time threshold on the basis of the judgment of the temperature interval. If does, reduce the temperature or shutdown the power, otherwise return to the normal working mode. It realizes automatically temperature reduction and automatically shutdown when the food processing device is unused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Tsann Kuen (Zhangzhou) Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hwaihsiang Kuo
  • Patent number: 8788111
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to identifying a target fan connected to a computing device. In example embodiments, the target fan may be identified based on a fan speed profile of the target fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen G Uhlmann, Robert Lee Crane
  • Publication number: 20140200732
    Abstract: A host controller is incorporated with a plurality of different pieces of control software which are applicable to a plurality of destinations for a cooling blower to cool a main battery incorporated in a vehicle. The host controller transmits a destination-signal request pattern for requesting a destination signal pattern to specify the determinations for the cooling blower, to a motor control device by means of a PWM signal. Upon receiving the destination-signal request pattern, the motor control device transmits the destination signal pattern to the host controller. The host controller specifies one of the destinations for the cooling blower from the received destination signal pattern, and then changes over the control software to the control software applicable to the specified destination for the cooling blower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daisuke Sato
  • Publication number: 20140200731
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes one or more systems, methods, routines and/or techniques for thermal management. One or more systems, methods, routines and/or techniques may provide advice or guidance (e.g., to a repair technician) regarding how to perform a hot bond repair, for example, on an aircraft component that has been damaged. The thermal management advisor may provide advice or guidance regarding how to prepare a repair field prior to running a thermal survey. For example, thermal management advisor may recommend a particular heat blanket, a configuration of the heat blanket, placement of various temperature sensors and other preparation guidance. The thermal management advisor may provide advice or guidance regarding how to alter or manage the repair setup during a thermal survey and during the actual curing process. For example, thermal management advisor may recommend particular temperature sensors or areas of the repair field that should be insulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: Michael W. Evens, Joseph Lawrence Hafenrichter, Joel Patrick Baldwin, Ronald G. Turner, Megan N. Watson
  • Patent number: 8781634
    Abstract: In an air conditioning system and a communication method thereof a wireless network may be established between indoor units and a controller or between outdoor units so as to allow communications therebetween, thereby facilitating device addition or device deletion. Also, one or more outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units may be controlled without a dedicated communication line or with using a less mount of the dedicated communication line, and the outdoor units or indoor units may perform communications using one or more communication technologies, such as wireless communication and pipe communication technologies and wireless communication and dedicated line communication technologies, while performing communications with the controller using the wireless communication technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Juntae Kim, Sangchul Youn
  • Patent number: 8781641
    Abstract: A system and method for throttling a slave component of a computer system to reduce an overall temperature of the computing system upon receiving a first signal is disclosed. The first signal may be from a master component indicating that a temperature for the master component has exceeded its threshold temperature. The slave component may send a second signal to indicate that a temperature for the slave component has exceeded its temperature. The master component would then initiate throttling of the master component to reduce the overall temperature of the computing system. The master component may be throttled to a degree less than the slave component. A first component may be designated the master component and the second component may be designated the slave component based on a selection policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Eric C. Samson, John William Horigan, Robert T. Jackson, Ticky Thakkar
  • Publication number: 20140195066
    Abstract: A method and system detect temperatures of multiple zones of a computer system using sensors distributed across the computer system. For each of the sensors, the system may determine whether a detected temperature associated with the sensor exceeds a predetermined value. If the detected temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the system may cool at least one of a plurality of devices of the system, based on a proximity of the at least one of the plurality of devices to the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Sameer Nanda, Vincent Palatin
  • Patent number: 8774980
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a first temperature sensor, a pump, a first controller, and a first filtering device. The first temperature sensor senses a temperature of an external water source and outputs a first temperature value. The pump pumps the water from the external water source. The first controller is connected between the first temperature sensor and the pump to receive the first temperature value, and compare the first temperature value with a first predetermined temperature value. If the first temperature value is less than the first predetermined temperature value, the first controller controls the pump to pump the water from the external water source. The first filtering device is connected to the pump to receive and filter the pumped water and output the filtered water to a cold water pipe of the container data center to cool servers of the container data center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yao-Ting Chang, Chao-Ke Wei, Hung-Chou Chan
  • Publication number: 20140188303
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a main body, a temperature sensor, a circuit board and a temperature controller. The temperature sensor is provided inside of the main body and is configured to detect a temperature of the inside of the main body. The circuit board is provided in the main body and on which electronic parts are mounted. The temperature controller is mounted on the circuit board and is configured to control the temperature of the inside of the main body. The temperature controller is configured to perform operation control based on a predetermined time in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Nobuto Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8768532
    Abstract: Indirect thermal fan control is described. In one or more implementations, a speed of a fan may be adjusted based on indirect measurements of temperature. For example, a temperature of air entering an enclosure and a current draw of an electrical component within the enclosure may be determined. A speed of a fan may then be adjusted based on the temperature of the air and the current draw of the component to change a flow of the air over the electrical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon A. Rubenstein
  • Patent number: 8768519
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling grille aperture ratios of a plurality of air transfer grilles which are installed in a room, includes a determining unit for determining target grille air volumes of air blowing to the racks, for determining simulation air volumes of air blowing from the air transfer grilles on the basis of the target grille air volumes so that each of air of the target grille air volumes are blown to the racks, and for determining grille aperture ratios for each of the air transfer grilles on the basis of the plurality of simulation air volumes so that each of the amounts of air blowing from the air transfer grilles is replaced by each of the simulation air volumes, and a controller for controlling each of the grille aperture ratios of the air transfer grilles on the basis of each of the determined grille aperture ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Ikuro Nagamatsu, Junichi Ishimine, Seiichi Saito, Masahiro Suzuki, Tadashi Katsui, Yuji Ohba, Nobuyoshi Yamaoka, Akira Ueda, Yasushi Uraki
  • Patent number: 8768531
    Abstract: A centralized-monitoring apparatus, which centralized monitors a device including a storage, a temperature sensor to detect a temperature therein, and a temperature-variable device to cool or heat inside the storage such that the temperature reaches a set object-preservation temperature, comprises: an input device to be input with first information indicative of a time zone in which the temperature-variable device performing power-saving operation and second information indicative of a set temperature of the time zone; a storage device to store the first-and-second information from the input device; a timing device to measure a current time; and a control device to control the temperature-variable device, based on the first-and-second information and current time, so as to start operation of turning the temperature to the set temperature when the current time reaches a starting time of the time zone, and terminate the operation when the current time reaches an ending time thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Sonoda, Masanaga Tanaka, Ikue Nono, Shigeyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8761956
    Abstract: A computer and a control method for smart fan thereof are provided, wherein the computer includes a processor configured to control a smart fan under an UETFI bios mode. A sensed temperature value from a temperature sensor, and a current speed value of the smart fan are acquired. A real-time temperature curve and a real-time speed curve are traced in a dynamic updating zone of a graphical interface respectively according to the current temperature and the current speed value. A first control point and a second control point, which correspond to the smart fan, are obtained via a control zone of the graphical interface. A control curve is traced in the graphical interface according to the first and second control points. The speed of the smart fan is controlled according to the control curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: MSI Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Wei Chen, Wei-Cheng Wu
  • Patent number: 8760858
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus may include a housing, a board accommodated inside the housing, a plurality of memories mounted on the board, a temperature sensor mounted on the board to be adjacent to one of the memories, and a memory controller mounted on the board to be adjacent to the temperature sensor and configured to acquire temperature information detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may be mounted on a central portion of the board so as to be positioned between one side of the memory controller and one side of the one of the memories. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hisao Tsukazawa
  • Patent number: 8762702
    Abstract: This document describes various techniques for automatically starting servers at low temperatures. A server may be powered on into a heating mode responsive to determining that a temperature of the server is below an operational temperature range. The server may then be restarted when the temperature of the server has increased to a temperature that is within the operational temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christian L. Belady, Eric C. Peterson, Harry R. Rogers
  • Patent number: 8761955
    Abstract: There are a large number of operation workload reallocating plans, but in terms of a required calculation resource, it is undesirable to, in each case, derive power consumption required for a cooling apparatus, select and control operation workload deployment for minimizing a total value of the derived power consumption and server power. The present invention derives a rule about the IT workload allocation in advance from configuration information (static information) including position information of facilities including an air conditioner of the data center and the IT equipment items, changes priority of an applied rule on the basis of dynamic information including ambient temperature, and changes the IT workload allocation, thereby reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Saigo, Jun Okitsu, Hayato Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140172185
    Abstract: Climate regulation within an enclosure (e.g., a server cabinet) may involve a climate regulator device that reports a set of available settings (e.g., fan speeds of a fan array) to a computational unit that selects among the available settings. However, such techniques involve bidirectional communication between the climate regulator device and a computational unit that is capable of utilizing the device-specific settings. Presented herein are climate regulation architectures involving a request from the computational unit as a climate target that is independent of the settings of the climate regulator devices (e.g., an selection on an arbitrary scale from 0 to 100). A climate regulator controller may map the device-independent climate target to a selection among the available settings of the particular climate regulator device(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sriram Sankar, Brandon Rubenstein
  • Patent number: 8755943
    Abstract: Systems and methods for limiting power consumption by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem of a building are shown and described. A mathematical linear operator is found that transforms the unused or deferred cooling power usage of the HVAC system based on pre-determined temperature settings to a target cooling power usage. The mathematical operator is applied to the temperature settings to create a temperature setpoint trajectory expected to provide the target cooling power usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 8755948
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling fluid coolant flow in cooling systems of computing devices are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method may include determining a temperature of a fluid coolant in a cooling system of a computing device. For example, a temperature of water exiting a cooling system of a server may be determined. The method may also include determining an operational condition of the computing device. For example, a temperature of a processor, memory, or input/output (I/O) component may be determined. Further, the method may include controlling a flow of the fluid coolant through the cooling system based on the temperature of the fluid coolant and/or the operational condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Vinod Kamath, Michael S. Miller
  • Publication number: 20140163764
    Abstract: Energy efficient control of cooling system cooling of an electronic system is provided based, in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components. The control includes automatically determining speed control settings for multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components of the cooling system, and the determining operates to limit power consumption of at least the cooling system, while ensuring that a target temperature associated with at least one of the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range by provisioning, based on the weighted cooling effectiveness, a desired target temperature change among the multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The provisioning includes provisioning applied power to the multiple adjustable cooling components via, at least in part, the determined control settings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20140163766
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for improving system performance using cooling configuration information are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A set of components in a data processing system is indexed according to corresponding amounts of cooling available to the components in the set. Priorities are assigned to component users in a set of component users. Using a processor and a memory, a component whose index value represents a higher than threshold amount of cooling availability to the component is allocated to a component user whose priority is higher than a threshold priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: MIKE CONRAD DURON, Randall Clay Itskin, Mark David McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20140163767
    Abstract: Energy efficient control of cooling system cooling of an electronic system is provided based, in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components. The control includes automatically determining speed control settings for multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on weighted cooling effectiveness of the components of the cooling system, and the determining operates to limit power consumption of at least the cooling system, while ensuring that a target temperature associated with at least one of the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range by provisioning, based on the weighted cooling effectiveness, a desired target temperature change among the multiple adjustable cooling components of the cooling system. The provisioning includes provisioning applied power to the multiple adjustable cooling components via, at least in part, the determined control settings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20140163765
    Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for estimating environmental ambient temperature of a portable computing device (“PCD”) from temperature measurements taken within the PCD 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. Temperature measurements are then taken from temperature sensors within the PCD 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ankur Jain, Paras S. Doshi, Unnikrishnan Vadakkanmaruveedu, Vinay Mitter
  • Patent number: 8751057
    Abstract: A method for control a temperature of a computing device detects a first CPU temperature TN1 using a thermal sensor, controls the fan to swivel from an angle corresponding to the initial cooling location to an angle corresponding to a new cooling location according to a preset swiveling angle of the fan to cool the CPU according to a preset initial rotational speed if the TN1 is not less than a preset maximum temperature Tmax of the CPU, detects a second CPU temperature TN2 using the thermal sensor if the cooling time of the fan at the initial rotational speed is equal to the preset cooling time. The method controls the fan to swivel from the angle corresponding to the new cooling location to the angle corresponding to the initial cooling location according to the swiveling angle of the fan if the TN2 is less than the Tmax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zeu-Chia Tan
  • Patent number: 8746008
    Abstract: A vertical support rigidly mounted to a planar base positions and supports a cryocooler expander unit off axis and away from a sample to be examined. The sample support is likewise rigidly mounted to the planar base with a rigidly mounted sample housing therein. The cryocooler expander unit is suspended in the vertical support by spring dampening bearings. A pair of opposing flexible vacuum bellows connects the cryocooler expander unit to the sample housing and vertical support. This configuration isolates the sample from vibration. Flexible thermal links associated with an predictive electronic closed loop control sequence maintains sample temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Montana Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Luke R. Mauritsen, Michael B. Simmonds, Dan Griffing
  • Publication number: 20140156102
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system comprising a hybrid heating device (PAC-H) for a fluid contained in a remote tank (SP), comprising a fluid inlet (Wi) for receiving the fluid from the tank, first and second internal heating means for said fluid, control means co-operating with said first and second internal heating means, and a fluid outlet (Wo) for returning said heated fluid. Said control means activate alternately or simultaneously the first and second internal heating means according to a setpoint and/or a predetermined operating parameter of the hybrid heating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: POOLSTAR
    Inventors: Raphael ELBAZ, Georges AMSELLEM
  • Patent number: 8744632
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for cooling an enclosure includes an air conditioner and a control system for triggering an economizer cycle of the air conditioner. The control system determines an electrical load of equipment in the enclosure, calculates a maximum acceptable outdoor temperature at which the economizer cycle may be operated based at least partially on the electrical load, receives data representative of an actual outdoor temperature, and initiates the economizer cycle if the actual outdoor temperature is equal to or below the maximum acceptable outdoor temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Airxcel, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew L. Blackshaw, Michael D. Whitehurst, Paul Franklin Fay, Jeff Dewitt Brown
  • Publication number: 20140148969
    Abstract: A cloud-based system that include a plurality of remote refrigerated appliances equipped with a communication and temperature control board with sensors interface, a computing cloud, and a distributed software environment for refrigerators operational data acquisition and storage and for developing testing and executing temperature control methods and with energy optimization techniques is provided. The communication and temperature control board activates the elements of a refrigerated appliance based on direct control of the remote distributed environment executing the temperature control method in software. The distributed software environment executing the temperature control method acquires operational data and energy consumption from the sensors connected to the remote communication and temperature control board and employs energy optimization techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: VISIBLE ENERGY INC.
    Inventors: Marco Emilio Graziano, David Michael Gjredrum
  • Publication number: 20140148968
    Abstract: Methods and systems for systems and methods for optimizing usage of a free cooling subsystem are provided. The method includes collecting micro-climate data from one or more sensors surrounding a facility. The method also includes analyzing the micro-climate data and making a determination to operate a free cooling subsystem or a paid cooling subsystem based on the analysis of the micro-climate data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Chapman, Michael R. Pelletier, Gregory L. Rieder, Daniel J. Tukey
  • Patent number: 8737059
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling and monitoring an air-conditioning system of a data processing installation includes at least one server switchgear cabinet for accommodating electrical units. Controlling of the cooling power of an air-conditioning unit is performed in at least two distinct defined modes, wherein in a first mode the air volume capacity of a blower is controlled to a minimum value at a maximum defined temperature difference between sucked hot air and supplied cold air, and in a second mode the cooling power is controlled such that a maximum defined temperature for the cooling medium flowing from a heat exchanger is not exceeded. The method and apparatus provide energy-saving cooling of such data processing installations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Doerrich, Michael Nicolai
  • Patent number: 8731733
    Abstract: A system for managing a structure having cooling fluid configured to flow around and absorb heat from components contained in the structure includes a plurality of separate cooling mechanisms configured to absorb heat from the cooling fluid. At least two of the plurality of separate cooling mechanisms have at least one different level of a metric with respect to each other. The system also includes a controller configured to implement the plurality of separate cooling mechanisms in a staged manner to remove heat from the cooling fluid. The staged manner includes implementing the cooling mechanism having a relatively lower at least one metric level first and implementing a cooling mechanism having a relatively higher at least one metric level last, to cool the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L. P.
    Inventors: Chandrakant Patel, Cullen E. Bash, Ratnesh Kumar Sharma, Amip J. Shah, Abdlmonem Beitelmal
  • Patent number: 8725307
    Abstract: A system and method for evaluating cooling performance of equipment in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks and at least one cooling provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Healey, Xuanhang Zhang, James W. VanGilder
  • Patent number: 8724490
    Abstract: A system and method for managing energy of a home or other structure are disclosed. An energy management system for a home network comprises a central device controller configured to communicate with energy consuming devices, energy generation devices and storage devices at a home. Power/energy measuring devices provide consumption measurements for the home and each device to the controller. A home network router routes communications among various networks for the home. The router provides for a 6LowPan/Zigbee network to communicate with WiFi, Ethernet and the like networked devices of the home.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeff Donald Drake
  • Patent number: 8724320
    Abstract: A fan system includes a pulse signal generation portion and a plurality of fans. Each of the plurality of fans preferably includes a motor portion; an impeller arranged to be rotated by the motor portion; a drive circuit arranged to drive the motor portion; a rotation detection portion arranged to detect rotation of the motor portion; and a rotation rate control circuit arranged to, based on a reference pulse signal supplied from the pulse signal generation portion and an actual rotation pulse signal supplied from the rotation detection portion, exercise feedback control on a rotation rate of the motor portion in accordance with a period of the reference pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: George Harlan, Masayuki Kato, Hideyuki Takemoto, Masamune Hiraki
  • Publication number: 20140129044
    Abstract: A method of maintaining a temperature of a surface in a building space to be above a dew point of the building space includes calculating a dew point based on a temperature measurement and a relative humidity measurement. The method further includes estimating a safety margin associated with the dew point calculation, determining a minimum temperature of the surface, wherein the minimum temperature is a function of the dew point and the safety margin, and commanding a first component of a building automation system to adjust a current temperature of the surface to be greater than the minimum temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Michael J. Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20140129045
    Abstract: A control device that controls a heating device having a plurality of heating zones, has a monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature of at least a first heating zone in the plurality of heating zones, and a control unit configured to perform heat-up starting control, in which heat-up of at least a second heating zone is started in the plurality of heating zones, based on the temperature of the first heating zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Wakahiro Kawai, Takafumi Bessho
  • Patent number: 8718826
    Abstract: A system is provided for remote control of at least one operating condition of a site. The system includes a proximity detection module at a residential site, which is configured to receive a communication regarding a location of a location reporting device or a mobile device. The proximity detection module is configured to alter or adjust a current temperature setting for the site based on a distance or location of the location reporting device or mobile device relative to the site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Anil Ramachandran, David S. Drew
  • Patent number: 8718835
    Abstract: An optimized temperature-driven device cooling mechanism factors in power consumption of thermal management components, as well as processing components. A decision engine consults a knowledge base comprising information regarding power consumption and thermal impact of cooling components and processing components. The decision engine can delay additional cooling if the power consumption of cooling components is greater than the increase in power consumption of processing components due to increases in ambient temperature. The knowledge base is populated by published specifications and by empirically derived data that can be based on tests performed on components. Thermal management strategies can be user selected and can include strategies that avoid controlling certain components such as, for example, processing components, instead focusing only on cooling and other components. Cooling includes heat distribution, such as by transferring processing from one processing component to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sriram Sankar, Mark E. Shaw
  • Patent number: 8718836
    Abstract: A computing device and method controls at least three fans installed in the computing device. Rotational speed of each of the fans is according to the temperature of a specific fan. The computing device reads the temperature of each of the fan by a baseboard management controller (BMC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsin-Fu Wang
  • Patent number: 8718834
    Abstract: A modular computer system includes a fan tray comprising a number of fans, a number of slots, and sets of temperature sensors. A shelf manager stores a table that records the relationship in distance between the slots and the fans, and the correlation relationship between the slots and the sets of temperature sensors. The shelf manager monitors the temperatures of different portions of each field replaceable unit according to signals from the temperature sensors. When there is one or more monitored temperatures exceeding a preset value, the shelf manager determines which of the slots corresponds to the one or more monitored temperatures, determines the number of sensors that have detected the high temperatures, and adjusts the speed of the one or more fans adjacent to each determined slot according to the determined number of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsung-En Lu
  • Patent number: 8717156
    Abstract: An advanced driver assistance system for a vehicle is provided. The advanced driver assistance system includes a sensor arrangement for measuring the distance of a foreign object from the vehicle, and an electronic control unit for activating vehicle-internal actuators as a function of information obtained from a signal of the sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement includes at least one sensor that is arranged on a longitudinal side of the vehicle and measures the distance of the foreign object from the longitudinal vehicle side. The control unit has a program module which emits a warning message to the driver during a forward drive by a connection to at least one of the actuators when the measured distance of the foreign object from the longitudinal vehicle side is smaller than a predefined safety distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Tronnier, Klaus Gresser
  • Publication number: 20140121854
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to provide a cooling arrangement for a system are described. The system includes a component coupled to a heat sink. A signal associated with a temperature control of the component is asserted. A target temperature of the heat sink is adjusted based on the signal. In one embodiment, a temperature control loop of the heat sink is operated. The temperature of the heat sink may be monitored using one or more sensors placed on the heat sink. An operation of the component, a cooling unit coupled to the heat sink, or both, may be adjusted based on a relationship between the temperature of the heat sink and an adjusted target temperature. Adjusting the target temperature of the heat sink based on the asserted signal increases efficiency of the system while decreasing cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David G. Conroy, Michael Culbert, Keith A. Cox
  • Publication number: 20140121869
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cooling control system and method for battery packs located in different locations in a vehicle. In particular, a controller determines whether the maximum temperatures of a plurality of battery packs disposed in different locations are within the reference maximum temperature and whether the temperature differences of battery cells in each of the battery packs is within the reference temperature difference value. When the maximum temperature is less than or equal to the reference maximum temperature and the temperature difference between battery cells in each of the battery packs is within the reference temperature difference value, the controller determines whether the temperature differences in all the battery packs are within the reference temperature difference value. Then when each of the temperature differences in all the battery packs are over the reference temperature difference value, an output of a cooling unit provided to cool that battery pack is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicants: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Gun Goo Lee, Hae Kyu Lim, Do Sung Hwang
  • Patent number: 8712597
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method optimizes air mover performance to minimize temperature variations in a computer system enclosure. The computer system includes one or more modules and at least one air mover. The method includes collecting thermal data from the modules; using the collected thermal data, determining a maximum value of the thermal data; comparing the determined maximum value of the thermal data to a current maximum value of the thermal data; using the determined and the current maximum values, determining a desired operating characteristic of the air mover; and adjusting the air mover to the desired operating characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: James A. Rozzi
  • Patent number: 8712598
    Abstract: A method for cooling an electronic device having first and second flow paths for transmitting a coolant. The method includes assessing a merit of impelling the coolant along the first flow path relative to impelling the coolant along the second flow path. When the relative merit is above a threshold, coolant is impelled along the first flow path. When the relative merit is below the threshold, coolant is impelled along the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rajesh Manohar Dighde, Bernie Schultz, David Abzarian
  • Patent number: 8708244
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and a system for controlling floor heating or climate regulating systems with long time constants. According to the invention, a flow of a fluid is provided through the floor or through a similar medium with large thermal inertia. An induced heat is determined by adding up a plurality of differences between an inlet temperature of the fluid when it enters the medium and an outlet temperature of the fluid when it leaves the medium. The temperatures are sampled with a fixed sampling time and within a fixed period of time, and a corresponding change in temperature of the medium over the fixed period of time is determined. In the future, the temperature of that medium is controlled by use of a ratio between the induced heat and the change in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Lars Finn Sloth Larsen, Honglian Thybo, Claus Thybo